Urban Andrain Woodbury (July 11, 1838 – April 15, 1915) was an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

veteran, an entrepreneur and a U.S.

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...

of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

. He served as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Burlington, 37th

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, and as the 45th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

Prewar life

Woodbury was born in

Acworth, New Hampshire Acworth is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 853. History Originally chartered by colonial governor Benning Wentworth in 1752, it was called "Burnet" after William Bu ...

, on July 11, 1838, the son of Albert M. and Lucy L. (Wadleigh) Woodbury, natives of

Cavendish, Vermont Cavendish is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The town was likely named after William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire. The population was 1,392 at the 2020 census. The town of Cavendish includes the unincorporated villages of ...

. He was raised in Morristown and Morrisville, Vermont from the age of two, and attended the public schools of Morristown, and Peoples Academy in Morrisville. Woodbury intended on a career as a physician and attended the medical department of the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the Unite ...

, from which he graduated in 1859. He never practiced medicine because he decided to enlist in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

for the

Civil War

Woodbury enlisted on May 25, 1861, and mustered in as 1st Sergeant of Company H, 2nd Vermont Infantry on June 20. He fought at the July 21

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

, where he lost his right arm after being struck by a fragment from an exploding artillery shell, thus becoming Vermont's first ''Empty Sleeve''. Woodbury was captured, and after nearly three months in prison in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, he was paroled on October 5, 1861. He was discharged on account of wounds on October 18. In November 1862, Woodbury accepted a commission as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and was assigned as commander of Company D, 11th Vermont Infantry. He transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps on June 17, 1863, and resigned from the service March 27, 1865.

Postwar life

After returning from the war, Woodbury settled in Burlington and engaged in the lumber and hotel businesses. For 19 years he was manager of the Booth Lumber Company of Burlington, and for 35 years owner and proprietor of the ''Van Ness House'', a hotel he enlarged twice, enabling it to accommodate 400 guests. At the time of his death he was president of the Mead Manufacturing Company, the Crystal Confectionery Company, and the Queen City Cotton Company. A Republican, he was elected alderman in Burlington's 2nd Ward in 1881 and 1882, and he was president of the board in his second year. From 1884 to 1886, he served as a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

on the staff of Governor

John L. Barstow John Lester Barstow (February 21, 1832 – June 28, 1913) was an American teacher, farmer, politician, and soldier who served as the 39th governor of Vermont, United States. Early life Barstow was born in Shelburne, Vermont, on February 21, 1832 ...

. He was mayor of Burlington in 1885 and 1886, and

from 1888 to 1890, under Governor

William P. Dillingham William Paul Dillingham (December 12, 1843July 12, 1923) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Vermont. A Republican and the son of Congressman and Governor Paul Dillingham, William P. Dillingham served as governor from 1888 ...

. He served as governor from

1894 Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...

to 1896. In 1898, he was appointed by President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in t ...

to a commission led by General

Grenville Dodge Grenville Mellen Dodge (April 12, 1831 – January 3, 1916) was a Union Army officer on the frontier and a pioneering figure in military intelligence during the Civil War, who served as Ulysses S. Grant's intelligence chief in the Western The ...

, which investigated the conduct of the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...

in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

. Woodbury was active in

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and attained the 32nd degree of the

Scottish Rite The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States often omits the ''and'', while the English Constitution in the United Kingdom omits the ''Scottish''), commonly known as simply the S ...

. His other fraternal associations included

IOOF The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Or ...

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy ( U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, ...

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

Sons of the American Revolution The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR or NSSAR) is an American congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. A non-profit corporation, it has described its purpose ...

, and

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was found ...

. Woodbury was also an early member of the

Green Mountain Club The Green Mountain Club is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Vermont's Long Trail. The Long Trail is the oldest long-distance hiking trail in America and stretches from the Massachusetts state line to the ...

which was established at a meeting in the Van Ness House in 1910.

Death and burial

Woodbury became ill in early 1915, and in February he traveled to the

Battle Creek Sanitarium The Battle Creek Sanitarium was a world-renowned health resort in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. It started in 1866 on health principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and from 1876 to 1943 was managed by Dr. John H ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

to seek a cure. He suffered several strokes soon after beginning a course of treatment, and after it was clear he would not recover, Woodbury asked to be brought back to Burlington so he could pass his final days at his own home. He died in Burlington on April 15, 1915. Woodbury was buried at

Lakeview Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gi ...

in Burlington.

Family

On February 12, 1860, Woodbury married Paulina L. Darling, daughter of Ira and Sarah Darling of

Elmore, Vermont Elmore is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. It was granted by the Vermont Republic in 1780, and was named for Colonel Samuel Elmore (1720–1805), one of the original grantees. The population was 886 at the 2020 census. Elmore ...

. They were the parents of six children: Charles, Minnie, Gertrude, Edward, Lila, and Mildred. Gertrude Woodbury (1872-1962) was the wife of George M. Powers, who served as an associate justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Cou ...

References

Sources

* Benedict, G. G., ''Vermont in the Civil War. A History of the part taken by the Vermont Soldiers And Sailors in the War For The Union, 1861–65'', Burlington, VT: The Free Press Association, 1888, i:77, 83; ii:343. * "Ex-Gov. U. A. Woodbury Prominently Identified With Business Interests of Burlington," ''Bennington (VT) Banner'', April 17, 1915 * "Last Honors Paid, Funeral of the Late Governor Woodbury Held Sunday," ''Bennington (VT) Banner'', April 20, 1915 * Peck, Theodore S., compiler, ''Revised Roster of Vermont Volunteers and lists of Vermonters Who Served in the Army and Navy of the United States During the War of the Rebellion, 1861–66''. Montpelier, VT.: Press of the Watchman Publishing Co., 1892, pp. 56, 424, 733.
Urban Andrain Woodbury
at National Governors Association