William Wallace Grout (May 24, 1836October 7, 1902) was an American politician and lawyer. He served as a U.S. Representative from

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

Biography

Grout was born in Compton in

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec ...

(now

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

), the son of Josiah and Sophronia (Ayer) Grout. His parents, native Vermonters, returned to that state when he was thirteen. Grout pursued an academic course, he attended

St. Johnsbury Academy St. Johnsbury Academy (SJA) is an independent, private, coeducational, non-profit boarding and day school located in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in the United States. The academy enrolls students in grades 9-12. It was founded by Thaddeus Fairba ...

and graduated from the

State and National Law School The State and National Law School was an early practical training law school founded in 1849 by John W. Fowler in Ballston Spa, New York ( Saratoga County). It was also known as New York State and National Law School, Ballston Law School, and Fow ...

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeeps ...

, in 1857. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in December of the same year and began the practice of law in

Barton, Vermont Barton is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,872 at the 2020 census. The town includes two incorporated villages, Barton and Orleans. Approximately a quarter of the town's population lives in each of t ...

. In 1862 Grout was nominated as State's Attorney of Orleans County but declined, deciding instead to enter the army. In July 1862 he received his commission as

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...

of the 15th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment 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 ...

during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. He later attained the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

as commander of one of three

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

s organized for border defense by the

Vermont State Legislature The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The ...

following the

St. Albans Raid The St. Albans Raid was the northernmost land action of the American Civil War. It was a raid from the Province of Canada by 21 Confederate soldiers. They had recently failed in engagements with the Union Army and evaded subsequent capture in th ...

. Grout served as

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...

of Orleans County in 1865 and 1866. In 1868 he was a delegate to Republican National Convention from Vermont. He served in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives are ...

from 1868 until 1870 and in 1874. In 1876 he was a member of the Vermont State Senate and served as

President pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase '' pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

. Grout was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Congressman to the Forty-seventh Congress from

Vermont's 3rd congressional district } Vermont's 3rd congressional district is an obsolete district. It was created in 1803. It was eliminated after the United States Census, 1880, 1880 Census. Its last Congressman was William W. Grout. List of members representing the district ...

, serving from March 4, 1881, until March 3, 1883. The 3rd District was eliminated at the end of his term. He was an unsuccessful candidate for

Vermont's 2nd congressional district Vermont's 2nd congressional district is an obsolete district. It was created upon Vermont's admission as the 14th State in 1791. It was eliminated after the 1930 Census. Its last Congressman was Ernest W. Gibson, who was redistricted into t ...

in 1882 to the Forty-eighth Congress. Grout was elected to the Forty-ninth from the 2nd Vermont District and to the seven succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1885, until March 3, 1901. He served as chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbia in the Fifty-first Congress, and was on the Committee on Expenditures in the

Department of War 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 {{u ...

in the Fifty-fourth through the Fifty-sixth Congresses. From 1881 until 1888, Grout's law practice included Willard W. Miles as his partner; when Grout withdrew in 1888 so that he could concentrate his full time efforts on his Congressional career, Miles continued the practice alone. After leaving Congress, he engaged in agricultural pursuits and the practice of law. Grout died on October 7, 1902, and is interred in Grove Cemetery in

Saint Johnsbury, Vermont St. Johnsbury (known locally as "St. J") is the shire town (county seat) of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,364. St. Johnsbury is situated on the Passumpsic River and is located approximately ...

Personal life

Grout was the second child of ten, eldest of five sons. Seven of the children were born in the Compton house. There were no finished chambers in the Compton house. In winter, awakening to snow on the bed was a common experience. The family moved to

Kirby, Vermont Kirby is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 575 at the 2020 census. History The town was chartered to Roswell Hopkins in 1790; Hopkins served as Clerk of the House of Representatives and Secretary of State o ...

, from Compton. Grout married Loraine M. Smith in 1860, and they had two children who died while in infancy. Loraine died in 1868. Grout's brother

Josiah Grout Josiah Grout Jr. (May 28, 1841July 19, 1925) was an American lawyer and politician in the US state of Vermont. Born in the British Canadian Province of Lower Canada to Vermonter parents, he served in the American Civil War as a Union Army offi ...

, was the

Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives The Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives is the Speaker or presiding officer of the Vermont House of Representatives, the lower house of the Vermont Legislature. The Speaker presides over sessions of the Houses, recognizes members so ...

and was the 46th

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 ...

. His nephew

Aaron H. Grout Aaron Hinman Grout (January 18, 1879 – December 29, 1966) was an American judge and political figure who served as Secretary of State of Vermont. Early life Grout was born in Rock Island, Illinois, on January 18, 1879. He was the son of Govern ...

, the son of Josiah Grout, served as

Vermont Secretary of State The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The secretary of state is fourth (behind the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Repr ...

from 1923 to 1927.

References

External links

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: Grout, William Wallace, (1836 - 1902)
*

* ttp://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/william_grout/404846 Govtrack.us: Rep. William Grout
Vermont in the Civil War: William W. Grout

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grout, William Wallace 1836 births 1902 deaths State and National Law School alumni Vermont lawyers 2nd Vermont Brigade Union Army officers People of Vermont in the American Civil War People from Barton, Vermont Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party Vermont state senators Presidents pro tempore of the Vermont Senate Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont 19th-century American politicians State's attorneys in Vermont

Biography

Personal life

References

Further reading

External links