Litchfield enquirer., 1860-05-03
Sketches of the Early Lights of the Litchfield Bar.
 No, X.
ASA BACON.
NEW MILFORD, April 23, 1860.

ritchfield County Bar transmit you i'"n'e which, though not decorated by the CIVIC honors
 ns-,a n.s-' .o some of thsm think highly worthy of a place in the seres'
 Asa Bacon, the son of very respectaole ana somewhat opulent farmer of Canterbury in this ,tate. was born there on the 9th day of Februa- ". 1771. His early school and classical educa- ton was had in that and the neighboring towns in Windham County so far as was necessary to ;. preparation for entering Yale College Whlcn ae did in September, l78s; and during hls col Fsgiate course, sustained very prominent stand ing in his class and by his instructor ana ciass- mates was marked out as one who would mahs :, distinguished figure in the profession in winch Iis talents and turn of mind plainly indicated would be his choice. Immediately after ms graduation in September, l793, he entered the office of Gen. Cleaveland in his native town as I.aw-student, and there remained about SIX months and then joined the Law school at Litch- field at that time, and for long before, under the sole instruction of Tapping Reeve, Esq, after wards Judge Reeve, in which he remained until admitted to the Bar in September, l795. Soon after which, without consulting any body or talk i.g single letter of hich he might for asking
 5tained any quantity of the best sort, with char acteristic boldness and love of adventure Ill youth, he left Connecticut for Virginia With determination of establishing himself in the prac ,ce of law in the latter state: an attempt IL IS ;olieved, never before made by any one rom Connecticut. In order to the accomplishment or ,;hich object, he found on arrival ill Virginia that he had got to obtain license from ma i,rity of the Judges of the Supreme Court Tn that state, and that too by visiting them at their re- spective residences for they were not ill the practice of examining and licensing candidates curing the session of the court This subjected him to the trouble and expense of travelling over |, great part of the state; and this being accom- ,lshed, he determined to fix himself at Lees burg, the capital of Louden county, and he ac- cordingly opened an office for practice there and being aided by fine and imposing personal appearance and promptness in manners nc suc- caeded in obtaining fair and encouraging DOT ion of business, and there remained for nearly three years, when, on returning to Connecticut to visit his relations he found the prospects of professional business in his native county to be iuch as, in connection with natural preference for Connecticut society to that of Virginia as to induce him to renounce his connection with his new formed establishment and open an office in his native town, and this he did with such suc- cess as speedily to secure him fair share of pro- fassonal business, but also to induce four young gentlemen to enter his office for legal instruc- ion, upon a plan which he adopted; three ot whom were from Massachusetts all of whom be- came distinguished civilians in after lfe-one be- ing governor, and one judge of the supreme court of Massachusetts, and one member of Congress from the state of New York.
 After prosperous practice of over seven years in Windham County, he received an invitation from the Hon. John Allen, then at the head of practice in the larger county of Ltchfeld, to re- move there and become his partner in business. This he accepted, and was probably in a measure induced so to do from the prospect that MT. Allen would, on account of declining health, wholly retire from the Bar at no very distant pe- riod ; and this in fact happened at time earlier than was desirable. By means of his connection with Mir. Allen, and of peculiar faculty of his own Mir. Bacon soon obtained an ample and sat isfactory share of the business done at the Iitch- field County Bar and by his faithfulness and zeal in the management of it he retained it, for many years to his great satisfaction for he was very fond of his profession. No man more thorough y identified himself with the interest of his client, asomuch that he could hardly bring himself to >oubt of the justice of his cause, however he might of the legal means of obtaining it. hence his utmost exertions were sure to be put forth for the attainment of it. In untiring iudustryi in the preparation of cause for trial no man ex- celled him. He was an able, and when the na- lure of the case allowed of it, an eloquent advo
 cate. Until some sixty years old he was in full practice, almost never being in any degree divert cd from it by political aspirations. But repeated sh0u'Aou'"S "ee"ShS oA O thtcutcuitlS udtuic HI the autumn of the year 1882 admonshed him of the danger of much public speaking and in- s,uced him to retire from the Bar as soon as it could conveniently be done. While in practice his untiring diligence in the preparation of his causes for trial. the learning, wit and force of reasoning was so satisfactory to his numerous clients that it was not remembered that any one who once employed him ever forsook him when in after time he had occasion for legal advice.
 After the close of his practice of law, and in deed long before that event, Mir. Bacon paid much attention to pecuniary affairs, and his skill and judgment in the management led to his ap- continent as president of the branch of the Phe- nix Bank located at Htch6eld, which he held fer number of years. But his cautious policy in the management of it proved unsatisfactory to some of the stockholders, but more particularly
 with the managers at head quarters tho subse
 quent events have fully proved that had his eau
 tious management been sanctioned the late an,
 present mortiying and disgraceful situation e
 that institution would never have occurred.
 As man, mere private individual, MT. B.
 con will be agreed by all who ever knew him
 have been very peculiar man, both in appea .ance and in manner. He was full six feet tw
 inches high; well formed for appearance; neith'
 too f3ashv por too snare and his inexhaustb