Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-01-02
THE MEN OF VERMONT.
D. JONAS GALUSHA.

Jonas Galusha was the fifth person who
held the Office of Governor of Vermont.
Of his early history, nothing definite is
known, except that he informs us in his
first message to the General Assembly
that he was educated plain farmer, and
consequently destitute of those literary at
tainments which by many are esteemed so
requisite to the discharge OF official du-
ties )" and that he came to Vermont in
1775, then young man, and settled at
SALISBURY.
During the War of the Revolution.
t0o companies of Militia were raised by
the town of Salisbury, one of which was
placed under his command, and the other
under that of Capt. Amos Huntington,
who was taken prisoner at Hubbardton
Battle, July 7th, 1777, and sent to Cana
da as a prisoner of war; after which the
two companies were united, and, command
ed by Captain Galusha, were engag ed in
the battle fought at Bennington, August
10th, 1777 between the Green Mountain
Boys, under General John Stark and the
HeSStons under Colonel Frederick Baum.
In l78l Jonas Galusha was appointed
Sheriff OF Bennington County, which Of
flee he continued to hold till 1887. and
was the first Sheriff OF that County of
which we have any accurate record. al
though it appears from tradition that Ben
Jamin Fay held the office prior to that
time, probably by appointment of the
Council of Safety. Captain Galusha was
also Judge of the Bennington County
Court for the years 1895, So and 81 and
again from 1900 to 1906 inclusive.
In 1898 he was elected Councillor
and was reelected in 1894, 95, SO, 81,
and 50. In 1900 he was elected to rep
resent tie town of SALISBURY in the
House OF Representatives of Vermont,
and took his seat as such, ON the first day
OF the session; but on the morning CT the
second day he ''came into the House and
Informed, h& he being elected councillor
had accepted # that appointment, and re
signed his seat as tie House." He remain
ed in the Council, being usually placed at
the head of the ticket, till 1907, when he
was elected one Of the Judges of the Su-
preme Court, which office he held two
years.
At this same session, he was elected on
the part of the Council, United States
Senator in place Of Gov. Smith who had
resigned that office or being elected Gov
ernor, but failed to receive the concurrent
vote of both branches Of the Legislature.
Judge Galusha was member Of the
Council of Censors in 1902. This Coun-
Gil, in addition to proposing to establish
Senate, proposed amendments to the Con-
stitution, SO as to prohibit towns of less
than forty families from being represent
ed in the Legislature, and also provided
for the election, by that body, of an 'advt:
sorry Council consisting of four members
"to advise with the Governor in granting
pardons, renting fines, laying embargoes,
revising bills" &c. Judge Galusha was
an earnest advocate of these measures,
and exerted the whole of his great influ-
ence in their favor, but without avail. He
was also member of the Constitutional
Convention of 1914 and again in 1922
and was President of the latter Conven-
ton.
In 1909, he was elected by the people,
Governor of the State, and again in 1910,
IL and IL; but in 1918 although he had