Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-02-27
THE MEN OF VERMONT,
27.--NATHANIEL CHAPMAN.

married the daughter of John Rowland,
who, in 1920, landed from the Mayfower
upon Plymouth Rock. He settled in
Barnstable, Massachusetts, and was, by
vote OF the town, admitted freeman, in
December 1862. His second son, Samuel
Chapman, born at Barnstable, Massachu-
sets, in 1861, married Sarah Cobb, and
had ten children--of whom, the oldest
was Thomas, born in 1857, who settled in
Groton, Connecticut, and had five sons.
In l7io, with his five sons, he removed
to Salisbury in the same State, and was
its first Representative to the, now known
as, the General Assembly of Connecticut,
and was subsequently, one of the first
Judges of the Litchfeld County Court.
His son Samuel married Hannah Austin
of Sufiield, Connecticut, and had six sons.
NATHANIEL CHPMAN, their oldest
son, was born at Salisbury, in the County
of Litchfeld, and State of Connecticut, on
the 18th day of November, 1852. He
labored on a farm until 1872, when he
entered upon his preparatory studies for
entering College, as was customary in
those days, with the minister ofthe parish"
and at the end of nine months entered
College. He graduated at Yale College
in l777.
| In the Spring of 1777, he was commits
stoned as Lieutenant, and Immediately
joined the army. He was, in the winter
of l777-8, with the army at Valley Forge,
and during the campaign of the ensuing
season, was present at the battle of Mon
mouth. In letter dated Camp Fred
ericksburgh, October 10, ITS" and adj
dressed to General Washington, he re-
signed his commission, saying" 1t is,
indeed, great modification to be obliged
to resign, but greater to hold the rank,
while unable to support the character, Of
an officer" with reluctance would !
quit the service of my country, could l
= subsist myself in it with honor. Every
one must be sensible that subaltern 5
wages are in no degree equal to his ex-
penses he must necessarily have some
, other resources, or make contemplate
appearance he must, in fact, become a
beggar."
Alter having studied law between four
and five months, he was in March 1878 adj
mItted to the bar, in the County of Itch
field. About this time he wrote to hi:
friend and classmate Fitch, afterwards
e the first President of Williams College
n Massachusetts, these playful, yet pro-
phetic words, . | shall probably settle ii
Bennington, where / shall indeed be
T rara aU,S in terrtS, for there is not an at
, torney in the State. Think, Fitch, think
what figure | shall make. when | be
. come the oracle of law TO the State O
3 Vermont" And, again -"Let's see
u First, an attorney; then, a Selectman; q
Q hufins justice; deputy; an assistant
d a member of Congress. lie left Con-
t necticut, and arrived at Tinmouth, Rut
+ land County, Vermont, April 10, 1878
It In the words of the record, "Ata Su
y perior Court holden at Rutland in the
County of Bennington, on the I'd Thurs
day of June A. D. 1879, Nathanie
: Chapman was appointed attorney a
law, sworn and licensed to plead at the
= bar within the state" He was the thirC
j lawyer in the State, and the first in thu
Il County, then Shire, of Rutland. Imme
+ diately after his appointment" he en-
n tered into an extensive practice; hi
name appears in nearly every case in thu
Court dockets for the ten succeedin!
Z years as attorney either for the plaintiff
IS or defendant. At the first County Court
s after the incorporation of Rutland County
/, held in 1881, he was appointed State
e Attorney, which office he retained til
q 1885, when he was succeeded by hi
brother Darius.
In 1889 he was appointed one of tn
u Commissioners to settle the New Yorl
Il Controversy, and in 1890 he was ap
S pointed joint Commissioner with Levi
l. R. Morris to negotiate the admission Q
d Vermont into the Union. He was, also
e delegate from Rutland, to Convention
h which, in 1871, ratified the Constitution
. of the United States. In October, 17Sf
he was elected oae of the Judges of tn
y Supreme Court of Vermont, and was tn
first lawyer elected Judge of that Court
= At the end of the year he returned to hi
is practice at the bar. In 1889, he wa
.e again called to the bench, and was electe
/ Chief Justice. He was reelected in 1896
: and continued as Chief Justice of the Su
:, premo Court of Vermont till Octobe
~ 1871, when he was appointed, by WASH
to INGToN, Judge of the District Court {