Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-07-27
LUCIUs E, CHITTENDEN DEAD
Was Register of the Treasury Under
President Lincoln.


Knew Name OF Person who Loaned Our
Government sIO,OOO,OOO in Is02---
Wrote His Name so Hours without
Rest.
Iucius E. Chittenden, register of the
treasury under President Lincoln's admin
istration, and an author and lawyer of
note. died Sunday at his summer home in
Rurlinyton from cholera morbus after an
illness of four days. Mr. Chittenden was
a tvpical Vermonter. He was an authority
on all matters concerning the history of
the state. and he was ever ready to praise
and defend her.
Mr. Cbittenden was born in Wiliston,
Nav "a, 1924 He was the son of Giles
Chittenden, grandson Of Irueman Chitten-
den and great grandson OF Thomas Chitten-
den. who in III was elected first governor
of Vermont and Is times reelected to that
position.
Mr.. Chit.enden was educated in the COM
mon schools of his native town and in the
academies of Hnesburg and Cambridge.
He studied law 10 the Office of Norman L.
Whittemore in Swanton, teaching school in
winter. He was admitted to the bar of
Franklin county in 1915, practicing his
profession with Wyllys, Lyman Edward j..
Phelps and Daniel Roberts, all leading men
and the last two eminent lawyers recently
deceased
As early as 1916 he became actively en-
gagged in politics. He was prominent in
the anti-slavery and Free Soil movements
and was an ardent Republican when that
party was organized, In lS56-6O he was
state senator for Chittenden county, where
he had great influence in legislation. In
1861 he was appointed delegate to con-
r l,,1l -, III 20
take measures to avert the then impending
war, and was there associated with ex.-
Gov. Chase of Ohio, leading member of
the conference. When Mr. Chase became
secretary of the treasury in President Lin
coins first cabinet Mr.. Chittenden was ten
dered the Office of register of the treasury,
holding the position for four years At the
close of the war Mr.. Chittenden established
himself in New York, where he had since
lived, coming to Burlington only to spend
the summer months
In 1856 Mr.. Chittenden married Mary,
daughter of DR.. Horace Hatch of Burling-
ton, who died in 1894. By her he had
three children, Horace H., lawyer in
New York city Mary H, wife of William
Bradford of Burlington. and Bessie B.
Chittenden, who is unmarried and lives in
New York city.
Mr.. Chittenden was probably the last
man living who knew the name of the man
in London who in 1862 loaned the United
States government 81, 900, 900 sterling,
worth then, owing to the premium on gold,
nearly $40 900, QUO, without security, and
especially wishing to avoid notoriety.
Never, probably, did more than four per-
sons know the name of this national bene-
factor, for at that time the government
was desperately in need of money. The
loan was made through Charles Francis
Adams, then our minister TO the court OF
st. James. This unknown man had the
money and he knew the United States
wanted it sorely and he loaned it gladly.
Minister Adams insisted that the myster-
ious individual should accept 100000
in United States coupon bonds for the loan.
The man did not want the bonds, but
Minister Adams insisted, and in order to
get these bonds to London on a given
steamer, which left New York, Mr.. Chit
tenden, who, as register of the treasury,
had to sign all United States bonds and
notes at the time, was obliged to work con
tinuously signing his name from a Friday
noon until the following Sunday afternoon
at 2 oclock-50 hours without sleep and
with scarcely any rest whatever.
If any one imagines this is easy Job
Just let him sit down and write a name
over and over again for three or four hours
The result was, in Mr.. Chittenden's case
a terrible paralysis of the arm for the time
being, and it is doubtful if he was not per
manently injured from the physical labor
involved in this one act alone of his officia
career.
Probably Mr.. Chittenden's chief boob
was his report of the Debates and Pro
ceedings of the Secret Sessions of tbs
Ill 81 =.
February" 1861. Other publications wer,
his edition of Reeves Domestic Relations
Qs46); debates and Proceedings of Con
gress on the Subsidies to the Pacific Rail
roads" 1s7D; THE Capture of Ticonde
roga" QS72); Recollections of President
Lincoln and His Administration" qS9D
personal "reminiscences, 1S40-1S90; "AI
Unknown Heroine: an Historical Episod,
of the War Between the States" (1o63)
and a compilation of "Lincoln's Addresses
1885.