Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-01-04

Volunteers, and went to the front,
participated in the Gettysburg cam
paign, and was a popular and efficient
officer. his time of service being
limited to about year on account OF
the precarious condition of the health
of his wife. In 1864, the legislature
having by enactment provided for a
reorgaDiz alton of the state militia ne
was elected Brigadier General and
rendered valua BILE service in placing
the militia upon a better footing, anu
in the disturbed condition of AFFAIRS
following the st. Adams Raid. Dur
ing the same year he was a delegate
to the republican national convention
which placed in nomination for presl-
dent General Grant, and ATTENDED
upon the deliberations of that BODY.
During the same year he became in
volyed in the celebrated Baxter Hoyt
campaign, in company with many of
the younger men of the district,
among whom were G. N. Dale, j. E..
Dickerman and r. s. Taft. The con-
ven,ion was the most excitable and
turbulent of any in the annals of the
state, followed by canvass that re-
suited in no election. During that
year he was elected a representative
of the town of Barton to the state
legislature, and afterwards reelected
to the same position for the years
1859 and 1870.
AS a legislator, he easily acquired
and held commanding and infue ntial
position. At the session of 1868 he
vehemently and successfully opposed
proposed legislation which provided
for higher rate of legal interest. a
measure which had a considerable
support and was strenuously advo-
Gated. Among the members of the
house were Trenor W. Park, P. K.
Gleed, O. H. Joyce, and @. 8. Page.
At this session he allied himself with
and became the fearless and
intelligent champion of the debtor
and laboring classes and of
those industries in which his child
hood and youth were employed, and
thenceforward this championship
became a leading characteristic of
his legislative career in state and
national legislation.
In 1874 he was again elected rep
resentative to the General Assembly
of this state.
In 1875, upon the organization Of
Barton National Bank, he became a
director of that institution, which
life.
In 1875 he was elected member of
the state senate, and was chosen
president pro tempore of that body,
body composed in part ofisuch men
as Redfield Proctor, lieutenant gov
ernor, and er oficio presiding officer,
II. @. Belden, D. S. Storrs, E. A.
Sowles, E. P. Walten, o. E. Butter
field, and Gilbert A. Davis. Indeed
the general always had an affinity for
good company.
In 1880 he was elected to the 47th
Congress, from the third con-
gressional district.
In 1884 he was elected to the 10th
90 ;aA
and to succeeding terms of con-
gressional service, including the 56th
Congress, term, or terms, of SER
vice aggregating eighteen years, ex-
ceeding in length and continuity of
service that ever accorded to any
other citizen of the state since it's
organization.
Gen. Circuit became an able and in
1uential member of the national
house of representatives, a legislative
body second to none in Importance
within its sphere of action, not ex-
cepting the British House of Com
mons, where rivalry is keen, and to
the novice it is like new start in
life, and crucial test to any mana
tumultuous and heaving ocean of
warning factions, and contending
interests, its shores thickly strewn
with the hotsam and ietsam of dis
appointed ambitions, and he who
arises to we'll merited and recog-
nized distinction in that body must be
compounded of sturdy metal, an
aggressive manhood, and an indomit-
able will, which co nmands it's reward
in the respect and esteem of his
associates, and Gen. CIRCUITS position
as a member of Congress was far
above that of respectable mediocrity,
though not of the flew, the imm ortal
few" or of those great, commanding,
impressive intellects, the numbers of
whom in any generation may be
almost counted on the fingers.