Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-05-14

| line. TWO days later the army of
Northern Virginia crossed tho Potomac,
| and fow days after that al Berlin, Md.
| Colonel Redhcld Proctor with the 18th
| regiment took the ears for home, They
| reached New York in tho midst of the
draf riots. and Will their term Of scr
vice had expired ut the request Of
General CANDY, commanding in New
! York city, they remained until quiet was
restored. The 18th Vermont was MUS
tered out of the United states service
August - 1859, at BrattIcboro. Vermont.
| In a letter written The commute &c
Anril :. 1905. concerning Senator Proc
| tor. Ex-Governor Pingrec of Hartford.
Vermont. Lieutenant Colonel 3rd YER
mont regiment, states:
| His service ut Gettysburg with the
| 18th regiment was as important as that
Of any soldier in that campaign. defend
| ing and protecting our ammunit on and
supply trains. Colonel Proctor as COVER
nor senator secretary Of war and states
! man. in Il large sense, stands out conspi-
/ cuous is tho first. or among the first.
Vermont men Of our day. His military
record shows him the volunteer soldier
who did his fun duty in every place as
signed him and was always ready to die
at his country's need. It was tho simple
annals of the American volunteer SOL
! der"
Gen l.. A. Grant lieutenant colonel
9Th Vermont regiment. ana later com
handing tho "Old Vermont Brigade" in
a letter dated April G. 1905. referring to
out lamonted compa Rcdfcld Proc
tor, among other things. said:
at was my fortune 10 ho in command
Of the regiment most Of tho time he was
with U.S. and relied much upon his
knowledge. Judgment aud sterling good
sense, and | owe much Of my success. y
success YOU call It. to him. lie was
true soldier. good officer and a noble
| friend. ! wish ! could say something
good to go down the ages with his mcm-
| ory"
Tho American branch Of tho Proctor
family springs from an excellent Eng
lish stock. Tho first ancestor in this
country wns Robert Proctor. who as
early as 1915 was living at Concord
Mass Rcdtiold Proctor received an ex-
cellent preparatory education. and was
graduated from Dartmouth College in
| ISL Three years later he received the de-
gree of AN. from the same vcnera BILE in
stituton. Selecting law as his profess
sion. he pursued the pref minary studies
at the Albany Law school in New York.
After graduation in 1850 he was admitted
to the New York BAR at Albany. and
| also at Woodstock. Vermont. During the
| portion Of the year Of 1860 and 1861 he
practiced his profession in the office of
his cousin Judge Isaac +. Redhed, the
eminent iurist at Boston. Mass.
Redfield Proctor was married May o6,
1858. to Emily j.. daughter of Honora-
bic Salmon +. and Sarah J. Dutton of
Cavendish. Five children were born to
them. three of whom are living. viz:
Fletcher p, Emily u. and Redieid .Ir
| Both of the sons are honored members
Of the Vermont Commandery. Military
Order OF the Loyal I.egion Of the United
| States.
| Soon after the termination Of his ser
vice in the md Vermont brigade he re-
turned to civil life and to the practice
Of his profession in Rutland. entering
| into partnership with our late and honor
ed companion, Colonel Wheelock G.
Neazey. He continued in the practice Of
| the law. however, but n short time for
other matters that came to his hands led
| to his appointment as a receiver Of a
valuable property and business in Rut-
ldIl. anu tN' prosecutor OIL inns. 10 MN
a new occupation. was more to his
taste than the practice Of his profession,
because it was field in which his pro-
nounccd executive ability could have
! full play. In other words he preferred
ITO do things than to talk about them"
| and here we venture to say. passing
over his military service. the real great
ness OF the man was developed. and be-
he liz.
was at this time that he became the
manager Of the Switzerland Falls Mar
hlc company. which in 1850 was CON
sodatcd with the Rutland Marble COM
pany. and together became tho Vermont
Marble company. with Companion Proc
tor as it's president. It has been said by
reliable writer that the Vermont Mar
bic company under his management on
| larGed and increased in its business
as to become the largest concern of the
kind in the world"
The public official life Of Redfield Proc
| tor began in 1866 as selectman Of tho
town of Rutland. In 1867 he represented
his town in tho state LEGISLATURE and
, again in 1865. In 1874 he was elected to
the Senate from Rutland county. and
was chosen President pro tomporc of that
| body In 1876 he was elected lieutenant
| governor of the state. and in 1873 was
| elected governor of Vermont He was
ono Of the delegates at large to the re-
publican national convention in 1854 and
also in l>S>. and in tho latter GEAR was
| chairman Of the Vermont delega ton In
ISIS the LEGISLATURE OF Vermont unan-
mously recommended him for a cabinet
position, and in March. 1889. President
Harrison appointed him secretary of war.
| again quoting from another, we learn
that Senator Proctor won national re-
putation by his conduct of the war port
folio. ana his administration is con-
sidcred ono of the ablcst in the history
| Of the department.
. On the retirement of Senator George f.
| Edmunds from the United States Senate
| Redfield Proctor, then secretary of war
was appointed to fill the unexpired term.
and on October is, 1892 he was elected
by the Vermont Legislature TO fill both
the unexpired and full term, the latter
| ending March 4, 1880, and he continued
under subsequent elections to serve the
State Of Vermont as its senior senator