Ryland Fletcher

Ryland Fletcher
From Volume 2 of 1911's "History of Norwich University, 1819-1911".
24th Governor of Vermont
In office October 10, 1856 – October 10, 1858
Lieutenant	James M. Slade
Preceded by	Stephen Royce
Succeeded by	Hiland Hall
19th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office October 13, 1854 – October 10, 1856
Governor	Stephen Royce
Preceded by	Jefferson P. Kidder
Succeeded by	James M. Slade
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office 1861–1864
Personal details
Born	February 18, 1799 Cavendish, Vermont
Died	December 19, 1885 (aged 86) Proctorsville, Vermont (in Cavendish, Vermont)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Mary May
Children	Henry Addison Fletcher
Profession	farmer, politician

Ryland Fletcher (February 18, 1799 – December 19, 1885) was an American farmer, politician, the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1854 to 1856, and then was the 24th Governor of Vermont from October 10, 1856 to October 10, 1858.^[1]

Biography

Fletcher was born in Cavendish, Vermont, and in his early years he worked on his father's farm. He attended Norwich University and taught in a local school during the winter months. He married Mary May on June 11, 1829, and they had three children.^[2] He was the brother of United States Representative Richard Fletcher and Horace Fletcher; and the father of Col. Henry Addison Fletcher, who served in the Civil War, a state senator, and Lieutenant Governor of Vermont.^[3]

Career

He attended Norwich University and became a farmer. When Fletcher was eighteen, he became a member of the Vermont state militia, where he attained the rank of Brigadier General in 1835. He was a noted anti-slavery and temperance advocate who served in the Vermont State Senate, and he became a Republican when the party was founded in the 1850s.

In 1854, Fletcher was the nominee of the Whig, Free Soil, and Liberty Parties, and won the election as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. Nominated by the newly formed Republican Party, he was re-elected in 1855. He was a strong proponent of biennial rather than annual gubernatorial elections and was a tireless worker for the anti-slavery and temperance causes. After the State House burned down in an 1857 fire, he called a special legislative session to plan for rebuilding. In 1858, he called the first muster and training of the Vermont militia since the Mexican War. That training proved useful at the start of the Civil War.^[4]

Fletcher was a member of the anti-immigrant Know-Nothings after the demise of the Whigs, and said that "immigrants brought with them the 'mortal disease (of) monarchy and despotism, of Romanism and heathenism... which left unchecked would sweep away our most cherished liberties and dearist institutions.'"^[5] He became a Republican when the party was founded in the 1850s.

After leaving the governorship, Fletcher served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1861 to 1864, and a Presidential Elector for Vermont in 1864. He received an honorary degree of master of arts from Dartmouth in 1869.^[6] He was a member of the State Constitutional Convention in 1870.

Death

Fletcher died in Cavendish, and is interred at Cavendish Village Cemetery, Cavendish, Vermont.^[7]

References

1. "Ryland Fletcher". National Governors Association. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
2. "Ryland Fletcher". National Governors Association. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
3. "Ryland Fletcher". The twentieth century biographical dictionary of notable Americans. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
4. "Ryland Fletcher". Find A Grave. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
5. Mark Bushnell Life in the Past Lane: Swedish Wave Was Meant to Save Vermont The Sunday Rutland Herald, Jan. 20, 2008
6. "Ryland Fletcher". The twentieth century biographical dictionary of notable Americans. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
7. "Ryland Fletcher". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 10 November 2012.

External links

• National Governors Association
• Find A Grave
• The Political Graveyard
• The twentieth century biographical dictionary of notable Americans
• Times Argus