Caledonia

CHAMBERLAIN, William

Vermont Historical Magazine, No XI, October 1867, p 363-364, 367

Hon. William CHAMBERLAIN was born 27 April 1753 at Hopkinton [Middlesex 
County], Massachusetts; removed with his father to Loudon [Merrimack County], 
New Hampshire in 1773; enlisted as a volunteer in the army in 1775, where he 
held the office of orderly sergeant; went with the army at the invasion of 
Canada; suffered all sorts of privations while so doing, especially in the 
retreat, and was one out of the nine officers and privates who remained of a 
company of seventy to take part in the battle of Trenton, New Jersey, that 
same year. At the expiration of his enlistment he returned to New Hampshire, 
but went forth again at the invasion of BURGOYNE, as a volunteer, was in the 
battle of Bennington, from whence he is said to have brought away some 
trophies of personal contest with his Hessian enemies. About 1780 he removed 
to Peacham [Caledonia County, Vermont], being then clerk of the proprietors 
of the town. He was town clerk twelve years, justice of the peace 
twenty-four years, was a member of the convention for framing a state 
constitution, town representative eleven years, member of congress from 1803 
to 1805, and from 1809 to 1811, and lieutenant governor in 1814, the last of 
his public and civil offices. He [William CHAMBERLAIN] died 27 September 
1828.

In private life Gen. CHAMBERLAIN was upright, a friend of order, learning, 
and religion. For fifteen years he was president of the board of trustees of 
Peacham Academy and held the same office for some years in the County Bible 
Society. He lived to see the wilderness become a cultivated and populous 
region, and as a matter of far higher moment to himself, closed a long and 
useful and eventful life on earth in humble trust of a better life in heaven. 
[Excerpt from a section on the history of Peacham, Caledonia County, 
Vermont.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly