Franklin

LEACH, Chester K.

Men of Vermont: Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters & Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro: Transcript Publishing Company, 1894, p 242 
(portrait p 242)

Chester K. LEACH, of Fletcher [Franklin County, Vermont], was born 17 January 
1830 in Fairfield [Franklin County, Vermont], son of Joseph and Olive 
(BURTON) LEACH. He was one of a family of seven children and his early 
history is that of hundreds of young men in his native state, born and bred 
upon the farm and in the intervals receiving a meager education in the 
district schools. From 1856 to the time of the Civil War he was employed in 
farming, but sharing in the general outburst of patriotism that followed the 
fall of Fort Sumpter, he enlisted in the Second Regiment of the old Vermont 
Brigade and was mustered into the U. S. service 20 June 1861. He was 
immediately made second lieutenant of Company H, and participated with his 
regiment in the first battle of Bull Run. After this defeat he was present 
at every important battle and engagement in which that veteran regiment took 
part, and received his discharge as first lieutenant after three years of 
gallant and arduous service.

After his discharge from military duty, Captain LEACH returned to the plow, 
and after cultivating different farms, finally settled on the old homestead, 
where he still remains. He is a successful dairyman and also produces a 
large crop of sugar from his orchard of more than two thousand maple trees. 
He was elected as the Republican candidate to the state Senate in 1878 and 
was a member of the committee on military affairs and agriculture. Besides 
this position he has also held many offices of minor importance in the town 
where he resides. He has received the blue lodge degrees of Free Masonry and 
unites with the Mt. Vernon Lodge of Morrisville, and is a member of J. M. 
Warner Post No. 4, Grand Army of the Republic. On 08 October 1851 Captain 
[Chester K.] LEACH was married to Ann A., daughter of Samuel and Hannah 
(THOMAS) MONTAGUE, and four children have been the issue of their union: 
Justin S., Zella J. (Mrs. D. C. ROBINSON), Byron L., and Myron C., the last 
two being twin brothers.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly