Josiah Dunham (April 7, 1769—May 10, 1844) was an educator, Army officer and politician in Vermont and Kentucky. He was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

on the staff of Governor

Martin Chittenden Martin Chittenden (March 12, 1763September 5, 1840) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as a United States representative from 1803 to 1813 and as the seventh governor of Vermont from 1813 to 1815, during a crucial portion of the ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

, and served for two years as

Secretary of State of Vermont The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The secretary of state is fourth (behind the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Repres ...

Biography

Josiah Dunham was born in

Columbia, Connecticut Columbia is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,272 at the 2020 census. Originally a part of Lebanon, known as the North Society or Lebanon's Crank, Columbia was incorporated in May 1804. The town was named ...

on April 7, 1769. His father was Daniel Dunham, and his mother was Ann Moseley. He graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

in 1789, and his classmates included

, who later served as

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

. He resided in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of ...

, and became publisher of the ''Dartmouth Sentinel'' newspaper and served as preceptor of Moor's Charity School, an educational facility that was affiliated with Dartmouth College. Dunham later served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, and was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

before being discharged in 1808. After leaving the Army, Dunham became a resident of

Windsor, Vermont Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As the "Birthplace of Vermont", the town is where the Constitution of Vermont was adopted in 1777, thus marking the founding of the Vermont Republic, a sovereign state until 1791, when V ...

, where he became active in politics as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

. While residing in Windsor, Dunham published a Federalist newspaper, ''The Washingtonian''. From 1813 to 1815 Dunham served as Vermont's Secretary of State. During the

, Dunham was a

in the

Vermont Militia Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

, and was appointed aide-de-camp to Governor

. Dunham was principal of the Windsor Female Seminary from 1816 to 1821, when he moved to

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

. While residing in Lexington, he founded and served as principal of the Lafayette Female Academy. Throughout his career, Dunham was a popular speech maker; many of the public addresses he presented at Washington's Birthday celebrations and other events were published as pamphlets. Dunham died in Lexington on May 10, 1844. He was buried at Lexington Cemetery in Lexington.

Family

In 1796, Dunham married Susan Hedge (1774-1857). Her sister Eleutheria was the wife of

Daniel Chipman Daniel Chipman (October 22, 1765April 23, 1850) was an American politician. He served as a United States representative from Vermont. Biography Chipman was born in Salisbury in the Connecticut Colony to Samuel and Hannah Austin Chipman. He gradu ...

. Her brother Levi Hedge was a well known professor at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

References

Sources

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunham, Josiah 1769 births 1844 deaths People from Tolland County, Connecticut People from Windsor, Vermont Politicians from Lexington, Kentucky Dartmouth College alumni United States Army officers American militiamen in the War of 1812 Vermont Federalists Secretaries of State of Vermont Burials in Kentucky