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
20th 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 theVermont House of Representatives fromCavendish
In office 1861–1863
Preceded by	G. F. David
Succeeded by	John F. Deane
Personal details
Born	(1799-02-18)February 18, 1799 Cavendish, Vermont, US
Died	December 19, 1885(1885-12-19) (aged 86) Proctorsville, Vermont, US
Resting place	Cavendish Village Cemetery, Cavendish, Vermont
Political party	National Republican Whig Liberty Party Know Nothing Free Soil Republican
Spouse	Mary Ann May m. 1829-1876, her death)
Children	3, includingHenry A. Fletcher
Education	Norwich University
Profession	Farmer
Military service
Allegiance	United States Vermont
Branch/service	Vermont Militia
Years of service	1817–1836
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands	3rd Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division 2nd Brigade, 1st Division

Ryland Fletcher (February 18, 1799 – December 19, 1885) was an American farmer, politician, the20th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1854 to 1856, and then was the24th governor of Vermont from October 10, 1856, to October 10, 1858.^[1]

Fletcher was born inCavendish, Vermont, a son of Dr. Asaph Fletcher and Sally (Green) Fletcher. He attended the local schools of Cavendish and worked on his father's farm. He attendedNorwich University while teaching school, and graduated in 1824.^[2]

In 1817, Fletcher became a member of theVermontstate militia. He was almost immediately promoted to sergeant, and he continued to advance through the ranks, becoming a first lieutenant in 1818 and a captain in 1820. He was promoted to major in 1826 and lieutenant colonel in 1828. In 1830, Fletcher was promoted to colonel as commander of 3rd Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division. He was promoted tobrigadier general in 1835 as commander of the brigade, and he served until resigning his commission in 1836.

Fletcher was the owner and operator of his family's Cavendish farm, which included horse and cattle breeding. During his career, Fletcher was active in the Windsor County and Vermont Agricultural Societies, and he won prizes for his horses and cows.

He was a noted anti-slavery and temperance advocate, and changed his party affiliation as the anti-slavery movement grew and coalesced from the 1830s to the 1850s, moving from theNational Republican Party to theWhigs,Liberty Party,Know Nothing Party,Free Soil Party, andRepublican Party. Fletcher was a leader of the Vermont State Temperance Society and the Vermont Anti-Slavery Society, and was known to be active with theUnderground Railroad.

As aKnow-Nothing, Fletcher opposed mass immigration to the United States, arguing that "immigrants brought with them the 'mortal disease (of) monarchy and despotism, ofRomanism and heathenism... which left unchecked would sweep away our most cherished liberties and dearist institutions.'"^[3] From the 1830s to the 1850s, Fletcher was frequently chosen as a delegate to the county and state conventions of the parties to which he belonged, and served on his party's county and state committees. In addition, he was an unsuccessful candidate for various offices, including the Vermont Senate and presidential elector. His unsuccessful candidacies served to enhance popular awareness of the movement against slavery and enhanced his own name recognition and reputation.

In 1851, Fletcher was the unsuccessful Free Soil nominee forLieutenant Governor of Vermont. In 1852, he was the unsuccessful Free Soil nominee for Congress in Vermont's 2nd District. In 1854, Fletcher was the successful lieutenant governor nominee of a coalition that included the Whig, Free Soil and Liberty Parties. Nominated by the newly formedRepublican 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 theVermont militia since theMexican War. That training proved useful at the start of theCivil War.^{[citation needed]}

After leaving the governorship, Fletcher served in theVermont House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863, and a Presidential Elector for Vermont in 1864. He received thehonorary degree ofMaster of Arts fromDartmouth in 1869.^[4] He was a member of the StateConstitutional Convention in 1870.

Fletcher died inCavendish, and is interred at Cavendish Village Cemetery,Cavendish, Vermont.^[5]

He married Mary May on June 11, 1829, and they had three children.^[1] He was the brother ofUnited States RepresentativeRichard Fletcher and Horace Fletcher; and the father ofHenry Addison Fletcher, who served in theUnion Army during theCivil War, as a state senator, and asLieutenant Governor of Vermont.^[4]

• Ryland Fletcher at National Governors Association
• Ryland Fletcher atFind a Grave
• The Political Graveyard
• The twentieth century biographical dictionary of notable Americans
• Times Argus

• 1799 births
• 1885 deaths
• People from Cavendish, Vermont
• Norwich University alumni
• Members of the Vermont House of Representatives
• Lieutenant governors of Vermont
• Governors of Vermont
• Vermont Whigs
• Vermont Know Nothings
• Vermont Republicans
• Republican Party governors of Vermont
• 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly

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