Matthew M. Trumbull

TRUMBULL, RICE, POISAL

Posted By: Diane Wilson (email)
Date: 5/26/2004 at 14:03:35

The first lawyer to locate in Butler county for the purpose of practicing at the profession (Law), was Matthew M. Trumbull. He was a native of England, and came to Iowa in 1852, settling in Linn county, where he pursued his study of law, which he had begun, and was admitted to the bar.
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In 1854 he came to Butler county and located at Clarksville, and commenced practice. He remained here until the war broke out, when in 1861, he enlisted and went into service as Captain of Company I of the 3d Iowa Infantry. Soon afterward he was promoted to Colonel of the 9th Cavalry. When the war closed he was honorably discharged, and the title of Brigadier General of Volunteers was conferred upon him for deserving conduct, as he was brave as a lion, and did noble service for his country.
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Upon his return he settled at Waterloo, Iowa, and there resumed the practice of law. Within a few years he removed to Dubuque, where he was Collector of Internal Revenue for a number of years. Resigning this position he removed to Chicago, where he is yet practicing law.
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General Trumbull, when he first came to Butler county, was a man of more than ordinary ability, and had besides a good general education a thorough knowledge of law. He was a kind, generous-hearted man, of good impulses and a great deal of integrity. To illustrate this we will relate an occurrence by which the General had the joke, by accident, turned upon himself: One time late in the fifties the General had occasion to try a suit before one of the justices of the peace. In those days the justices, or as they were termed, the “squires,” were rather illiterate, as a rule not knowing any more of law than they did of geology, and this one was no exception to the rule; but they almost invariably, if not befogged by counsel, made rulings based on common sense, law and the statutes to the contrary notwithstanding.
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Upon the case in question the opposing counsel was Orson Rice, who receives due attention further on. Mr. Rice was in a sort of contrary mood this morning, and kept making objections to testimony, finding something wrong with proceedings, taking exceptions to the rulings and interrupting his honor and everyone else. After a time the General called the attention of the court to the interruptions of proceedings. Finally his honor straightened up, raised his fist, and bringing it down with a thump on the table exclaimed, pompously: “Mr. Rice, you sit down!” Mr. Rice paid no attention, but kept right on talking regardless of anyone. The General saw that the squire was getting excited, so he said to him: “I wouldn’t stand it;’ I’d make him keep quiet.” Rice paid no attention.
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This was too much for his honor, who, with blood in his eye and shaking his finger at Rice sinisterly, hissed: “Mr. Rice! You sit down, or I’ll put a quietus on you!” “Yes,” interposed Trumbull, with a twinkle in his eye, “that’s just what he wants- a quietus writ will put a stop to it.” Rice soon again interrupted; and the justice, now fairly enraged, ordered: “Mr. Trumbull, you make out that writ of quietus at one! We’ll see who’s bossin’ this court.” The story leaked out, and the General many times was called upon to answer a joking query as to the writ of quietus.
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General Trumbull had no difficulty in making friends, and when once made, they were fast and sincere. George Poisal and Mr. Trumbull were intimate friends, and often had law business to transact. One day in April, 1857, George came into Trumbull’s office, and in the course of conversation, remarked, that he had just received a new litter of pigs. “Well,” says the General, “that’s just what I want. You had better give me one of them!” “All right;” answers George; “you shall have one.” The matter ran along for some months, and nothing was said about it. Finally, one day in November, George again chanced to be in the General’s office, and stated that he had just killed a lot of fatted hogs. “By the way,” remarked Trumbull, “I just happen to think of it. How is that hog you gave me, doing?” “That hog?” exclaimed Poisal, “that is the very litter I’ve been killing. You never called for it!” “Well,” Trumbull answers, “I thought the matter over, and decided to let you fat it on shares.” A general laugh was indulged in, and the following morning a fine dressed porker was sent to the General’s house.
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General M. M. Trumbull was elected to the lower house of the State Legislature in 1858, and was the first member elected from Butler county.
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Source: History of Butler and Bremer Counties, Iowa
Union Publishing Co., Springfield, IL, 1883
Pages 330 - 331