The Supreme Court of Vermont. Vermont," repeated the Judge. Mr. Maeck, very gravely bowing, replied, " I will buy the book, your Honor." A Southern slave was brought at an early day to Lamoille County; she was called " Black Sal " and exercised upon one of the hillsides the right of squatter sovereignty, where her cabin re mained for many years. She finally exe cuted a deed which covered a large tract of land, and the famous Joshua Sawyer brought an action to recover it from a claimant, and after putting in many deeds, he said, " This, your Honor, completes our chain of title, except one deed from ' Black Sal,' which we wish to give in evidence to show color of title." Upon both these occasions, it is said, Judge Williams heartily laughed. Asa Aikens was the first native Vermonter given a seat in the Supreme Court. He was born in Barnard, a rocky, rugged town, near Woodstock. Mr. Aikens entered Middlebury College in 1804; not having the facilities for acquiring the French language in that institution which he desired, in 1807 he was transferred to the Military Academy at West Point, as a cadet, and passed the last year of his college course in that insti tution. At the end of the course he returned to Middlebury and studied law with Joel Doolittle. In 181 2 he was commissioned captain in the 31st Regiment of United States Infantry. He served as aide upon the staffs of Gover nors Skinner and Jennison. He located at Windsor in 181 2, twice represented that town in the Assembly, and served as State attorney for Windsor County for two years. In 1823 he was elected judge of the Su preme Court and served until the change in the judicial system in 1825. He succeeded, as judge, his early instructor in the law. Judge Doolittle, arid the last year of his term served with Judge Doolittle, who was elected when Charles K. Williams retired in 1824. Upon the reorganization of the court in 1825, he was appointed editor of the de
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cisions of the court, and issued two volumes which bear the title and are now cited as "Aikens' Reports," and are the only ones of the individual reporters of much value. He published a book of practical forms of greater use than any similar publication issued in the State. In 1843 he removed to Westport, N.Y., which was ever after his home. Although formally admitted to the Bar of that State, he practised little, occupying his time in needed exercise and in composing and com piling an elaborate work entitled " Aikens' Tables," being tables of interest, discount, values of annuities, rents, etc., with an almanac of the last half of the nineteenth century, and the Northampton Life Tables, a work which has been since that time an inval uable aid in the probate courts of this State. A question having arisen during the ad ministration of Gov. Palmer as to the title of the Dartmouth College lands in Wheelock, Mr. Aikens was appointed by the Governor to examine the legal questions involved in the case. From what I learn of him, it is apparent that he was a careful, painstaking, accurate man in whatever position he was placed, one who faithfully performed all duties entrusted to him. The opinions in two-thirds of the cases reported in the second volume of D. Chipman's Re ports were written by Judge Aikens. Redfield, J., in 51 Vt. 551, says that an instru ment then before the courts was drafted by Mr. Aikens, " an excellent lawyer, with thoughtful care." He died suddenly of nervous prostration, in Hackensack, N.J., while on a visit to a son-in-law, July 12, 1863, in the midst of the great excitement caused by the war and the apprehended draft riots in New York City; but though feeble and upon his death bed, he hailed with delight and enthusiasm the ringing of the bells and the firing of cannon on the anniversary of the nation's independence. He was buried in Trinity Cemetery in New York City.
