[1] He gained a reputation throughout Vermont as a skilled trial lawyer with a superior ability to present oral arguments to judges and juries.

[1] Entering politics as a Democrat, Dillingham served as a Waterbury justice of the peace from 1826 to 1844, and town clerk from 1829 to 1844.

[1] The only Democrat in Vermont's Congressional delegation, he favored the annexation of Texas and supported US involvement in the Mexican-American War.

[1] Increasingly opposed to slavery and secession, Dillingham declined the Democratic Party's 1860 nomination for governor.

[1] Holding office at the height of the war, Dillingham's efforts were focused on aiding governors Frederick Holbrook and J. Gregory Smith to obtain passage of laws for raising, paying, and equipping soldiers for the Union Army.

[1] In addition, he campaigned throughout Vermont for the Republican (Unionist) ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson in the 1864 United States presidential election.

[1] He had seven children who lived to adulthood, including William Paul Dillingham, who served as governor and U.S.

[4] This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress