▁Mont pel ier ▁business man ▁and ▁bank er , ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁Union ▁Army ▁officer ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁and ▁later ▁att ained ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁as ▁quarter master ▁of ▁the ▁Verm ont ▁Milit ia . ▁ ▁Clar ence ▁Pit kin ▁was ▁educated ▁in ▁Mont pel ier , ▁and ▁attended ▁Am her st ▁College . ▁ ▁Dec iding ▁on ▁a ▁legal ▁career , ▁he ▁studied ▁law ▁with ▁Benjamin ▁F . ▁Fif ield ▁of ▁Mont pel ier , ▁and ▁att ained ▁ad mission ▁to ▁the ▁bar ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 . ▁ ▁Start ▁of ▁career ▁Pit kin ▁pract iced ▁in ▁Mont pel ier ▁as ▁the ▁partner ▁of ▁Fif ield ▁and ▁Charles ▁W . ▁Por ter , ▁and ▁continued ▁with ▁Pit kin ▁after ▁Fif ield ' s ▁ret irement . ▁ ▁Pit kin ▁later ▁pract iced ▁in ▁partners hip ▁with ▁Hir am ▁A . ▁H use , ▁who ▁had ▁studied ▁law ▁in ▁his ▁office . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁other ▁pros pective ▁att or ne ys ▁who ▁studied ▁under ▁Pit kin ▁was ▁John ▁H . ▁S enter ▁ ▁A ▁Republican , ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁Pit kin ▁served ▁as ▁State ' s ▁Att orney ▁of ▁Washington ▁County . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁commission ers ▁appointed ▁to ▁rev ise ▁the ▁state ▁stat utes . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁Pit kin ▁succeeded ▁K itt red ge ▁H ask