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1862–63 United States Senate elections
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The 1862–63 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, occurring during the American Civil War. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1862 and 1863, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock.[1] In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.
Since many Southern states seceded in 1860 and 1861, six senators resigned to join the Confederacy, and 14 were expelled for supporting the rebellion: these seats were declared vacant. To establish a quorum with fewer members, a lower total seat number was taken into account.
The Republican Party increased their control of the Senate by gaining three seats, bringing their majority to two-thirds of the body. Also caucusing with them were Unionists and Unconditional Unionists, giving them a commanding majority.
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Results summary
Senate party division, 38th Congress (1863–1865)
- Majority party: Republican (31), later rose to 33
- Minority party: Democratic (10)
- Other parties: Unionist (4), later dropped to 3; Unconditional Unionist (3), later rose to 4
- Vacant: 20, later rose to 22
- Total seats: 48, later rose to 50
Change in composition
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Before the elections
At the beginning of 1862.
| V4 | V3 | V2 | V1 | ||||||
| V5 | V6 | V7 Fla. No race |
V8 Miss. No race |
V9 Tenn. No race |
V10 Texas No race |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 |
| U4 Md. Unknown |
U3 | U2 | U1 | U10 Mo. Expelled |
D9 Minn. Retired |
D8 Del. Ran |
D7 Calif. Ran |
D6 | D5 |
| U5 Ind. Retired |
U6 Va. Retired |
R32 N.J. Retired |
R31 Pa. Retired |
R30 R.I. Unknown |
R29 Wis. Ran |
R28 Vt. Ran |
R27 Ohio Ran |
R26 N.Y. Ran |
R25 Mich. Ran |
| Majority → | |||||||||
| R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 Conn. Ran |
R23 Maine Ran |
R24 Mass. Ran |
| R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 |
| V16 | V15 | V14 | V13 | V12 | V11 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 |
| V17 | V18 | V19 | V20 | ||||||
As a result of the elections
| V4 | V3 | V2 | V1 | ||||||
| V5 | V6 | V7 Fla. No race |
V8 Miss. No race |
V9 Tenn. No race |
V10 Texas No race |
D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 |
| U4 Md. Hold |
U3 | U2 | U1 | D10 Pa. Gain |
D9 N.J. Gain[c] |
D8 Ind. Gain[c] |
D7 Del. Re-elected |
D6 | D5 |
| U5 Va. Hold |
UU1 Mo. Gain[d] |
R32 Minn. Gain |
R31 Calif. Gain |
R30 R.I. Hold |
R29 N.Y. Hold |
R28 Wis. Re-elected |
R27 Vt. Re-elected |
R26 Ohio Re-elected |
R25 Mich. Re-elected |
| Majority → | |||||||||
| R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 Conn. Re-elected |
R23 Maine Re-elected |
R24 Mass. Re-elected |
| R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 |
| V16 | V15 | V14 | V13 | V12 | V11 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 |
| V17 | V18 | V19 | V20 | ||||||
Beginning of the next Congress
| V4 | V3 | V2 | V1 | ||||||
| V5 | V6 | V7 | V8 | V9 | V10 | D1 | D2 | D3 Ill. Gain[c] |
D4 |
| U4 | U3 | U2 | U1 | D9 | D9 N.J. Gain[c] |
D8 Ind. Gain[c] |
D7 | D6 | D5 |
| UU3 Md. Changed |
UU2 Mo. Changed |
UU1 | R31 | R30 R.I. Hold[c] |
R29 | R28 | R27 | R26 | R25 |
| Majority → | |||||||||
| R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 | R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 |
| R14 | R13 | R12 | R11 | R10 | R9 | R8 | R7 | R6 | R5 |
| V16 | V15 | V14 | V13 | V12 | V11 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 |
| V17 | V18 | V19 | V20 | ||||||
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Race summaries
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Special elections during the preceding Congress
Special elections were held to fill six vacancies in the 37th United States Congress.
Elections leading to the next Congress
Eighteen senators were elected for the term beginning March 4, 1863.
Special elections during the next Congress
In these elections, the winners were elected in 1863 after March 4; ordered by election date.
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California
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Incumbent Democrat Milton Latham was elected in 1860 to fill the vacancy created by the death of David C. Broderick.[6] He was not a candidate for re-election.[7]
The Union members of the legislature held a caucus from January 13 to February 9, 1863.[8] Timothy G. Phelps, John Conness, Aaron A. Sargent, and Trenor W. Park were the major candidates. Phelps led on the first ballot, but without a majority. During the balloting, an internal inquiry found that Phelps's supporters had offered bribes to several members in exchange for their votes. Although Phelps denied the allegations, the stigma of corruption in effect ended his candidacy.[9] Conness was nominated on the final ballot with 60 votes to 29 for Sargent, three for Phelps, and eight for other candidates.[10]
The California State Legislature met in joint session on February 10, 1863, to hold an election for the next term.[11] Conness defeated the Democratic candidate Benjamin Shurtleff on the first ballot.[12]
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Connecticut
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One-term Republican James Dixon was elected in 1856.[6]
The Union members of the legislature held a caucus on May 15, 1862. Dixon, William A. Buckingham, Roger S. Baldwin, and Orris S. Ferry were the leading candidates. Dixon defeated the other candidates on the first ballot.[13]
The Senate and the House of Representatives met separately on May 22, 1862, to hold an election for the next term.[13] Dixon defeated the Democratic candidate Charles Chapman on the first ballot.[14]
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Delaware
Two-term Democrat James A. Bayard was re-elected in 1857.[15]
The Delaware General Assembly met in joint session on January 8, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Bayard defeated the Union candidate Edward G. Bradford on the first ballot.[16][17]
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Florida
Two-term Democrat Stephen Mallory withdrew from the Senate on March 14, 1861, following the secession of Florida. The Florida Legislature did not hold an election for the next term, and the seat remained vacant until 1868.[18]
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Illinois (special)
Incumbent Republican Orville H. Browning was appointed in 1861 to fill the vacancy created by the death of Stephen A. Douglas.[19] He was not a candidate for re-election.
The Illinois General Assembly met on January 12, 1863, to hold a special election for the unexpired term. The Democratic candidate William A. Richardson defeated the Union candidate Richard Yates on the first ballot.[20]
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Indiana
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Incumbent Unionist Joseph A. Wright was appointed in 1862 to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion of Jesse D. Bright. With Bright's expulsion coming little more than a year before the end of his term on March 4, 1863, the Indiana General Assembly would hold concurrent elections in January 1863: a special election for the remainder of the unexpired term, and the regularly scheduled election for the next term.[21]
The Democratic members of the legislature held a caucus on January 9, 1863. David Turpie was nominated for the unexpired term and Thomas A. Hendricks was nominated for the next term.[22]
The General Assembly met in joint session on January 14, 1863, to hold concurrent elections for both terms. Turpie and Hendricks were respectively elected.[23]
Indiana (special)
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Wright was not a candidate in the special election. Turpie defeated the Union candidate Daniel D. Pratt on the first ballot.[24]
Indiana (regular)
Turpie was not a candidate for the next term. Hendricks defeated Wright on the first ballot.[25]
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Maine
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Incumbent Republican Lot M. Morrill was elected in 1861 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Hannibal Hamlin.[26]
The Senate and the House of Representatives met separately on January 13, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Morrill defeated the Democratic candidate William P. Haines on the first ballot.[27]
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Maryland
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One-term Unionist Anthony Kennedy was elected in 1856 or 1857.[28] He was not a candidate for re-election.
The Maryland General Assembly met on March 5, 1862, to hold an election for the next term. Voting proceeded separately in the Senate and the House of Delegates, after which the tellers withdrew and to count the ballots in the Senate chamber. The Union candidate Reverdy Johnson was elected on the first ballot.[29]
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Massachusetts
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Two-term Republican Charles Sumner was re-elected in 1857.[30]
The Republican state convention met at Worcester, Massachusetts, on September 9, 1862. Sumner had earned the disapproval of Conservative Republicans when he opposed Lincoln's plan for gradual emancipation in March 1862, calling instead for Congress to use its authority under the War Powers Clause to abolish slavery immediately. Seeking to preempt a movement to replace Sumner at the next senatorial election, Sumner's allies took the unusual step of having the state convention endorse his bid for re-election. A resolution endorsing Sumner and approving his course in the Senate passed over the protests of conservative delegates, in effect making Sumner's re-election the central issue of the fall campaign.[31]
Conservative opponents of Sumner held a convention at Boston on October 7, 1862.[32] Many of the organizers of the convention were former Whigs who had supported the Constitutional Union Party in 1860.[33] In a nod to antipartisan wartime rhetoric, the movement called itself the People's Party; its express purpose was to defeat Sumner's bid for reelection. The convention adopted a pro-war, anti-abolitionist platform and selected candidates for the upcoming state elections; Charles F. Adams was nominated for U.S. senator, but declined. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, issued September 22, had brought the Lincoln administration into line with Sumner's position, while the endorsement of the People's ticket by the Massachusetts Democratic Party undermined the movement's claim to constitute the true pro-administration party in Massachusetts. Following these events, most Conservative Republicans returned to the fold, and the Republican ticket was elected by a large majority.[34]
The Senate and the House of Representatives met separately on January 15, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Sumner defeated the People's candidate Josiah G. Abbott on the first ballot.[35]
Michigan
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There were two elections in Michigan, due to the death of Kinsley S. Bingham.
Michigan (special)
One-term Republican Kinsley S. Bingham was elected in 1858. Bingham died on October 5, 1861, causing a special election.[36]
The Republican members of the legislature held a caucus on January 3, 1862. Jacob M. Howard, Austin Blair, Hezekiah G. Wells, and Henry Waldron were the leading candidates. Howard was nominated on the sixth ballot.[37]
The Senate and the House of Representatives met separately on January 4, 1862, to hold a special election for the unexpired term. Howard defeated the Democratic candidate Alpheus Felch on the first ballot.[38]
Michigan (regular)
One-term Republican Zachariah Chandler was elected in 1857.[36]
The Republican members of the legislature held a caucus on January 8, 1863. Chandler was renominated unanimously. The Democratic members met the same day and nominated James F. Joy over Alpheus Felch.[39]
The Senate and the House of Representatives met separately on January 8, 1863, to hold an election for the next term.[40] Chandler defeated Joy on the first ballot.[39]
Minnesota
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One-term Democrat Henry M. Rice was elected in 1858.[36] He was not a candidate for re-election.
The Republican members of the legislature held a caucus from January 12–13, 1863. Alexander Ramsey, Cyrus Aldrich, David Cooper, William R. Marshall, and James Smith, Jr. were the major candidates.[41] Ramsey defeated Smith on the 25th ballot.[42]
The Minnesota Legislature met in joint session on January 14, 1863.[43] Ramsey defeated the Democratic candidate Andrew G. Chatfield on the first ballot.[44]
Mississippi
One-term Democrat Jefferson Davis withdrew from the Senate on March 14, 1861, following the secession of Mississippi. The Mississippi Legislature did not hold an election for the next term, and the seat remained vacant until 1870.[45]
Missouri
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Three elections were held in Missouri, due to the expulsions of Trusten Polk and Waldo P. Johnson. With Polk's expulsion coming little more than a year before the end of his term on March 4, 1863, the Missouri General Assembly would hold special elections for both seats, followed by the regularly-scheduled election for the Class 1 seat.
Missouri Unionists were divided in their responses to emancipation and the related issue of Reconstruction. Three main ideological camps emerged: radical Charcoals, who supported immediate emancipation; conservative Claybanks, who favored Lincoln's initial plan of gradual emancipation; and ultra-conservative Snowflakes, who opposed emancipation altogether.[46] In St. Louis, the ideological divide resulted in a formal split between the Immediatist and Gradualist wings of the Emancipation Party.[47] Elections held in the fall of 1862 resulted in a clear majority for the Emancipationists in the General Assembly, while five conservatives and four radicals were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.[48][e]
The Emancipation members of the legislature held a caucus on January 3, 1863.[50] The conservatives boycotted the proceedings.[51] John B. Henderson was nominated for the Class 1 seat and B. Gratz Brown was nominated for the Class 3 seat.[50]
The General Assembly met in joint session on January 6, 1863, to hold concurrent special elections for both seats.[52] Henderson was elected to the Class 1 seat for the term ending March 4. The special election for the Class 3 seat remained deadlocked after multiple rounds of voting, and the joint session adjourned without making a choice.[53]
The joint session reconvened in November 1863. In the interim, the radicals held a convention at Jefferson City that organized the Radical Union Party. The meeting nominated Brown for the Class 3 seat and Benjamin F. Loan for the Class 1 seat. The two conservative factions were aligned in support of the administration of Hamilton R. Gamble, but lacked a formal party organization.[54] Closely-fought judicial elections in the fall of 1863 helped to clarify party lines.[53] In the legislature, the Radical Unionists had 65 votes on the joint ballot, just short of an overall majority. The Radical Union members and Henderson-aligned conservatives held a caucus after the first round of voting on November 12 and agreed to form a coalition.[55] Brown was subsequently elected to the Class 3 seat and Henderson was re-elected to the Class 1 seat for the next term.[56]
Missouri (Class 1, special)
Incumbent Emancipationist John B. Henderson was appointed in 1862 to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion of Trusten Polk.[45]
The General Assembly met on January 6, 1863, to hold a special election for the unexpired term. Henderson defeated the conservative candidate Robert Wilson on the first ballot.[57]
Missouri (Class 3, special)
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Incumbent conservative Robert Wilson was appointed in 1862 to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion of Waldo P. Johnson.[58] He was not a candidate for re-election to the Class 3 seat.
The General Assembly met from January 6–11, 1863, to hold a special election for the unexpired term.[52] Democrat John S. Phelps and Emancipationists B. Gratz Brown, Samuel T. Glover, Samuel M. Breckinridge, John W. Noell, and James Broadhead were candidates on the first ballot.[59] No candidate had a majority after the sixth ballot, and the joint session adjourned.[60]
The joint session met again from February 2–11, 1863. Phelps, Brown, Glover, Breckinridge, and Broadhead were candidates.[61] Noell's name was withdrawn, after which Phelps led on the seventh ballot, but without a majority.[62] No candidate had a majority after the thirtieth ballot, and the joint session adjourned.[63]
The joint session met a third time from November 12–13, 1863.[64] Brown was nominated by the Radical Unionists, while Broadhead received the votes of most of the Conservative members.[53] Brown defeated Broadhead on the 32nd ballot.[65]
Missouri (regular)
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Incumbent Emancipationist John B. Henderson was elected in 1863 to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion of Trusten Polk.[45]
The General Assembly met on November 13, 1863, to hold an election for the next term. Henderson defeated Phelps on the first ballot.[66]
New Jersey
In both elections, the New Jersey legislature elected its senators in joint convention.
New Jersey (special)
Elected January 14, 1863
Wall was not elected to the next term, so he only served for less than two months.
New Jersey (regular)
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Former senator William Wright was elected February 26, 1863.
Wright would serve until his death in 1866.
New York
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The New York election was held February 3, 1863, by the New York State Legislature.
Republican Preston King had been elected in February 1857 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1863.
At the state election in November 1861, 22 Republicans and 10 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1862–1863) in the state senate. At the state election in November 1862, Democrat Horatio Seymour was elected governor; and a tied Assembly of 64 Republicans and Democrats each was elected for the session of 1863. In December, in the 15th Senate district, Republican William Clark was elected for the session of 1863 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Democrat John Willard. The 86th New York State Legislature met from January 6 to April 25, 1863, at Albany, New York.
The election of a Speaker proved to be difficult in the stalemated Assembly. The Democrats voted for Gilbert Dean, the Republicans for Henry Sherwood, of Steuben County. The Republicans, led by Chauncey M. Depew, became worried about the U.S. Senate election, due to occur on the first Tuesday in February. If the Assembly was not organized by then, the seat would become vacant, and could remain so until the next elected Assembly met in 1864.[f] The Republicans, with a majority of 14 on joint ballot, were anxious to fill the seat, to have a maximum of support for President Abraham Lincoln in the U.S. Senate during the ongoing American Civil War. Theophilus C. Callicot, a Democratic assemblyman from Brooklyn, approached Depew to propose a deal: the Republicans should vote for Callicot as Speaker, and Callicot would help to elect the Republican candidate to the U.S. Senate. Depew put the proposition before the Republican caucus, and they accepted. On January 16, Sherwood and Dean withdrew. The Republicans then voted for Callicot, the Democrats for Eliphaz Trimmer, of Monroe County. The Democrats, whose intention it was to prevent the election of a U.S. Senator,[69] managed to postpone the vote for Speaker by filibustering for another ten days, but on January 26, Callicot was elected Speaker on the 92nd ballot (vote: Callicot 61, Trimmer 59, 3 Democrats were absent and 3 Republicans were paired). Thus the Assembly was organized to begin the session of 1863, three weeks late but in time for the U.S. Senate election.[70]
The caucus of Republican[g] State legislators met on February 2, State Senator Alexander H. Bailey presided. They nominated former governor Edwin D. Morgan (in office 1859–1862) for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent senator Preston King was voted down.
The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on the evening of February 2, State Senator John V. L. Pruyn presided. They did not nominate any candidate, instead adopting a resolution that "each Democratic member of the Legislature be requested to name for that office such person as he deems proper." They met again on the morning of February 3, and nominated Congressman Erastus Corning. The vote in an informal ballot stood: 28 for Corning, 21 for Fernando Wood, and 18 scattering. Wood's name was however withdrawn and Cornings nomination was made unanimous.
In the Assembly, Edwin D. Morgan received the votes of the 64 Republicans, and Erastus Corning the votes of 62 Democrats. Bernard Hughes (Dem.), of New York City, voted for Ex-Mayor of New York Fernando Wood, and Speaker Callicot voted for John Adams Dix. Thus the vote was tied, and no choice made. Speaker Callicot, although elected by the Republicans, refused to vote for the Republican caucus nominee, insisting in his vote for Dix who had been U.S. Senator and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury as a Democrat, but was now a Union general in the Civil War. A second ballot was then taken, and the Republicans took Callicot's hint, and voted for Dix who was nominated by the Assembly. Thus Callicot kept his part of the bargain, knowing that, on joint ballot, the Republican state senate majority will outvote the Democrats, and elect their candidate. It was just necessary that the Assembly nominate somebody, so that it became possible to proceed to a joint ballot.
In the state senate, Edwin D. Morgan was nominated.
Both houses of the legislature then proceeded to a joint ballot.
Edwin D. Morgan was declared elected after a joint ballot of the state legislature.
Ohio
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Oregon (special)
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Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania election was held January 13, 1863. Charles Buckalew was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.[71]
The Pennsylvania General Assembly convened on January 13, 1863, to elect a senator as follows:
Rhode Island
Two-term (once in the 1840s and again until 1863) Republican James F. Simmons resigned August 15, 1862 as the Senate was preparing to expel him for bribery.
Rhode Island (special)
Republican Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island Samuel G. Arnold was elected September 5, 1862 to finish Simmons's term.
Samuel G. Arnold (Republican) 87.65%- Nathan F. Dixon II (Republican) 8.64%
- Elisha Dyer (Republican) 1.24%
- Thomas G. Turner (Republican) 1.24%
- Moses B. Lockwood (Unknown) 1.24%[3][2]
Rhode Island (regular)
Republican Governor of Rhode Island William Sprague IV was elected to the next term.
- William Sprague IV (Republican) 89.32%
- James F. Simmons (Republican) 4.85%
- Nathan F. Dixon II (Republican) 4.85%[4]
Tennessee
Incumbent Democrat Andrew Johnson resigned on March 4, 1862, following his appointment as military governor of Tennessee. The Tennessee General Assembly did not hold an election for the next term, and the seat remained vacant until 1866.[73]
Texas
Incumbent Democrat Louis T. Wigfall was expelled from the Senate on July 11, 1861. The Texas Legislature did not hold an election for the next term, and the seat remained vacant until 1870.[74]
Vermont
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Virginia
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West Virginia
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There were two races for the new state.
Peter G. Van Winkle and Waitman T. Willey, both Unconditional Unionists, were elected August 4, 1863.
Van Winkle would serve just until the 1869 end of his term.
Before being elected senator from West Virginia, Willey was a senator from Virginia representing the Restored Government of Virginia, presenting their petition to Congress for West Virginia's statehood. He would be re-elected in 1865 to the next term served until the end of that term in 1871.
Wisconsin
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Incumbent Republican senator James R. Doolittle was re-elected by the 16th Wisconsin Legislature on the first ballot, January 22, 1863.[5]
- ▌ James R. Doolittle (Republican) 55.30%
- ▌ Edward George Ryan (Democratic) 43.18%
- ▌ Matthew H. Carpenter (Republican) 0.76%
- ▌ James S. Brown (Democratic) 0.76%
See also
Notes
Bibliography
Sources and external links
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