14th Wisconsin Legislature explained

14th Wisconsin Legislature
Body:	Wisconsin Legislature
Meeting Place:	Wisconsin State Capitol
Before:	13th
After:	15th
Chamber1:	Senate
Membership1:	30
Control1:	Republican
Chamber1 Leader2:	Alden I. Bennett (R)
Chamber2:	Assembly
Membership2:	97
Control2:	Republican
Chamber2 Leader1:	Amasa Cobb (R)
Session2 Type:	Special

The Fourteenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 9, 1861, to April 17, 1861, in regular session. The legislature re-convened in special session from May 15, 1861, to May 27, 1861, at the request of Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall, to approve funding for a brigade of volunteers for the American Civil War.

Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to a one-year term. Assembly members and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 6, 1860. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 8, 1859.^[1]

Major events

January 1861: Timothy O. Howe elected United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in Joint Session.
March 4, 1861: Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as the 16th President of the United States.
April 12, 1861: South Carolina militia began bombarding Fort Sumpter in Charleston Harbor.
April 15, 1861: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation requesting the states provide 75,000 volunteers for service in the American Civil War.
April 16, 1861: 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment raised in Milwaukee.
May 9, 1861: Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall called for a special session of the Wisconsin Legislature.
July 21, 1861: First Battle of Bull Run took place in Prince William County, Virginia, one regiment of Wisconsin volunteers participated in the battle.
November 8, 1861: Louis P. Harvey elected Governor of Wisconsin.

Major legislation

First session

January 21, 1861: Joint Resolution, co-operating with friends of the Union throughout the United States, 1861 Joint Resolution 1
April 11, 1861: Act to apportion the State into Senate and Assembly Districts. 1861 Act 216
April 13, 1861: Act to provide for apportioning the State into Congressional Districts, 1861 Act 238
April 13, 1861: Act to provide for the defence of the State, and to aid in enforcing the laws and maintaining the authority of the Federal Government, 1861 Act 239
April 17, 1861: Act to declare the rights and privileges of such persons as may enroll themselves into the service of the country. 1861 Act 309

Special session

May 21, 1861: Joint Resolution, authorizing the Governor to be absent from the State during the present war, 1861 Special Session Joint Resolution 1
May 25, 1861: Joint Resolution, recommending to the War Department the formation of a brigade, and the appointment of Hon. Rufus King to its command, 1861 Special Session Joint Resolution 2
May 25, 1861: Joint Resolution, in regard to the assassination of Col. Ellsworth, 1861 Special Session Joint Resolution 3
May 25, 1861: Act to provide for the assistance of volunteers in the service of the United States Government, 1861 Special Session Act 2
May 25, 1861: Act to provide a military force for immediate service to aid in protecting and defending the Constitution and the Union, 1861 Special Session Act 4
May 25, 1861: Act to prevent rendering aid to Rebels, 1861 Special Session Act 5
May 25, 1861: Act to provide for the purchasing of Arms and Equipments for the use of the State, 1861 Special Session Act 6
May 27, 1861: Act to provide for the payment of discharged Volunteers, 1861 Special Session Act 9
May 27, 1861: Act to provide for borrowing money to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, and defend the State in time of war, 1861 Special Session Act 13

Party summary

Senate summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total

	Democratic	Union	Republican		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	11	0		19	30	0

1st Session	8	0		22	30	0

Final voting share	27%	0%		73%

Beginning of the next Legislature	11		2		20	33	0

Assembly summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)				Total

	Democratic	Ind.	Union	Republican		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	38	1	0		58	97	0

Start of 1st Session	27	0	0		70	97	0
after January 25	26	0	0		71	97	0
Final voting share	27%	0%	0%		73%

Beginning of the next Legislature	43	0		11		45	99	1

Sessions

1st Regular session: January 9, 1861 - April 17, 1861
Special session: May 15, 1861 - May 27, 1861

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Butler G. Noble, Lieutenant Governor
President pro tempore: Alden I. Bennett

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Amasa Cobb

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Fourteenth Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

District	Counties	Residence
	Sheboygan	Rep.	Greenbush
02	Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawanaw	Dem.	Kewaunee
03	Ozaukee	Dem.	Ozaukee
04	Washington	Dem.	Cedar Creek
05		Dem.	Milwaukee
06		Dem.	Milwaukee
07	Racine	Rep.	Racine
08	Kenosha	Rep.	Kenosha
09	Adams, Juneau, Sauk	Rep.	Necedah
10	Waukesha	Rep.	Summit
11		Rep.	Sun Prairie
12	Walworth	Rep.	East Troy
13	Lafayette	Dem.	Gratiot
14		Rep.	Watertown
15	Iowa & Richland	Rep.	Wyoming
16	Grant	Rep.	Platteville
17		Rep.	Footville
18		Rep.	Beloit
19	Manitowoc & Calumet	Rep.	Chilton
20	Fond du Lac	Rep.
21	Winnebago	Rep.	Neenah
22	Dodge	Rep.	Fox Lake
23		Rep.	Farmington
24	Green	Rep.	Monroe
25	Columbia	Rep.	Columbus
26		Dem.	Black Earth
27	Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, Wood	Rep.	Waupaca
28	Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn,, Pierce, Polk,	Rep.
29	Marquette	Rep.	Montello
30	Bad Ax, Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Tremealeau	Rep.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Fourteenth Wisconsin Legislature:^[3] ^[4]

Senate District	County	District	Representative	Party	Residence
09	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Adams, Juneau			Rep.	Friendship
28	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Ashland, Burnett, Douglas,, Polk,			Rep.	Hudson
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Bad Ax, Crawford			Rep.
02	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Brown			Dem.	Green Bay
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Buffalo, Jackson, Trempealeau			Rep.
19	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Calumet			Rep.	Gravesville
28	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Pierce			Rep.	Chippewa Falls
25	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Columbia	1			Rep.	Portage
	2			Rep.	Poynette
	3			Rep.	Belle Fountain
11	text-align="left" rowspan="6"	Dane	1			Rep.	Rutland
	2			Rep.	Windsor
	3			Rep.	Oregon
26	4			Dem.	Cross Plains
	5			Dem.	Westport
	6			Rep.	Madison
22	text-align="left" rowspan="6"	Dodge	1			Dem.	Rubicon
	2			Dem.	Theresa
	3			Rep.	Rubicon
	4			Rep.	Waupun
	5			Rep.	Beaver Dam
	6			Rep.	Lowell
02	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Door, Kewaunee, Oconto, Shawano			Rep.	Kewaunee
20	text-align="left" rowspan="5"	Fond du Lac	1			Rep.	Ripon
	2			Rep.	Ladoga
	3			Rep.
	4			Dem.	Dotyville
	5			Dem.
16	text-align="left" rowspan="5"	Grant	1			Rep.	Hazel Green
	2			Rep.	Potosi
	3			Rep.	Platteville
	4			Rep.	Lancaster
	5			Rep.	Patch Grove
24	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Green	1			Rep.	Albany
24	2			Rep.	Monroe
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Green Lake			Rep.	Princeton
15	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Iowa	1			Rep.	Avoca
15	2			Rep.	Mineral Point
23	text-align="left" rowspan="5"	Jefferson	1			Rep.	Concord
23	2			Rep.	Lake Mills
14	3			Dem.	Watertown
	4			Dem.	Neosho
	5			Dem.	Waterloo
08	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Kenosha	1			Rep.	Kenosha
08	2			Rep.	Kenosha
30	text-align="left" colspan="2"	La Crosse & Monroe			Rep.
13	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Lafayette	1			Dem.	Elk Grove
	2			Rep.	Argyle
	3			Dem.	Shullsburg
19	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Manitowoc	1			Rep.	Two Rivers
19	2			Rep.	Meeme
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Marathon, Portage, Wood			Rep.	Centralia
29	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Marquette			Rep.	Westfield
05	text-align="left" rowspan="9"	Milwaukee	1			Dem.	Milwaukee
05	2			Dem.	Milwaukee
06	3			Dem.	Milwaukee
	4			Rep.	Milwaukee
	5			Rep.	Milwaukee
05	6			Dem.	Milwaukee
05	7			Dem.	Greenfield
06	8			Dem.	Good Hope
06	9			Dem.	Franklin
02	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Outagamie			Dem.	Appleton
03	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Ozaukee	1			Dem.	Ozaukee
03	2			Dem.	Mequon
07	text-align="left" rowspan="4"	Racine	1			Rep.	Racine
	2			Rep.	Racine
	3			Rep.	Union Grove
	4			Rep.	Waterford
15	text-align="left" colspan="2"	Richland			Rep.	Mill Creek
18	text-align="left" rowspan="5"	Rock	1			Rep.	Ogden
18	2			Rep.	Johnstown
17	3			Rep.	Janesville
	4			Rep.	Janesville
	5			Rep.	Brodhead
09	text-align="left" rowspan="2"	Sauk	1			Rep.	Plain
09	2			Rep.	Newport
	text-align="left" rowspan="4"	Sheboygan	1			Dem.	Sheboygan
	2			Rep.	Edwards
	3			Dem.	Cascade
	3			Rep.	Gibbsville
12	text-align="left" rowspan="4"	Walworth	1			Rep.	Bloomfield
	2			Rep.	Darien
	3			Rep.	Millard
	4			Rep.	Elkhorn
04	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Washington	1			Rep.	Hartford
	2			Rep.	West Bend
	3			Dem.	Menomonee Falls
10	text-align="left" rowspan="5"	Waukesha	1			Rep.	Oconomowoc
	2			Dem.	Lisbon
	3			Rep.	Mukwonago
	4			Rep.	Prospect Hill
	5			Rep.	Waukesha
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	North Royalton
27	text-align="left" colspan="2"				Rep.	Wautoma
21	text-align="left" rowspan="3"	Winnebago	1			Rep.	Oshkosh
	2			Dem.	Menasha
	3			Rep.	Weelaunee

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: John H. Warren^[2]
- Assistant Clerk: Stephen Steele Barlow
- Engrossing Clerk: Willard Merrill
- Enrolling Clerk: Edward Colman
- Transcribing Clerk: F. H. Megdeburg
Sergeant-at-Arms: J. A. Hadley
- Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: David M. McBride
Postmaster: James Moore
- Assistant Postmaster: A. B. Finch
Doorkeeper: Phillip Carey
- Assistant Doorkeeper: Henry Case
Fireman: George Wittle
Messengers:
- Walter C. Wyman
- Albert F. Dexter
- Patrick Lanner

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: L. H. D. Crane^[3]
- Assistant Clerk: John S. Dean
  - Bookkeeper: Ephraim W. Young
- Engrossing Clerk: Joseph C. Pickard
- Enrolling Clerk: Nathaniel F. Lund
- Transcribing Clerk: Harvey Briggs
Sergeant-at-Arms: Craig B. Beese
- Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Asher Armstrong
- Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Ebenezer Sprague
Postmaster: Hiram Beckworth
- Assistant Postmaster: John N. Stone
Doorkeeper: Joel Barber
- Assistant Doorkeeper: Joshua W. Tolford
Firemen:
- William C. Lasure
- Reese Evans
- Henry N. Solbert
Messengers:
- William H. Barnes
- William Benedict
- William Bennett
- H. M. Bingham
- Charles L. Catlin
- Edwin C. Mason
- William E. Miller
- James H. Neavill
- George D. Potter
- William H. Smith

Notes and References

The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin 1882. 201–202 . Annals of the legislature. State of Wisconsin. October 12, 2019.
A manual of customs, precedents, and forms, in use in the Assembly of Wisconsin . Statistical list of members of the Senate of the state of Wisconsin . 12–13 . State of Wisconsin . 1861 . October 12, 2019.
A manual of customs, precedents, and forms, in use in the Assembly of Wisconsin . Statistical list of the members and officers of the Assembly of Wisconsin . 7–11 . State of Wisconsin . 1861 . October 12, 2019.
A manual of customs, precedents, and forms, in use in the Assembly of Wisconsin . List of Assembly Districts, with names of Members since the last Apportionment . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1861/reference/wi.wibluebk1861.i0025.pdf . 34–39 . State of Wisconsin . 1861 . September 6, 2021 .