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 The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's Wisconsin Army National Guard, army and Wisconsin Air National Guard, air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the ...

Alexander Randall, to approve funding for a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

for the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. 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.

Major events

* January 1861: Timothy O. Howe elected

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

by the Wisconsin Legislature in Joint Session. * March 4, 1861:

Inauguration In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugu ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

as the

16th 16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and . In English speech, ...

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

. * April 12, 1861:

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

militia began bombarding Fort Sumpter in

Charleston Harbor The Charleston Harbor is an inlet (8 sq mi/20.7 km²) of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley and Cooper rivers at . Morris and Sullivan's Islands shelter the entrance. Charleston H ...

. * April 15, 1861: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation requesting the states provide

75,000 volunteers On April 15, 1861, at the start of the American Civil War, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln called for a 75,000-man militia to serve for three months following the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter. Some southern states refused to send tro ...

for service in the American Civil War. * April 16, 1861: 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment raised in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

. * May 9, 1861: Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall called for a special session of the Wisconsin Legislature. * July 21, 1861:

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

took place in

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, one regiment of Wisconsin volunteers participated in the battle. * November 8, 1861:

Louis P. Harvey Louis Powell Harvey (July 22, 1820 – April 19, 1862) was an American politician and the seventh Governor of Wisconsin. He was the first Wisconsin Governor to die in office. Early life Harvey was born in East Haddam, Connecticut, and moved w ...

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a populatio ...

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

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 A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

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

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the formation of a Brigade, and the appointment of Hon.

Rufus King Rufus King (March 24, 1755April 29, 1827) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Philadelphia Convention and was one of the signers of the Unit ...

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

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and the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

1861 Special Session Act 4
* May 25, 1861: Act to prevent rendering aid to

Rebels Rebels may refer to: * Participants in a rebellion * Rebel groups, people who refuse obedience or order * Rebels (American Revolution), patriots who rejected British rule in 1776 Film and television * ''Rebels'' (film) or ''Rebelles'', a 2019 ...

1861 Special Session Act 5
* May 25, 1861: Act to provide for the purchasing of

Arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

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

Assembly summary

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 A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

* President pro tempore: Alden I. Bennett

Assembly leadership

* Speaker of the Assembly:

Amasa Cobb Amasa Cobb (September 27, 1823July 5, 1905) was an Americans, American politician and judge. He was the 6th and 9th Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court and the 5th Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska. Earlier in his life, he was a United States ...

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Fourteenth Wisconsin Legislature: WI Senate Partisan Map 1861

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Fourteenth Wisconsin Legislature: WI Assembly Partisan Map 1861

Employees

Senate employees

* Chief Clerk: John H. Warren ** Assistant Clerk:

Stephen Steele Barlow Stephen Steele Barlow (August 17, 1818October 5, 1900) was an Americans, American lawyer and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician. He was the 10th Attorney General of Wisconsin and served four years in the Wisconsin Legislatu ...

** 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 ** 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

References

External links

{{Wisconsin legislatures 1861 in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Wisconsin legislative sessions