The 1865 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1865.

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

candidate

Lucius Fairchild Lucius Fairchild (December 27, 1831May 23, 1896) was an Americans, American politician, soldier, and diplomat. He served as the List of Governors of Wisconsin, tenth Governor of Wisconsin and represented the United States as List of ambassadors o ...

won the election with nearly 55% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Harrison Carroll Hobart. The incumbent Governor,

James T. Lewis James Taylor Lewis (October 30, 1819August 5, 1904) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 9th Governor of Wisconsin (1864–1866). Prior to his election as governor, he was the 7th Secretary of State of Wisconsin (1862&n ...

, refused nomination for re-election. 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 ...

had concluded just a few months before this election was held; both major party candidates in this election were retired brigadier generals who had served with distinction in the war.

Democratic Party

Harrison Carroll Hobart had served as a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

officer through the entire war, rising from captain to brigadier general, operating as colonel of the

21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. They were assigned for their entire war service to XIV Corps, operating in the western theater of the war. Serv ...

and brigadier in

XIV Corps 14 Corps, 14th Corps, Fourteenth Corps, or XIV Corps may refer to: * XIV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XIV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World ...

in the western theater of the war. He was captured and escaped captivity during the war. Prior to the war, Hobart had served in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, and had served as Speaker of the Assembly in the 1849 session. He had also served as in the Wisconsin State Senate during the

1st Wisconsin Legislature The First Wisconsin Legislature convened from June 5, 1848, to August 21, 1848, in regular session. Members of the Assembly and Senate were elected after an election on February 1, 1848, that ratified the proposed state constitution. Major event ...

. This was Hobart's second attempt at election for Governor of Wisconsin, having been defeated by Alexander Randall in the 1859 election.

Republican Party

was the incumbent

Wisconsin Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin, and is second (behind the Lieutenant Governor) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Wiscon ...

at the time of the 1865 election, having been elected in the 1863 election on the Democratic Party ticket. Fairchild was one of the first Wisconsin men to volunteer for service in the Union Army, rising from captain to colonel with the

2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade of the Army of the Potomac. It suffered the largest number ...

in the famous Iron Brigade in the eastern theater of the war. He led the regiment in fierce fighting during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. At Gettysburg, Fairchild was wounded and captured. He was quickly released from captivity, but his left arm had been crushed and had to be amputated. He returned to Madison to recuperate, and was then nominated for Wisconsin Secretary of State. President Lincoln awarded him an honorary promotion to brigadier general.

Results

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 7, 1865

References

{{Reconstruction Era

1865 Events January–March * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at Broad Street (Manhattan), 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War : Sec ...

1865 Wisconsin elections

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 ...