After a move from NY to Illinois, he befriends fellow lawyers Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln before sailing to San Francisco for the Gold Rush. Supports transcontinental railroad project in US House in 1853, then becomes US Senator ’61-67. A Democrat who opposes many war measures, he never returns to California during his entire Senate term and dies an alcoholic.
Humble birth in Ky, moves to IL, self-educated and into law, Private in Blackhawk War ’32, edits Dem newspaper, IL House ’36 and ’40-43, then US House as Jackson Dem ’43-51, mentor is Stephen Douglas, opposes Wilmot Proviso banning slavery in Mexican Cession lands, supports 1850 Compromise, back in House ’59-61, angry attacks on abolitionists, but strong Unionist, loses run for Speakership ’60, resigns to form “McClernand Brigade” as its BG, Lincoln okays to help insure IL stays loyal to Union, always at odds with commanders and using political contacts to try to get his way, Ft Donelson and Shiloh, then East under Grant, spreads drinking rumors about Grant who finally gets Lincoln to recall him, in ’63, politics restores command at Red River ’64, but then retires from army, judge in IL post-war.
John Usher (1816-1889)
John Logan (1826-1886)
California -- Admission Date: September 9, 1850 Motto: I have found it
Photography Book
John Palmer (1817-1900)
One of four famous sons of Israel Washburn, Sr, leaves home at 13 to help pay off family debts, adds “e” to name, good student, Harvard Law ’39, moves to Galena, IL, politics, US House ’53-69 initially ,Whig then Republican, “Father of House” for long service, leads Appropriations Comm/”Treasury Watchdog,” Lincoln supporter, with radicals vs. South during reconstruction, helps draft 14th Amendment (black citizenship), 11 days as Sec of State before illness, then Grant’s Amb to France ’69-76
Born out of wedlock, father dies early, moves to Charleston where supported by local lawyer, learns math & hired to teach it to navy, 2nd Lt ’38 with Corps of Topographical Engineers, string of expeditions west, ’41 marries daughter of MO Senator Thomas Hart Benton who manages his career, celebrity status after exploring the west ’42-46 and leading Bear Flag Republic filibuster in CA during Mexican War, owns Sierra Mtn land where gold found ’46, becomes rich, CA Military Gov &US Senate ’50 as Free Soil Dem, opposes 1850 Compromise and Kan-Neb, 1st Prez of new Republican Party ‘56, loses to Buchanan, anti-slavery, Major-General in war, Dept of West, picks Grant, unilateral emancipation reversed by Lincoln ’61, resigns ’62 over rank dispute, buys country estate on Hudson R, loses wealth on Pacific RR bet, sells estate ’75, dies broke in NYC.
John Lourie Beveridge (IL) (1824-1910) Lawyer in Evanston, Illinois before leading cavalry troops at Gettysburg as a Brevet General and later becoming Governor of his home state.
Caleb Smith (1804-1864)
Illinois -- Admission Date: December 13, 1818 Motto: State Sovereignty, National Union
Richard Yates (1815-1873)
William English (1822-1896)
Indiana -- Admission Date: December 11, 1816 Motto: The Crossroads of America
James Shield (1810-1879)
Stephen Douglas (1813-1861)
House ’41-43, 47-49 as Whig, early member of Know-Nothings, helps organize Constitutional Union Party in ’60 backing Bell, then switches to Lincoln, Sec of Navy ’77-80 under Hayes.
Hanover College, protégé of notorious Indiana copperhead Senator Jesse Bright, patronage job in DC via Polk, US House 1853-61, plays key role in convincing Buchanan that the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution must be submitted to Kansas voters to pass in Congress. Along with Alex Stephens he crafts the 1858 “English Bill” which leads to a “popsov” vote rejecting slavery in Kansas once and for all. In 1880 he runs with Hancock as VP but they lose 48.3% to 48.2% to Garfield on the popular vote.
Henry Smith Lane (1811-1881)
Richard Thompson (1809-1900)
Ky birth, Blackhawk War, move to IL, college, into law, defends killer of Mormon, Joseph Smith, politics, opposition to Kan-Neb, supports founding of Republican Party, lobbies for AL nomination and personal friend of both Lincolns for 30 years and acts as confidante, his diaries record many AL views, ambitious, seeks favors, and some jealousy of Prez evident, US Senate ’61-63, Sec of Interior ’66-69 after AL dead.
Moves from NY to Indiana, studies law, circuit rider, befriends Lincoln in Springfield, state Atty General ’62, named Sec of Interior after Caleb Smith illness. Stopgap role, ends as successful railroad lawyer.
John Lourie Beveridge (1824-1910)
Lyman Trumbull (1813-1896)
John McClernand (1812-1900)
Orville Browning (1806-1881)
John Fremont (1813-1890)
Politicians/Diplomats
Raised by widowed mother who runs boarding house in NY, ends schooling at age 10, move to Indiana, impresses Horace Greeley with pro-Whig articles on Ind politics, runs St. Joseph newspaper ’45-54, state constitutional convention ’50, opposes Kan-Neb Act and wins second run for U.S House ’55-69, joins Republican Party coalition (Whigs, Free Soil, Know Nothings, Anti-KN Dems), anti-slavery, Speaker of House ’63-69, supporter of 13th Amendment (freeing all slaves), VP ’69-73 with Grant, Credit Mobil cloud
Schuyler Colfax (1823-1885)
Northwestern States
Born Kentucky, moves to Indiana, criminal lawyer, anti-slavery in Clay mold, colonization, US House as Whig ’40-43, Lt Colonel in Mexican War, banking, Know Nothing then presides at 1st Republican Convention in ’56, abolitionist after KN Act, helps Lincoln win nomination, Indiana Governor and the U.S. Senator ’61-67, national mourning at his death
Settles in Illinois after Ky law degree, state leg to US House as Whig ’51-55, anti-slavery, opposes Kan-Nebraska in ’54, joins new Republican Party, IL Gov ’61-65, supports Emancipation Proc & Grant and Lincoln, Senator ’65-71.
Born in Conn, heads academy in Georgia, law practice there, moves in ’37 to Alton, IL where Lovejoy killed, state Leg & state Supreme Court, US House ’54, Senate ’55-73 as Dem then Repub,Anti-slavery, writes 13th Amendment (ending it), bills for Freedmen’s Bureau & black Civil Rights, support for common man & Socialist at end.
Born Arnold Douglass Vt., common school, cabinet-maker, moves to NY farm & academy ‘32, Cleveland, IL, lawyer ’34, states atty ’35 at 22 years old, politics, state house as Dem, loses US House try ’38, Sec of State & Supreme Court judge, US House ’43-47, leads the “Young America” movement which modernizes the Dem Party, immediate national presence who tries to bridge sectional factions, “The Little Giant” nickname, ’47 marriage gives him wealth, plantation in Miss and over 100 slaves, US Senate ’47-61, first backs “popsov” alternative to Wilmot on slavery in ’48 election with Cass, engineers 1850 Compromise (CA admitted as free/popsov to decide NM/Utah, fugitive slave law strengthened), loses ’52nomination to Pierce, wife dies in Chicago ’53, remarries, backs trans-US rr, leads Kansas-Neb resolution ’54 (drops 1820 Mo Compromise line), tries to stem firestorm in North, loses ’56 nom to Buchanan, famous debates vs. Lincoln ’58, opposes Kansas slave constitution, gets ’60 nom but Dem Party breaks up on North vs. South, unionist who calls secession a criminal act, dies suddenly of typhoid fever 6 weeks into war.
Early poverty in Ky, move to IL, tries teaching, selling clocks, coopering (casks/barrels), then law, works on ’48 state constitution, state leg, as Dem, helps start Republican Party in state, loses to McClernand for US House ’59, fights for Lincoln nomination, Col – 14th IL Infantry ’61, strong showing at Stones River ’62 and Chickamauga ’63, MG commander of XIV Corp in Atlanta with Sherman, resigns over “rank” issue, military guv in Ky at end of war credited with lifting citizenship rights for blacks, long post-war career, IL Guv ’69-73, US Senate ’91-97, flirts with Prez nom.
Miami of Ohio, lawyer, founds Indiana Sentinel ’32, Grand Master as Freemason, state leg and then US House ’43-49 as Whig, helps Lincoln gain nomination ’60, serves as Sec of Interior ’61-62, first ever Indiana cabinet member, opposes Emancipation Proc, resigns in ’62, passed over for Supreme Court, circuit judge until health erodes and he dies in ’64.
Elihu Washburne (1816-1887)
Born in the southwestern tip of IL in the pro-slavery land between the Ohio and Miss Rivers known as “Little Egypt.” Father a physician and political figure who donates property forming his home town. Son has little education, enlists in Mexican War but sees no action, studies law with uncle and at Louisville U, into state politics ’53 as Douglas Democrat, helps to pass “black code” law to ban freedmen from residing in IL, US House ’59-62, on to heroic service in Civil War with Grant in the west from Ft Donelson to the siege of Vicksburg, then with Sherman on march through Atlanta to the sea. Back to DC post-war as a Republican in House ’67-71 and Senate ’71-79. Runs as VP on Baline-Logan ticket for Rep nomination in 1880, but they lose to Garfield/Arthur. In a pro-slavery southern Illinois to doctor father in state politics, little formal education.
James McDougall (1817-1867)
Born in Northern Ireland, immigrates to Kaskasia IL ’26, legal practice and into politics, state house ’36, state Supreme Court judge, state auditor ’39 where he draws criticism from Abe Lincoln leading to a duel between the two, called off when AL chooses swords to Shield’s dismay, commission BG of volunteers ’46, wounded twice in Mexican War under Z. Taylor, US Senator ’49-55 as Dem, loses ’55 and moves to MN where elected Senator ’58-59, military command ’62 but Jackson beats him up in the Valley Campaign and he resigns, post-war, Senator from MO for 5 weeks before death.