15th Wisconsin Legislature

The Fifteenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 8, 1862, to April 7, 1862, in regular session, and re-convened from June 3, 1862, through June 17, 1862. The legislature further convened in a special session from September 10, 1862, through September 26, 1862.
This was the first legislative session after the expansion and redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session. The Senate grew from 30 to 33 seats; the Assembly grew from 97 to 100 seats.
Senators representing even-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 odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 8, 1861. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 6, 1860, or were elected in the 1861 election for a newly created district and were serving a one-year term.
The governor of Wisconsin during the first regular session of this legislative term was Republican Louis P. Harvey, of Rock County, who was serving the first year of a two-year term, having won election in the 1861 Wisconsin gubernatorial election. Harvey died in an accident on April 19, 1862, after visiting Wisconsin Union Army volunteers at the site of the Battle of Shiloh, in Tennessee. At that time, the lieutenant governor, Republican Edward Salomon, of Manitowoc County, then ascended to become governor for the remainder of this legislative term.

Major events

January 6, 1862: Inauguration of Louis P. Harvey as the 7th Governor of Wisconsin.
January 10, 1862: Assemblymember Alexander Campbell of Iowa County resigned his seat after it was demonstrated that he had actually lost his election to Robert Wilson.
January 16, 1862: Joseph M. Morrow sworn in to replace the deceased Simon D. Powers as assemblymember for the Monroe County district
April 6–7, 1862: Battle of Shiloh took place in Hardin County, Tennessee. Three regiments of Wisconsin Volunteers participated in the battle. Former Wisconsin state senator James S. Alban was killed, and former state senator Benjamin Allen was wounded.
April 19, 1862: Wisconsin Governor Louis P. Harvey died in an accident near Savannah, Tennessee. Lieutenant Governor Edward Salomon became the 8th Governor of Wisconsin.
May 1, 1862: Union forces occupied New Orleans after Confederate forces evacuated the city.
May 8, 1862: State senator Charles Quentin died.
September 1, 1862: Dr. Francis Huebschmann was sworn in to replace the deceased Charles Quentin as senator for the 5th district.
September 17, 1862: Battle of Antietam took place near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Five regiments of Wisconsin Volunteers participated in the battle.
September 22, 1862: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
October 8, 1862: Battle of Perryville took place near Perryville, Kentucky.

Major legislation

First session

February 17, 1862: Joint Resolutions relative to amending the constitution in regard to the governor's salary, . Proposed an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin to increase the salary of the governor from $1,250 to $2,500 per year. The amendment was rejected by voters in the November general election.
March 22, 1862: Act to change the name of Bad Ax County to that of Vernon,

Special session

September 25, 1862: Act to empower towns, cities, incorporated villages and counties to raise money for the payment of bounties to volunteers,

Sessions

1st Regular session: January 8, 1862 - April 7, 1862; June 3, 1862 - June 17, 1862Special session: September 10, 1862 - September 26, 1862

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Edward Salomon, Lieutenant Governor
President pro tempore: Frederick O. Thorpe
* Gerry Whiting Hazelton

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Joseph W. Beardsley

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Fifteenth Wisconsin Legislature:

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Fifteenth Wisconsin Legislature:

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: John H. Warren
* Assistant Clerk: Erasmus D. Campbell
* Engrossing Clerk: T. Wilson Caster
* Enrolling Clerk: J. M. Randall
* Transcribing Clerk: F. W. Stewart
Sergeant-at-Arms: Bloom U. Caswell
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: James L. Wilder
Postmaster: H. W. Browne
* Assistant Postmaster: D. H. Pulcifer
Doorkeeper: William C. Lesure
* Assistant Doorkeeper: Julius C. Chandler
Firemen:
* C. H. Beyler
* John Crowley
Messengers:
* Fred Sholes
* Albert F. Dexter
* William L. Abbott

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: John S. Dean
* Assistant Clerk: Ephraim W. Young
** Bookkeeper: Sylvester Foord, Jr.
* Engrossing Clerk: Herbert A. Lewis
* Enrolling Clerk: Daniel Brisbois
* Transcribing Clerk: Henry F. Pelton
Sergeant-at-Arms: A. A. Huntingdon
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Jas. G. Alden
* 2nd Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: J. W. Overbaugh
Postmaster: A. A. Bennett
* Assistant Postmaster: N. F. Pierce
* 2nd Assistant Postmaster: William P. Bowman
Doorkeeper: J. I. Ellis
* Assistant Doorkeeper: Frederik Huchting
* Assistant Doorkeeper: E. T. Kearney
Firemen:
* Reese Evans
* E. C. Cavenaugh
* Barnet Wilson
Messengers:
* E. C. Mason
* Jno. N. Ford
* E. D. Strong
* Albert W. Carpenter
* Fred. VanBergen
* William Booth
* Samuel Myers
* Hugh Spencer
* Rufus H. Roys
* George D. Potter
* Linus S. Webb

Changes from the 14th Legislature

New districts for the 15th Legislature were defined in, passed into law in the 14th Wisconsin Legislature.

Senate redistricting

Summary of changes

17 senate districts were left unchanged.
The Dane County district boundaries were slightly redrawn.
Dodge County went from having one senator to two.
Jefferson County went from two senators to one.
Rock County went from two senators to one.
Sauk County became its own senate district, after previously having been in a shared district with Adams and Juneau counties.
Iowa County became its own senate district, after previously having been in a shared district with Richland county.
Waushara County was moved from the 27th district to the 9th.
The multi-county northeastern district was divided into two.
The multi-county western region of the state went from two senators to four.

Senate districts

Dist.	14th Legislature	15th Legislature
1	Sheboygan County	Sheboygan County
2	Brown, Outagamie, Door, Kewaunee, Oconto, Shawano counties	Brown, Kewaunee counties
3	Ozaukee County	Ozaukee County
4	Washington County	Washington County
5	Northern Milwaukee County	Northern Milwaukee County
6	Southern Milwaukee County	Southern Milwaukee County
7	Racine County	Racine County
8	Kenosha County	Kenosha County
9	Adams, Juneau, Sauk counties	Adams, Juneau, Waushara counties
10	Waukesha County	Waukesha County
11	Eastern Dane County	Eastern Dane County
12	Walworth County	Walworth County
13	Lafayette County	Lafayette County
14	Northern Jefferson County	Sauk County
15	Iowa, Richland counties	Iowa County
16	Grant County	Grant County
17	Western Rock County	Rock County
18	Eastern Rock County	Western Dodge County
19	Manitowoc, Calumet counties	Manitowoc, Calumet counties
20	Fond du Lac County	Fond du Lac County
21	Winnebago County	Winnebago County
22	Dodge County	Door, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawanaw counties
23	Southern Jefferson County	Jefferson County
24	Green County	Green County
25	Columbia County	Columbia County
26	Western Dane County	Western Dane County
27	Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, Wood counties	Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Wood counties
28	Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, La Pointe, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix counties	Ashland, Burnett, Dallas, Douglas, La Pointe, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix counties
29	Marquette County	Marquette County
30	Bad Ax, Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Tremealeau counties	Bad Ax, Crawford, Richland counties
31	Did not exist in 14th Legislature	La Crosse, Monroe counties
32	Did not exist in 14th Legislature	Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Trempealeau counties
33	Did not exist in 14th Legislature	Eastern Dodge County

Assembly redistricting

Summary of changes

Adams and Juneau counties became separate assembly districts, after previously having been in a shared district.
Bad Ax County became 2 assembly districts, after previously having been in a shared district with Crawford County.
Dane County went from having 6 districts to 5.
Dodge County went from having 6 districts to 5.
Jefferson County went from having 5 districts to 4.
Kenosha County went from having 2 districts to 1.
Kewaunee County became its own assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Door, Oconto, and Shawano counties.
La Crosse and Monroe counties became separate assembly districts, after previously having been in a shared district.
Lafayette County went from having 3 districts to 2.
Manitowoc County went from having 2 districts to 3.
Marquette County went from having 2 districts to 1.
Ozaukee County went from having 2 districts to 1.
Portage County became its own assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Marathon and Wood counties.
Racine County went from having 4 districts to 3.
Rock County went from having 5 districts to 6.
Sheboygan County went from having 3 districts to 4.