17th Wisconsin Legislature

The Seventeenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 13, 1864, to April 4, 1864, in regular session.
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 odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 3, 1863. 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 4, 1862.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican James T. Lewis, of Columbia County, serving the first year of a two-year term, having won election in the 1863 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 4, 1864: Inauguration of James T. Lewis as the 7th Governor of Wisconsin.
May 5-7, 1864: Battle of the Wilderness took place in Spotsylvania County and Orange County, Virginia. Four regiments of Wisconsin Volunteers participated in the battle.
May 9-21, 1864: Battle of Spotsylvania Court House took place in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Five regiments of Wisconsin Volunteers participated in the battle.
May 31June 12, 1864: Battle of Cold Harbor took place in Hanover County, Virginia. Five regiments of Wisconsin Volunteers participated in the battle.
September 2, 1864: Union Army occupied Atlanta, Georgia.
November 8, 1864: Abraham Lincoln re-elected as President of the United States.

Major legislation

February 19, 1864: Act to organize the county of Burnett, and locate the county seat thereof,
February 26, 1864: Joint Resolution relative to the extension of time for the payment of government bounties to volunteers,
March 5, 1864: Joint Resolution relative to the vigorous prosecution of the war, the duty of congress and the people, tendering thanks to the army and navy, and suggesting the renomination of Abraham Lincoln,
March 22, 1864: Act to incorporate "Marquette College" in the second ward of the city of Milwaukee,
April 4, 1864: Act to guard against the abuse of the elective franchise, and to preserve the purity of elections, by a registration of electors,

Sessions

1st Regular session: January 13, 1864 - April 4, 1864

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Wyman Spooner
President pro tempore: Smith S. Wilkinson

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: William W. Field

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Seventeenth Wisconsin Legislature:

District	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Sheboygan		Sheboygan Falls	Dem.
02	Brown, Kewaunee		Green Bay	Dem.
03	Ozaukee		Ozaukee	Dem.
04	Washington		West Bend	Dem.
05	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
06	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
07	Racine		Whitesville	Union
08	Kenosha		Kenosha	Union
09	Adams, Juneau, Waushara		Pine River	Union
10	Waukesha		Waukesha	Union
11	Dane		Windsor	Union
12	Walworth		Whitewater	Union
13	Lafayette		Shullsburg	Dem.
14	Sauk		Prairie du Sac	Union
15	Iowa		Mineral Point	Dem.
16	Grant		Glen Haven	Union
17	Rock		Janesville	Union
18	Dodge		Fox Lake	Union
19	Manitowoc & Calumet		Manitowoc	Dem.
20	Fond du Lac		Nanaupa	Union
21	Winnebago		Neenah	Union
22	Door, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawanaw		Sturgeon Bay	Union
23	Jefferson		Fort Atkinson	Dem.
24	Green		Monroe	Union
25	Columbia		Kilbourn City	Union
26	Dane		Madison	Union
27	Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Wood		Plover	Union
28	Ashland, Burnett, Dallas, Douglas, La Pointe, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix		Prescott	Union
29	Marquette, Green Lake		Montello	Union
30	Bad Ax, Crawford, Richland		Richland City	Union
31	La Crosse, Monroe		La Crosse	Union
32	Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Trempealeau		Black River Falls	Union
33	Dodge		Horicon	Dem.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Seventeenth Wisconsin Legislature:

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: Frank M. Stewart
* Assistant Clerk: P. H. Brady
** Bookkeeper: J. Spooner
* Engrossing Clerk: Sineus B. Dibble
* Enrolling Clerk: Thomas Marshall
* Transcribing Clerk: F. O. Wisner
Sergeant-at-Arms: Nelson Williams
* 1st Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: H. Esperson
* 2nd Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: John B. Eugene
Postmaster: Henry H. Taylor
* Assistant Postmaster: S. Raymond
Doorkeeper: G. M. Cary
* Assistant Doorkeeper: J. P. Miller
* Assistant Doorkeeper: J. H. Jones
* Assistant Doorkeeper: Otis A. Albee
* Assistant Doorkeeper: William P. Close
* Gallery Doorkeeper: B. S. Miller
Firemen:
* Barnet Wilson
* William W. Baker
* William Holden
Messengers:
* John C. Hutchins
* Albert F. Dexter
* Rufus H. Roys
* William C. Jones
* C. C. Frey
* Frank C. Freeman
Porter: John Crowley

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: John S. Dean
* Assistant Clerk: Ephraim W. Young
** Bookkeeper: E. L. Fitzhugh
* Engrossing Clerk: A. L. Rockwell
* Enrolling Clerk: J. H. Balch
* Transcribing Clerk: A. C. Byers
Sergeant-at-Arms: Alexander McDonald Thomson
* 1st Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: William P. Forsyth
* 2nd Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Lewis M. Hammond
Postmaster: N. A. Spooner
* 1st Assistant Postmaster: Hiram Beckwith
* 2nd Assistant Postmaster: Oscar Babcock
Doorkeepers:
* Franklin Kelly
* W. L. Abbott
* W. E. Angell
* C. Saran
* C. E. Tanburg
* William Spencer
Firemen:
* Oliver Johnson
* A. C. Stannard
* Robert Axon
* C. McCarthy
Speaker's Messenger: Adam C. Waltz
Chief Clerk's Messenger: James E. Dean
Sergeant-at-Arms' Messenger: Arthur Tilden
Messengers:
* Moses Flesh
* Patrick McKanna
* Robert Airis
* Louis Sholes
* Marion M. Young
* William P. Beach
* Linus S. Webb
* Fred Chynoweth