Horatio Bisbee Jr.

Horatio Bisbee Jr. (May 1, 1839 – March 27, 1916) was an American attorney and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Florida.[1]

Horatio Bisbee, Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd district
In office June 1, 1882 – March 3, 1885
Preceded by	Jesse J. Finley
Succeeded by	Charles Dougherty
In office January 22, 1881 – March 3, 1881
Preceded by	Noble A. Hull
Succeeded by	Jesse J. Finley
In office March 4, 1877 – February 20, 1879
Preceded by	Jesse J. Finley
Succeeded by	Jesse J. Finley
11th Florida Attorney General
In office 1872–1872
Governor	Harrison Reed
Preceded by	J. B. C. Drew
Succeeded by	J. P. C. Emmons
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
In office 1869–1873
Appointed by	Ulysses S. Grant
Personal details
Born	(1839-05-05)May 5, 1839 Canton, Maine
Died	March 27, 1916(1916-03-27) (aged 76) Dixfield, Maine
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Charlotte Randolph
Children	1
Education	Tufts College
Occupation	Attorney
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1861–1863
Rank	Colonel
Unit	5th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
Commands	9th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Early life and education

Bisbee was born on May 1, 1839 in Canton, Maine. Bisbee began attending Tufts College in Massachusetts, but halted his studies in 1861 when the American Civil War broke out.[2]

Bisbee enlisted in the Union Army with the 5th Massachusetts Militia as a private until July 1861, when he was appointed as a captain in the 9th Maine Infantry. He eventually rose to the ranks of lieutenant colonel and later colonel.[3] Bisbee retired from the army in March 1863 and returned to Tufts College, graduating later that year.[2]

Political career

Bisbee moved to Chicago, Illinois in late 1863 and was admitted into the Illinois Bar in 1864. After the end of the war in 1865, Bisbee moved to Jacksonville, Florida and established his law practice there. In 1869, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Bisbee as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.[2] In this position, Bisbee, a Republican, made acquaintance with several high-profile Floridians, including Governor Harrison Reed and lawyer Joseph E. Lee, who was one of the most prominent black Republicans in Florida at the time.[4][5]

In 1872, Bisbee was temporarily appointed as the eleventh Florida Attorney General by Reed. He stepped down when lawyer J. P. C. Emmons was chosen to permanently fill the position. During his appointment, he was still serving as a U.S. Attorney. He resigned as U.S. Attorney in 1873.[6]

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1876, Bisbee was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Florida's recently created 2nd congressional district. Bisbee defeated Democratic incumbent Jesse J. Finley by just three votes. Finley successfully contested the election and was seated on February 20, 1879, less than a month before the term expired.[2]

As Finley was not seated until after the election of 1878, Bisbee was technically still the incumbent leading into that election. Bisbee was defeated by Democratic Lieutenant Governor Noble A. Hull by just 22 points. Bisbee successfully contested the election, taking the seat on January 22, 1881, again just a month and half before the term expired.[7]

In the year before, during the 1880 elections, Hull, the technical incumbent going into the election, did not seek reelection. Bisbee and Finley again ran as the Republican and Democratic nominees, respectively. Once again, Finley won, but the election was contested by Bisbee. On June 1, 1882, Bisbee was declared the winner, meaning he would be the incumbent entering the 1882 election.[8]

In the 1882 election, Bisbee won a decisive and undisputed victory over Finley. Bisbee ran for reelection in 1884, losing to Charles Dougherty, the former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.[2]

After this loss, Bisbee retired from politics, returning to private practice.[6]

Personal life

At some point after his retirement, Bisbee married Charlotte Randolph. They had a daughter, Florence, in 1885.[9]

Bisbee and his wife returned to Maine leaving their daughter in Jacksonville with her husband and his family.[10]

Death and burial

Bisbee died in Dixfield, Maine on March 27, 1916. He is buried with his wife, who died twelve years later, in Dixfield's Greenwood Cemetery.[2]

Electoral history

1884 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
Florida 2nd district[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Charles Dougherty	17,248	51.77%	+2.27%
	Republican	Horatio Bisbee, Jr (inc.)	15,857	47.59%	-2.91%
	Independent Republican	Josiah T. Walls	256	0.65%	N/A
Majority			1,391	4.18%	+3.18%
Turnout			33,320

1882 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
Florida 2nd district[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Republican	Horatio Bisbee, Jr. (inc.)	13,069	50.50%	+2.80%
	Democratic	Jesse J. Finley	12,813	49.50%	-2.80%
Majority			256	1.00%	-3.54%
Turnout			25,882

1880 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
Florida 2nd district[lower-alpha 1][13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Jesse J. Finley	13,105	52.30%	+2.27%
	Republican	Horatio Bisbee, Jr. (inc.)	11,953	47.70%	-2.27%
Majority			1,152	4.60%	+4.54%
Turnout			25,058

1878 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
Florida 2nd district[lower-alpha 2][14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Noble A. Hull	9,640	50.03%	+0.04%
	Republican	Horatio Bisbee, Jr. (inc.)	9,628	49.97%	-0.04%
Majority			12	0.06%	N/A
Turnout			19,268

1876 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
Florida 2nd district[lower-alpha 3][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Republican	Horatio Bisbee, Jr.	11,574	50.01%	-1.12%
	Democratic	Jesse J. Finley (inc.)	11,571	49.99%	+1.12%
Majority			3	0.02%	-2.24%
Turnout			23,145

Notes

1. Bisbee contested Finley's election and was seated in his place on June 1, 1882
2. Bisbee contested the election and was seated on January 22, 1881
3. Finley contested Bisbee's election and was seated in his place on February 20, 1879

References

1. "BISBEE, Horatio, Jr. | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
2. "BISBEE, Horatio, Jr. - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
3. "Civil War Index - 9th Maine Infantry". civilwarindex.com. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
4. "The Florida historical quarterly | ucf.digital.flvc.org". ucf.digital.flvc.org. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
5. Florida, State Library and Archives of. "Letter to Joseph E. Lee Concerning the Florida Gubernatorial Election of 1916". Florida Memory. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
6. "Horatio Bisbee, Jr". Find a Grave. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
7. United States Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1879.
8. Political Pamphlets, 1876-1888. 1882.
9. "Charlotte "Lottie" Randolph Bisbee". Find a Grave. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
10. "Florence B. Rogers". Find a Grave. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
11. "1884 FL - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
12. "1882 FL - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
13. "1880 FL - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
14. "1878 FL - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
15. "1876 FL - District 02". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 15, 2019.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Jesse J. Finley	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1877 – February 20, 1879	Succeeded by Jesse J. Finley
Preceded by Noble A. Hull	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd congressional district January 22, 1881 – March 3, 1881	Succeeded by Jesse J. Finley
Preceded by Jesse J. Finley	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd congressional district June 1, 1882 – March 3, 1885	Succeeded by Charles Dougherty
Legal offices
Preceded by J. B. C. Drew	Florida Attorney General 1872	Succeeded by J. P. C. Emmons

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.