North Carolina General Assembly of 1860–1861

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1860–1861 met in Raleigh, North Carolina in regular session from November 19, 1860 to February 25, 1861. They met in extra sessions from May 1, 1861 to May 13, 1861 and from August 15, 1861 to September 23, 1861. This General Assembly decided that each county should vote for special delegates who would decide whether North Carolina should secede from the Union. On May 20, 1861, those special delegates convened in Raleigh and voted unanimously that the state would no longer be a part of the United States of America.[1][2][3][4]

73rd North Carolina General Assembly (1860-1861)
←1858–1859 1862–1864→
North Carolina State Capital in 1861
Overview
Legislative bodyNorth Carolina General Assembly
JurisdictionNorth Carolina, United States
Meeting placeState Capital building in Raleigh
Term1860–1861
North Carolina Senate
Members50 Senators
President of the SenateHenry Toole Clark
Party controlSouthern Democrats
House of Commons
Members120 Representatives
Speaker of the HouseWilliam Theophilus Dortch
Party controlSouthern Democrats

Councilors of State

The following persons were elected as Councilors of State on December 20, 1860:[3]

  • John W. Cuningham Person
  • W. L. Hilliard
  • Council Wooten, Lenoir County
  • W. A. Ferguson
  • John J. Long
  • David Murphy
  • Jesse F. Graves, Surry County

Legislation

The general assembly passed numerous laws in 1860-1861, including the creation of Clay County from Cherokee County; creation of Mitchell County from Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Watauga, and Yancey Counties; and the creation of Transylvania County from Henderson and Jackson Counties.[5]

The North Carolina Constitution was amended on May 20, 1861 to "dissolve the union between the State of North Carolina and the other states united with her under the compact of government entitled the Constitution of the United States of America."[6]

Members

House of Commons
Rep. Leonidas LaFayette Polk
Rep. Augustus Summerfield Merrimon
Rep. Matt Whitaker Ransom
Rep. Richard Spaight Donnell
Rep. Jesse Johnson Yeates

There were, per the North Carolina Constitution amended in 1825, 120 representatives in the House of Commons. Some counties had more representatives based on the county population. William T. Dortch was elected Speaker of the House of Commons. He served until he left to become the North Carolina Senator for the Congress of the Confederate States of America from 1862 to 1865. Nathan Neely Fleming was elected as Speaker after he departed. Edward Cantwell served as clerk. Eighty-two of the representatives were Southern Democrats.[2][3][4]

CountyNo of Members in CountyMember's Name (party in 1860)
Alamance2Giles Mebane (Whig)[7]
Alamance2John Tapscott
Alexander1John M. Carson
Anson2Edward R. Liles
Anson2Leonidas LaFayette Polk (Whig)[8]
Ashe1Thomas N. Crumpler[9]
Ashe1James M. Gentry
Beaufort2William T. Marsh
Beaufort2Richard Spaight Donnell (Whig)[10]
Bertie2Peyton T. Henry
Bertie2John R. Ferguson
Bladen1Charles T. Davis
Brunswick1Thomas D. Meares
Buncombe1Augustus Summerfield Merrimon (Southern Democrat)[11]
Burke1John H. Pearson
Cabarrus1William S. Harris
Caldwell1William W. Dickson
Camden1Dennis D. Ferebee
Carteret1David W. Whitehurst
Caswell2John Kerr (Whig)[12]
Caswell2Elijah K. Withers
Caswell2Samuel P. Hill
Catawba1Jonas Cline
Chatham3Robert N. Green
Chatham3William P. Taylor
Chatham3Turner Bynum
Cherokee1George W. Hayes
Chowan1Richard H. Small
Cleveland2Abraham G. Waters
Cleveland2John R. Logan
Columbus 1Nathan L. Williamson
Craven2Frederick E. Alfred
Craven2Charles C. Clark
Cumberland3James S. Harrington
Cumberland3John C. Williams
Cumberland3Clement G. Wright
Currituck1Burwell M. Baxter
Davidson2Edmund B. Clark
Davidson2Lewis Hanes
Davie1Henry B. Howard
Duplin2John D. Stanford
Duplin2James G. Branch
Edgecombe2Robert R. Bridges
Edgecombe2James S. Woodard
Forsyth2Philip Barrow
Forsyth2John F. Poindexter
Franklin1William F. Green
Gaston1James H. White
Gates1John Boothe
Granville3James M. Bullock
Granville3Samuel H. Cannady
Granville3William H.P. Jenkins
Greene1Arthur D. Speight
Guilford3Julius L. Gorrell
Guilford3Cyrus P. Mendenhall
Guilford3Charles E. Shober
Halifax2Archibald H. Davis
Halifax2William B. Pope
Haywood1Samuel L. Love
Henderson1Joseph P. Jordan
Hertford1Jesse Johnson Yeates (Southern Democrat)[13]
Hyde1Tillman Farrow
Iredell2Asa B.F. Gaither
Iredell2Absalom Knox Simonton
Jackson1James R. Love[14]
Jackson1Allen Fisher
Johnston2James Mitchiner
Johnston2William H. Watson
Jones1William P. Ward
Lenoir1John C. Wooten
Lincoln1John F. Hoke[15]
Lincoln1V. A. McBee
Macon1David W. Siler[16]
Macon1Henry G. Woodfin
Madison1John A. Fagg
Martin1Joshua L. Ewell
McDowell1Charles H. Burgin
Mecklenburg2Stephen W. Davis
Mecklenburg2John McK. Potts
Montgomery1Edmund G.L. Barringer
Moore1Alexander Kelly
Nash1Henry G. Williams
New Hanover2Samuel J. Person
New Hanover2Daniel Shaw
Northampton2Matthew Whitaker Ransom[17]
Northampton2William W. Peebles
Onslow1James H. Foy
Orange2Hugh B. Guthrie
Orange2William N. Patterson
Pasquotank1John T. Williams
Perquimans1Nathan Newby
Person1John D. Wilkerson
Pitt2Burton J. Albritton
Pitt2Churchill Perkins
Randolph 2Isaac H. Foust
Randolph 2Thomas L. Winslow
Richmond1John G. Blue
Robeson2Alexander McMillan
Robeson2Eli Wishart
Rockingham2Rawley Galloway
Rockingham2Thomas S. Slade
Rowan2Newberry F. Hall
Rowan2Nathan Neely Fleming
Rutherford2Champion T.N. Davis
Rutherford2Berryman H. Paget
Sampson2George W. Autrey
Sampson2Nehemiah C. Faison
Stanly1Lafayette Green
Stokes1Horatio P. Kallum
Surry1Harrison M. Waugh
Tyrrell1Charles McCleese
Union1Cyrus Q. Lemmond
Wake3Henry Mordecai
Wake3Sion H. Rigers
Wake3John P. H. Russ
Warren 2Joseph B. Batchelor
Warren 2William H. Clark
Washington1Charles Latham
Watauga1George N. Folk[18]
Watauga1Thomas Farthing
Wayne2William Theophilus Dortch (Speaker, Southern Democrat)[19]
Wayne2Marcus K. Crawford
Wilkes2Augustus H. Martin
Wilkes2Phineas T. Horton
Yadkin1Andrew C. Cowles
Yancey1Jacob Weaver Bowman[20]

Senate
Sen. Henry Toole Clark
Sen. Jonathan Worth
Sen. John Motley Morehead
Sen. Bedford Brown

Henry Toole Clark was elected Speaker or President of the Senate. As such, he was first in line of succession to the Governor since there was no Lieutenant Governor until 1868. When Governor John Willis Ellis died of tuberculosis on July 7, 1861, Senator Clark took over as Governor and remained in that position until September 8, 1862. He was thrust into this leadership position just as the U.S. Civil War started. Thirty-two of the Senators were Southern Democrats.[21]

The clerk of the Senate was J.W. Alspaugh. Senator William Holland Thomas was an adopted chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation and represented their interests as he served in the Senate from 1849 to 1861.[4][3][1][22]

Senators William Waightstill Avery and John Motley Morehead served as delegates from North Carolina to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America in the third through fifth sessions in 1861 and 1862.

The following table lists the Senators from the 50 Districts in North Carolina.[2][4][3]

DistrictCounties RepresentedSenator (party)Home County
1Pasquotank & PerquimansJames M. WhedbeePerquimans
2Camden & CurrituckBenjamin T. SimmonsCurrituck
3Chowan & GatesMills H. EureGates
4Hyde & TyrrellJones SpencerTyrrell
5NorthamptonJoseph M.S. RogersNorthampton
6HertfordJoseph B. SlaughterHertford
7BertieDavid Outlaw (Whig)[23] Bertie
8Martin & WashingtonJesse R. StubbsMartin
9HalifaxMatthew Cary WhitakerHalifax
10EdgecombeHenry Toole Clark (Southern Democrat, Speaker)[21]Edgecombe
11PittElias J. BlountPitt
12BeaufortFrederick GristBeaufort
13CravenNathan H. StreetCraven
14Carteret & JonesM.F. ArendellCarteret
15Greene & LenoirJames P. SpeightGreene
16New HanoverEli W. HallNew Hanover
17DuplinJames DicksonDuplin
18OnslowLott W. HumphreyOnslow
19Bladen, Brunswick, & ColumbusJohn D. TaylorBrunswick
20CumberlandDuncan ShawCumberland
21SampsonThomas I. FaisonSampson
22WayneWilliam K. LaneWayne
23JohnstonJ.W.B. WatsonJohnston
24WakeMoses A. BledsoeWake
25NashA.G. TaylorNash
26FranklinWashington HarrisFranklin
27WarrenThomas J. PritchardWarren
28GranvilleC.H.K. TaylorGranville
29PersonC.S. WinsteadPerson
30OrangeJosiah Turner Jr.Orange
31Alamance & RandolphJonathan Worth (Southern Democrat)[24]Randolph
32ChathamW.S. HarrisChatham
33Montgomery & MooreWillis D. DowdMoore
34Richmond, & RobesonAlfred Dockery (Know Nothing)[25]Richmond
35Anson & UnionSamuel H. WalkupUnion
36GuilfordJohn Motley Morehead (Whig)[26]Guilford
37CaswellBedford Brown (Southern Democrat)[27]Caswell
38RockinghamFrancis L. SimpsonRockingham
39MecklenburgJohn WalkerMecklenburg
40Cabarrus & StanlyVictor C. BarringerCabarrus
41Davie & RowanJames G. RamsayRowan
42DavidsonJohn W. ThomasDavidson
43Forsyth & StokesJohn A. WaughForsyth
44Ashe, Surry, Watauga, & YadkinJoseph H. DobsonSurry
45Alexander, Iredell, WilkesLeander Q. SharpeIredell
46Burke, Caldwell, & McDowellWilliam Waightstill Avery (Southern Democrat)[28]Burke
47Catawba, Gaston, & LincolnJ. StoweLincoln
48Cleveland & RutherfordA.W. BurtonCleveland
49Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, & YanceyMarcus ErwinBuncombe
50Cherokee, Haywood, Jackson, & MaconWilliam Holland Thomas[22]Jackson
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References
  1. Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senators 1860-1861". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  2. Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House 1860-1861". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  3. Connor, R.D.D. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  4. Wheeler, John H. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  5. "Public Laws Passed of the State of North Carolina Passed by the General Assembly of 1860-186". Raleigh, North Carolina: John Spelman, Printer of the State. 1861.
  6. "North Carolina Constitution and Amendments". NHINET.ORG. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  7. Stokes, Durward T. (1991). "Giles Mebane". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  8. Noblin, Stuart (1994). "Leonidas Lafayette Polk". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  9. Resigned his seat to join the Conferate Army
  10. Carraway, Gertrude S. (1986). "Richard Spaight Donnell". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  11. Bell, John L. Jr. (1991). "Augustus Summerfeld Merrimon". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  12. Resigned his seat
  13. Parramore, T. C. (1996). "Jesse Johnson Yeates". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  14. Resigned his seat to join the Conferate Army
  15. Resigned his seat after being appointed Adjutant General, joined the Confederate Army
  16. Resigned his seat
  17. Barrett, John G. (1994). "Matthew Whitaker Ransom". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  18. Resigned his seat, joined the Confederate Army
  19. Yearns, Buck (1986). "William Theophilus Dortch". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  20. Hightower, Emily K. (1979). "Jacob Weaver Bowman". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  21. Iobst, Richard W. (1979). "Henry Toole Clark". NCPedia. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  22. McKinney, Gordon B. (1996). "William Holland Thomas". NCPedia. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  23. Littleton, Rebecca B. (1991). "David Outlaw". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  24. Zuber, Richard L. (1996). "Jonathan Worth". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  25. Fawcett, Michael J. (1986). "Alfred Dockery". NCPedia. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  26. Kearney, H. Thomas, Jr. (1991). "John Motley Morehead". NCPedia.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. Jones, H. G. (1979). "Bedford Brown". NCPedia. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  28. Watson, Elgiva D. (1979). "William Waightstill Avery". NCPedia. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
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