Charles H. Larrabee
The Honorable Charles H. Larrabee | |
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Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's3rddistrict | |
In office March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | |
Preceded by | Charles Billinghurst |
Succeeded by | A. Scott Sloan |
Justiceof theWisconsin Supreme Court | |
In office August 28, 1848 – June 1, 1853 | |
Wisconsin Circuit CourtJudgefor the 3rd Circuit | |
In office August 28, 1848 – September 1858 | |
Preceded by | Position Established |
Succeeded by | A. Scott Sloan |
Personal details | |
Born | Charles Hathaway Larrabee November 9, 1820 Rome, New York,U.S. |
Died | January 20, 1883 Tehachapi, California,U.S. | (aged 62)
Cause of death | 1883 Tehachapi train wreck |
Resting place | Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco (originally) Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Colma, California (re-interred 1931) |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouses |
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Children |
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Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Volunteers Union Army |
Years of service | 1861–1863 |
Rank | Colonel,USV |
Unit | 5th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
Commands | 24th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Charles Hathaway Larrabee(November 9, 1820 – January 20, 1883) was an American lawyer andDemocraticpolitician fromDodge County, Wisconsin.He served one term in theU.S. House of Representatives,representingWisconsin's 3rd congressional districtduring the36th Congress(1859–1860), and was anex officiomember of Wisconsin's firststate Supreme Court(1848–1953) due to his role as one of Wisconsin's first electedcircuit court judges.He also served as aUnion Armyofficer during theAmerican Civil War.
Early life
[edit]Larrabee was born inRome, New Yorkon November 9, 1820, the son of Charles Larrabee of Connecticut. His family moved toCincinnati, Ohio,where young Charles attended Springfield Academy and thenGranville Collegefrom 1834 to 1836. At Granville he specialized in English studies, mathematics and ancient languages.[1]: 4 [2]Later, heread lawwithSamson Masonand W.A. Rogers inSpringfield, Ohio.[1]: 4
He studied law with CongressmanSamson MasoninOhio,but before becoming a lawyer, Larrabee worked as anengineerand helped survey theLittle Miami Railroad.[2]He was admitted tothe barin September 1841, inPontotoc, Mississippi,and in the same year ran unsuccessfully for theMississippi Legislature.He moved toChicagoin 1844, where he edited theDemocratic Advocateand was electedcity attorney.[1]: 4 On May 13, 1846, in Chicago, he married his first wife, Minerva Norton.[2][3]
Wisconsin
[edit]In March 1847, Larrabee and his wife moved to a settlement inDodge Countyin theWisconsin Territory.Larrabee opened the first business in the settlement, where he sold goods from Chicago, shipped viaLake MichigantoMilwaukeeand carried over land to Dodge County. Larrabee became one of the leading residents of the small town, and gave it the nameHoricon.[1]: 4 Larrabee is recognized as one of the founders of the city.
In October 1847, Larrabee was chosen as one of three representatives for Dodge County to the 2nd Wisconsin Constitutional Convention. His chief preoccupation there was establishing ahomestead exemptionthat would protect people from becoming homeless or destitute in the event of debt or liability.[1]: 4–6
After the new constitution was adopted in 1848, Larrabee was elected Circuit Judge for the 3rd district, and was, by virtue of that role, a member of the state's first Supreme Court. He was the youngest person to serve on that court.[2]
A newWisconsin Supreme Courtwas created in 1852. Larrabee was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Chief Justice, but he was defeated by "the older and more experienced"Edward V. Whitonin the general election.
Larrabee served for ten years as Circuit Judge until his nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858. He went on to win that election to representWisconsin's 3rd congressional districtin the 36th Congress. At the time, his district was the largest—by population—in the country, with 350,000 people.[1]: 6 [2]
In Congress, Larrabee spoke fervently in favor of maintaining the Union, and defended the patriotism and loyalty ofGerman Americanimmigrants living in Wisconsin.
Larrabee ran for re-election, and supported the platform ofSenatorStephen A. Douglas,the Democratic candidate forU.S. Presidentin the1860 election.Douglas was defeated byAbraham Lincoln,and Larrabee lost his seat along with dozens of other Democrats in the realignmentelections of 1860.
Civil War
[edit]After the news of the attack on Fort Sumpter reached Wisconsin, Larrabee wrote to theMilwaukee News,a Democratic paper, to rally his party in defense of the Union. He also wrote to Wisconsin GovernorAlexander RandallandGeneralRufus Kingto offer his services.
On April 18, 1861, Larrabee enlisted as aprivatein the Horicon Guardmilitia,where he was elected2nd lieutenant.The militia quickly marched to Milwaukee for enrollment in a Volunteer Regiment. A month later, on May 28, 1861, Governor Randall commissioned Larrabee as amajorfor the5th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
Larrabee marched with the 5th Regiment to Washington, D.C., where they eventually attached to theArmy of the Potomac.
In 1862, the Regiment joined thePeninsula Campaign.Larrabee participated in theSiege of Yorktown,assisting in the attack on a fortress along theWarwick River.Days later, the regiment was involved in heavy fighting at Fort Magruder during theBattle of Williamsburg.Larrabee was commended for his work inspiring and directing the regiment during the battle.
After the battle, they marched through theChickahominymarsh land, and Larrabee fell ill along with others in the regiment. He recuperated atWhite House, Virginia,but would continue to exhibit symptoms.
When new Wisconsin regiments were raised that summer, GovernorEdward Salomonappointed Larrabee to organize and command the new24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.When the 24th regiment mustered into service in August, Larrabee was promoted tocolonel.The regiment was quickly ordered to Kentucky, before much drilling or preparation.
The regiment was attached to theArmy of the Cumberland,and arrived in time to join theBattle of Perryville,which ended theConfederate incursion in Kentucky.During the battle, the 24th was assigned to defend a cannon battery, which came under assault from a Confederate brigade, led byDaniel Weisiger Adams.The attack was repulsed, and Larrabee was commended by his brigade commander, ColonelNicholas Greusel,for his leadership in the defense of the battery.
After the battle, Larrabee again fell ill and recuperated inNashville, Tennessee,while the regiment fought at theBattle of Stones River.In March, 1863, Larrabee returned to the regiment for a short time, but ultimately resigned in August due to his ongoing illness.
Postbellum years
[edit]In the spring of 1864, still plagued by his illnesses—diarrheaanderysipelasin the head—he sought relief in the climates of California, then Nevada, then Oregon, where he practiced law with his old congressional colleague,Lansing Stout.He later returned to California, where his wife died in August, 1873.
After his wife's death, he moved toSeattlein theWashington Territoryand resided withBeriah Brown.While there he became a member of a state constitutional convention and helped to organize a state university in Seattle.[1]: 23
In 1868 he was in Los Angeles, California, where he andWilliam A. Winder,the former commander of theU.S. prison on Alcatraz Island,opened an agency "for the purchase and sale of lands in the southern part of the state."[4][5]In April 1868 he was electedcity attorney.None of the officials elected at that time served, however, and the election "seems to have been wholly ignored."[6]
Larrabee eventually settled inSan Bernardino, California,where he resumed his law practice.[1]: 23
Death
[edit]Larrabee was killed in atrain accidentat theTehachapi LoopnearTehachapi, California,on January 20, 1883.[7][8]He was survived by a son and daughter.[1]: 23 Intermentwas in the Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco.[9]
An attempt was made in the settlement of his estate to show that the claim by his second wife was not legitimate, but she produced a marriage certificate and letters to show that it was, and the marriage was therefore allowed in San Bernardino Superior Court.[10]In June 1884, John Anderson,executorof Larrabee'sestate,filed a court action in San Bernardino against theCentral Pacific Railroad,asking $100,000 indamages.[11]
The town ofLarrabee, Wisconsin,is named in his honor.[12]
Electoral history
[edit]Wisconsin Supreme Court (1852)
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Election, September 1852 | |||||
Independent | Edward V. Whiton | 11,792 | 54.60% | ||
Democratic | Charles H. Larrabee | 9,806 | 45.40% | ||
Plurality | 1,986 | 9.20% | |||
Total votes | 21,598 | 100.0% | |||
Independentwin(new seat) |
U.S. House of Representatives (1858, 1860)
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Election, November 2, 1858 | |||||
Democratic | Charles H. Larrabee | 23,905 | 50.95% | +2.99% | |
Republican | Charles Billinghurst(incumbent) | 23,011 | 49.05% | ||
Plurality | 894 | 1.91% | -2.18% | ||
Total votes | 46,916 | 100.0% | -6.42% | ||
DemocraticgainfromRepublican |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Election, November 6, 1860 | |||||
Republican | A. Scott Sloan | 34,002 | 53.98% | +4.93% | |
Democratic | Charles H. Larrabee (incumbent) | 28,986 | 46.02% | ||
Plurality | 5,016 | 7.96% | +6.06% | ||
Total votes | 62,988 | 100.0% | +34.26% | ||
RepublicangainfromDemocratic |
References
[edit]- ^abcdefghiLyman C. Draper,A Biographical Sketch of Hon. Charles H. Larrabee
- ^abcde"Former Justices - Justice Charles H. Larrabee".Wisconsin Court System.RetrievedApril 8,2023.
- ^"Died,"Daily Alta California,August 8, 1873
- ^"Editorial Notes: Land Agency,"Daily Alta California,May 14, 1868
- ^"Around the Corridors,"San Francisco Call,April 12, 1895
- ^Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials 1850–1938,Municipal Reference Library, March 1938, reprinted 1946
- ^"The New York Times,January 22, 1883, at GenDisasters.com, screen 2 ".Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 5,2014.
- ^"The Southern Pacific Horror,"Daily Globe,January 22, 1883, page 1
- ^Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- ^"The Larrabee Case Settled,"San Bernardino Times,as reprinted inLos Angeles Herald,August 26, 1884.The first name of the widow was not reported.
- ^"A Victim of the Tehachapi Horror,"Daily Alta California,June 5, 1884
- ^Callary, Edward (2016).Place Names of Wisconsin.Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 151.ISBN978-0-299-30964-0.
- ^"Judicial Election".Racine Advocate.October 13, 1852. p. 2.RetrievedApril 7,2023– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^abWisconsin U.S. House Elections, 1848–2008(PDF)(Report). Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on April 5, 2012.RetrievedApril 8,2023– viaWayback Machine.
Further reading
[edit]- Testament to Larrabee after his death,San Bernardino Times,quoted in "Col. C.H. Larrabee,"Los Angeles Herald,January 26, 1883
External links
[edit]- 1820 births
- 1883 deaths
- Accidental deaths in California
- Politicians from Rome, New York
- People from Horicon, Wisconsin
- People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War
- Justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Wisconsin circuit court judges
- Union Army officers
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin
- Railway accident deaths in the United States
- 19th-century American legislators
- U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law
- 19th-century American judges
- Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery (Colma, California)
- Burials at Masonic Cemetery (San Francisco)