History of the Thirty-Ninth Congress of the United States

by William Horatio Barnes

PORTUS BAXTER was born in Brownington, Vermont. He received a liberal education, and engaged in mercantile and agricultural pursuits. In 1852 and 1856 he was a Presidential Elector. In 1860 he was elected a Representative from Vermont to the Thirty-Seventh Congress, and was re-elected to the Thirty-Eighth and Thirty-Ninth Congresses. He was succeeded in the Fortieth Congress by Worthington C. Smith.

FERNANDO C. BEAMAN was born in Chester, Vermont, June 28, 1814, and was removed in boyhood to New York. He received an English education at the Franklin County Academy, and studied law in Rochester. In 1838 he removed to Michigan, and engaged in the practice of his profession. He served six years as Prosecuting Attorney for the county of Lenawee, and four years as Judge of Probate. In 1856 he was a Presidential Elector. In 1860 he was elected a Representative from Michigan to the Thirty-Seventh Congress, and was successively re-elected to the Thirty-Eighth, Thirty-Ninth, and Fortieth Congresses.—447.

JOHN F. BENJAMIN was born in Cicero, New York, January 23, 1817. After having spent three years in Texas, he settled in Missouri, in 1848, and engaged in the practice of law. He was a member of the Missouri Legislature in 1851 and 1852, and was a Presidential Elector in 1856. He entered the Missouri Cavalry as a private, in 1861, and by a series of promotions reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He resigned to accept the appointment of Provost-Marshal for the Eighth District of Missouri. He was a delegate to the Baltimore Convention of 1864, and was the same year elected a Representative from Missouri to the Thirty-Ninth Congress, and in 1866 was re-elected.—366.

TEUNIS G. BERGEN was born in Brooklyn, New York, October 6. 1806, He received an academical education at Flatbush, and engaged in surveying and horticulture. He served the town of New Utrecht as supervisor for twenty-three years. He was a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1846. In 1860 he was a member of the Democratic Conventions of Charleston and Baltimore. In 1864 he was elected a Representative from New York to the Thirty-Ninth Congress. At the close of his Congressional term he was elected a member of the New York Constitutional Convention of 1867. He was succeeded in the Fortieth Congress by Demas Barnes.

JOHN BIDWELL was born in Chautauqua county, N. Y., August 5, 1819. In 1829 he removed with his father to Erie, Pennsylvania, and two years after to Ashtabula county, Ohio, where, through his own exertions he obtained an academical education. In 1838 he taught school in Darke County, Ohio, and subsequently taught two years in Missouri. In 1841 he emigrated to California, one of the first adventurers on the wild overland route. At the breaking out of the war with Mexico, he entered the service of the United States as a private, and reached the rank of Major. He was among the first who discovered gold on Feather River in 1848. In 1849 he was elected to the State Constitutional Convention, and to the Senate of the first Legislature of California. In 1860 he was a delegate to the Charleston Convention, and refused to sanction the secession movement there made. In 1863 he was appointed Brigadier General of California militia, when it was necessary to organize in order to preserve the peace of the State. In 1864 he was a member of the Baltimore Convention, which renominated Lincoln. The same year he was elected a Representative from California to the Thirty-Ninth Congress. He was not a candidate for re-election to Congress, since nearly all the papers in the State had hoisted his name as candidate for Governor. He failed, however, to receive the nomination for that office by the Republican Convention. He was succeeded in the Fortieth Congress by James A. Johnson.—31.

JOHN A. BINGHAM was born in Pennsylvania in 1815. Having received an academical education, and spending two years in a printing-office, he entered Franklin College, in Ohio, but owing to ill-health, did not prosecute his studies to graduation. He was admitted to the bar in 1840, and from 1845 to 1849 he was Prosecuting Attorney for the county of Tuscarawas. In 1854 he was elected a Representative from Ohio to the Thirty-Fourth Congress, and was re-elected to the Thirty-Fifth, Thirty-Sixth, and Thirty-Seventh Congresses. In 1864 he was appointed a Judge-Advocate in the Army, and Solicitor of the Court of Claims. He was Assistant Judge-Advocate in the trial of the Assassination Conspirators, in May, 1865. In 1865 he took his seat for his fifth term of service in Congress and was re-elected to the Fortieth Congress—25, 67, 237, 285, 319, 357, 434, 448, 474, 475, 505, 520, 526, 537.

JAMES G. BLAINE was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1830. After graduating at Washington College, 1847, he removed to Maine and became editor of the "Kennebec Journal," and "Portland Advertiser". He was four years a member of the Maine Legislature, and served two years as Speaker of the House. In 1862 he was elected a Representative from Maine to the Thirty-Eighth Congress, and was successively re-elected to the Thirty-Ninth and Fortieth Congresses.—333, 437, 527, 528, 536.

HENRY T. BLOW was born in Southampton county, Virginia, July 15, 1817. In 1830 he removed to Missouri, and goon after graduated at the St. Louis University. He engaged extensively in the drug and lead business. He served four years in the Senate of Missouri. In 1861 he was appointed by President Lincoln Minister to Venezuela, but resigned the position before the expiration of a year. In 1862 he was elected a Representative from Missouri to the Thirty-Eighth Congress, and was re-elected to the Thirty-Ninth. He was succeeded in the Fortieth Congress by Carman A. Newcomb.

GEORGE S. BOUTWELL was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, January 28, 1818, and removed to Groton in 1835. He was engaged in mercantile business as clerk and proprietor for several years, and subsequently entered the profession of the law. From 1842 to 1850 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In 1849 and 1850 he was Bank Commissioner. In 1851 he was elected Governor of Massachusetts, and served two terms. He was a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1853. He was eleven years a member and Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, and ten years a member of the Board of Overseers of Harvard College. He was appointed Commissioner of the Internal Revenue, in July, 1862, and organized the Revenue system. In 1863 he took his seat as a Representative in Congress from Massachusetts, and was re-elected to the Thirty-Ninth and Fortieth Congresses. He is the author of a "Manual of the School System, and School Laws of Massachusetts," "Educational Topics and Institutions," "A Manual of the Revenue System," and a volume just published, entitled "Speeches on Reconstruction."—31, 91, 442, 475, 526, 528, 536, 553.

BENJAMIN M. BOYER was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, January 22, 1823. He graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, and adopted the profession of law. In 1848 he was elected District Attorney for the county of Montgomery. In 1864 he was elected a Representative from Pennsylvania to the Thirty-Ninth Congress, and was re-elected to the Fortieth Congress.—54, 438.