The Thirty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States of America federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1863 to March 3, 1865, during the last two years of the first administration of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Eighth Census of the United States in 1860. Both chambers had a Republican majority.
Dates of sessions[edit]
March 4, 1863 - March 3, 1865
- Special session of the Senate: March 4, 1863 – March 14, 1863
- First session: December 7, 1863- July 4, 1864
- Second session: December 5, 1864 - March 3, 1865
- Previous congress: 37th Congress
- Next congress: 39th Congress
Party summary[edit]
West Virginia and Nevada were newly admitted to the Union and first represented as states in this Congress.
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
- Senate
TOTAL members: 52
|
- House of Representatives
TOTAL members: 184
|
Leadership[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives
- Senate
- House of Representatives
Major events[edit]
Events of 1863, 1864 and 1865
- American Civil War, which had started in 1861, continued through this Congress and ended later in 1865
Major legislation[edit]
List of United States federal legislation in the 38th Congress
Membership highlights by chamber[edit]
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1868; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1864; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1866.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
|
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
|
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
|
House of Representatives[edit]
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- California [1]
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
|
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
|
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
|
Delegates[edit]
- Arizona Territory
- Colorado Territory
- Dakota Territory
- Idaho Territory
|
- Montana Territory
- Nebraska Territory
- Nevada Territory
|
- New Mexico Territory
- Utah Territory
- Washington Territory
|
Membership detail by state[edit]
Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1868; Class 2 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1864; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1866.
The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "A/L," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.
Many of the congressional district numbers are linked to articles describing the district itself. Since the boundaries of the districts have changed often and substantially, the linked article may only describe the district as it exists today, and not as it was at the time of this Congress.
The list below is arranged by state, then by chamber. Senators are shown in order of seniority, House members in district order.
Alabama[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (6 seats)
Arkansas[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (3 seats)
California[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (3 seats) [2]
Connecticut[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (4 seats)
Delaware[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (1 seat)
Florida[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (1 seat)
Georgia[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (7 seats)
Illinois[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (14 seats)
- 1: Isaac N. Arnold (1815-1884), Republican
- 2: John F. Farnsworth (1820-1897), Republican
- 3: Elihu B. Washburne (1816-1887), Republican
- 4: Charles M. Harris (1821-1896), Democratic
- 5: Owen Lovejoy (1811-1864), Republican ...died March 25, 1864.
- Ebon C. Ingersoll (1831-1879), Republican ...elected to fill vacancy, seated May 20, 1864.
- 6: Jesse O. Norton (1812-1875), Republican
- 7: John R. Eden (1826-1909), Democratic
- 8: John T. Stuart (1807-1885), Democratic
- 9: Lewis W. Ross (1812-1895), Democratic
- 10: Anthony L. Knapp (1828-1881), Democratic
- 11: James C. Robinson (1823-1886), Democratic
- 12: William R. Morrison (1824-1909), Democratic
- 13: William J. Allen (1829-1901), Democratic
- A/L: James C. Allen (1822-1912), Democratic
Indiana[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (11 seats)
- 1: John Law (1796-1873), Democratic
- 2: James A. Cravens (1818-1893), Democratic
- 3: Henry W. Harrington (1825-1882), Democratic
- 4: William S. Holman (1822-1897), Democratic
- 5: George W. Julian (1817-1899), Republican
- 6: Ebenezer Dumont (1814-1871), Republican
- 7: Daniel W. Voorhees (1827-1897), Democratic
- 8: Godlove S. Orth (1817-1882), Republican
- 9: Schuyler Colfax (1823-1885), Republican
- 10: Joseph K. Edgerton (1818-1893), Democratic
- 11: James F. McDowell (1825-1887), Democratic
- Senate
- House of Representatives (6 seats)
- Senate
- House of Representatives (1 seat)
Kentucky[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (9 seats)
Louisiana[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (5 seats)
- Senate
- House of Representatives (5 seats)
Maryland[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (5 seats)
Massachusetts[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (10 seats)
- 1: Thomas D. Eliot (1808-1870), Republican
- 2: Oakes Ames (1804-1873), Republican
- 3: Alexander H. Rice (1818-1895), Republican
- 4: Samuel Hooper (1808-1875), Republican
- 5: John B. Alley (1817-1896), Republican
- 6: Daniel W. Gooch (1820-1891), Republican
- 7: George S. Boutwell (1818-1905), Republican
- 8: John D. Baldwin (1809-1883), Republican
- 9: William B. Washburn (1820-1887), Republican
- 10: Henry L. Dawes (1816-1903), Republican
Michigan[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (6 seats)
Minnesota[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (2 seats)
Mississippi[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (5 seats)
Missouri[edit]
- Senate
- 1: John B. Henderson (1826-1913), Unconditional Unionist
- 3: Robert Wilson (1803-1870), Unconditional Unionist …appointed to fill vacancy, served until November 13, 1863.
- B. Gratz Brown (1826-1885), Unconditional Unionist ...elected to fill vacancy, November 13, 1863.
- House of Representatives (9 seats)
- 1: Francis P. Blair, Jr. (1821-1875), Unconditional Unionist ...contested election, served until June 10, 1864.
- Samuel Knox (1815-1905), Unconditional Unionist ...contested election, seated June 15, 1864.
- 2: Henry T. Blow (1817-1875), Unconditional Unionist
- 3: John W. Noell (1816-1863), Unconditional Unionist ...died March 14, 1863, before Congress assembled.
- John G. Scott (1819-1892), Democratic ...elected to fill vacancy, seated December 7, 1863.
- 4: Sempronius H. Boyd (1828-1894), Unconditional Unionist
- 5: Joseph W. McClurg (1818-1900), Unconditional Unionist
- 6: Austin A. King (1802-1870), Unionist
- 7: Benjamin F. Loan (1819-1881), Unconditional Unionist
- 8: William A. Hall (1815-1888), Unionist
- 9: James S. Rollins (1812-1888), Unionist
- Senate
- House of Representatives (1 seat)
New Hampshire[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (3 seats)
New Jersey[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (5 seats)
New York[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (31 seats)
- 1: Henry G. Stebbins (1811-1881), Democratic ...resigned October 24, 1864.
- Dwight Townsend (1826-1899), Democratic ...elected to fill vacancy, seated December 5, 1864.
- 2: Martin Kalbfleisch (1804-1873), Democratic
- 3: Moses F. Odell (1818-1866), Democratic
- 4: Benjamin Wood (1820-1900), Democratic
- 5: Fernando Wood (1812-1881), Democratic
- 6: Elijah Ward (1816-1882), Democratic
- 7: John W. Chanler (1826-1877), Democratic
- 8: James Brooks (1810-1873), Democratic
- 9: Anson Herrick (1812-1868), Democratic
- 10: William Radford (1814-1870), Democratic
- 11: Charles H. Winfield (1822-1888), Democratic
- 12: Homer A. Nelson (1829-1891), Democratic
- 13: John B. Steele (1814-1866), Democratic
- 14: Erastus Corning (1794-1872), Democratic ...resigned October 5, 1863, before Congress assembled.
- John V. L. Pruyn (1811-1877), Democratic ...elected to fill vacancy, seated December 7, 1863.
- 15: John A. Griswold (1822-1872), Democratic
- 16: Orlando Kellogg (1809-1865), Republican
- 17: Calvin T. Hulburd (1809-1897), Republican
- 18: James M. Marvin (1809-1901), Republican
- 19: Samuel F. Miller (1827-1892), Republican
- 20: Ambrose W. Clark (1810-1887), Republican
- 21: Francis Kernan (1816-1892), Democratic
- 22: DeWitt C. Littlejohn (1818-1892), Republican
- 23: Thomas T. Davis (1810-1872), Republican
- 24: Theodore M. Pomeroy (1824-1905), Republican
- 25: Daniel Morris (1812-1889), Republican
- 26: Giles W. Hotchkiss (1815-1878), Republican
- 27: Robert B. Van Valkenburg (1821-1888), Republican
- 28: Freeman Clarke (1809-1887), Republican
- 29: Augustus Frank (1826-1895), Republican
- 30: John Ganson (1818-1874), Democratic
- 31: Reuben E. Fenton (1819-1885), Republican ...resigned December 20, 1864.
North Carolina[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (7seats)
- Senate
- House of Representatives (19 seats)
- 1: George H. Pendleton (1825-1889), Democratic
- 2: Alexander Long (1816-1886), Democratic
- 3: Robert C. Schenck (1809-1890), Republican
- 4: John F. McKinney (1827-1903), Democratic
- 5: Francis C. Le Blond (1821-1902), Democratic
- 6: Chilton A. White (1826-1900), Democratic
- 7: Samuel S. Cox (1824-1889), Democratic
- 8: William Johnston (1819-1866), Democratic
- 9: Warren P. Noble (1820-1903), Democratic
- 10: James M. Ashley (1824-1896), Republican
- 11: Wells A. Hutchins (1818-1895), Democratic
- 12: William E. Finck (1822-1901), Democratic
- 13: John O'Neill (1822-1905), Democratic
- 14: George Bliss (1813-1868), Democratic
- 15: James R. Morris (1819-1899), Democratic
- 16: Joseph W. White (1822-1892), Democratic
- 17: Ephraim R. Eckley (1811-1908), Republican
- 18: Rufus P. Spalding (1798-1886), Republican
- 19: James A. Garfield (1831-1881), Republican
- Senate
- House of Representatives (1 seat)
Pennsylvania[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (24 seats)
- 1: Samuel J. Randall (1828-1890), Democratic
- 2: Charles O'Neill (1821-1893), Republican
- 3: Leonard Myers (1827-1905), Republican
- 4: William D. Kelley (1814-1890), Republican
- 5: M. Russell Thayer (1819-1906), Republican
- 6: John D. Stiles (1822-1896), Democratic
- 7: John M. Broomall (1816-1894), Republican
- 8: Sydenham E. Ancona (1824-1913), Democratic
- 9: Thaddeus Stevens (1792-1868), Republican
- 10: Myer Strouse (1825-1878), Democratic
- 11: Philip Johnson (1818-1867), Democratic
- 12: Charles Denison (1818-1867), Democratic
- 13: Henry W. Tracy (1807-1886), IRepublican
- 14: William H. Miller (1829-1870), Democratic
- 15: Joseph Bailey (1810-1885), Democratic
- 16: Alexander H. Coffroth (1828-1906), Democratic
- 17: Archibald McAllister (1813-1883), Democratic
- 18: James T. Hale (1810-1865), Independent Republican
- 19: Glenni W. Scofield (1817-1891), Republican
- 20: Amos Myers (1824-1893), Republican
- 21: John L. Dawson (1813-1870), Democratic
- 22: James K. Moorhead (1806-1884), Republican
- 23: Thomas Williams (1806-1872), Republican
- 24: Jesse Lazear (1804-1877), Democratic
Rhode Island[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (2 seats)
South Carolina[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (4 seats)
Tennessee[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (8 seats)
- Senate
- House of Representatives (4 seats)
Vermont[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (3 seats)
Virginia[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (8 seats)
West Virginia[edit]
- Senate
- 1: Peter G. Van Winkle (1808-1872), Unconditional Unionist ...newly admitted state, elected August 4, 1863.
- 2: Waitman T. Willey (1811-1900), Unconditional Unionist ...newly admitted state, elected August 4, 1863.
- House of Representatives (3 seats)
- 1: Jacob B. Blair (1821-1901), Unconditional Unionist ...new state, seated December 7, 1863.
- 2: William G. Brown, Sr. (1800-1884), Unconditional Unionist ...new state, seated December 7, 1863.
- 3: Kellian V. Whaley (1821-1876), Unconditional Unionist ...new state, seated December 7, 1863.
Wisconsin[edit]
- Senate
- House of Representatives (6 seats)
Delegates[edit]
- Arizona Territory
- Colorado Territory
- Dakota Territory
- Idaho Territory
- Montana Territory
- Nebraska Territory
- Nevada Territory
- New Mexico Territory
- Utah Territory
- Washington Territory
Membership detail by Chamber/Party[edit]
The list below is arranged by chamber, then by political party. Members are shown in alphabetical order.
Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six year terms with each Congress.
- A-F
- Henry B. Anthony, Rhode Island
- Zachariah Chandler, Michigan
- Daniel Clark, New Hampshire
- Jacob Collamer, Vermont
- John Conness, California (U.S. state)
- Edgar Cowan, Pennsylvania
- James Dixon, Connecticut
- James R. Doolittle, Wisconsin
- Nathan A. Farwell, Maine
- William Pitt Fessenden, Maine
- Solomon Foot, Vermont
- La Fayette S. Foster, Connecticut
|
- G-O
- James W. Grimes, Iowa
- John P. Hale, New Hampshire
- James Harlan, Iowa
- Ira Harris, New York
- Jacob M. Howard, Michigan
- Timothy O. Howe, Wisconsin
- Henry S. Lane, Indiana
- James H. Lane, Kansas
- Edwin D. Morgan, New York
- Lot M. Morrill, Maine
- James W. Nye, Nevada .
|
- P-Z
- Samuel C. Pomeroy, Kansas
- Alexander Ramsey, Minnesota
- John Sherman, Ohio
- William Sprague, Rhode Island
- William M. Stewart, Nevada
- Charles Sumner, Massachusetts
- John C. Ten Eyck, New Jersey
- Lyman Trumbull, Illinois (U.S. state)
- Benjamin F. Wade, Ohio
- Morton S. Wilkinson, Minnesota
- Henry Wilson, Massachusetts
|
Unconditional Unionist[edit]
Unionist[edit]
House of Representatives[edit]
Members of the House of Representatives were elected by popular vote, variously to single member districts or at-large.
- A-B-C
- James C. Allen, Illinois (U.S. state)
- William J. Allen, Illinois (U.S. state)
- Sydenham E. Ancona, Pennsylvania
- Joseph Bailey, Pennsylvania
- Augustus C. Baldwin, Michigan
- George Bliss, Ohio
- James Brooks, New York
- James S. Brown, Wisconsin
- John W. Chanler, New York
- Alexander H. Coffroth, Pennsylvania
- Erastus Corning, New York
- Samuel S. Cox, Ohio
- James A. Cravens, Indiana
- D-E-F
|
- G-H-I
- John Ganson, New York
- John A. Griswold, New York
- Henry W. Harrington, Indiana
- Benjamin G. Harris, Maryland
- Charles M. Harris, Illinois (U.S. state)
- Anson Herrick, New York
- William S. Holman, Indiana
- Wells A. Hutchins, Ohio
- Philip Johnson, Pennsylvania
- William Johnston, Ohio
- Martin Kalbfleisch, New York
- Francis Kernan, New York
- Anthony L. Knapp, Illinois (U.S. state)
- John Law, Indiana
- Jesse Lazear, Pennsylvania
- Francis C. Le Blond, Ohio
- Alexander Long, Ohio
- M-N-O
- Daniel Marcy, New Hampshire
- Archibald McAllister, Pennsylvania
- James F. McDowell, Indiana
- John F. McKinney, Ohio
- George Middleton, New Jersey
- William H. Miller, Pennsylvania
- James R. Morris, Ohio
- William R. Morrison, Illinois (U.S. state)
- Homer A. Nelson, New York
- Warren P. Noble, Ohio
- Moses F. Odell, New York
- John O'Neill, Ohio
|
- P-Q-R
- S-T-U-V
- John G. Scott, [[Missouri]]
- Henry G. Stebbins, New York
- John B. Steele, New York
- William G. Steele, New Jersey
- John D. Stiles, Pennsylvania
- Myer Strouse, Pennsylvania
- John T. Stuart, Illinois (U.S. state)
- Lorenzo D.M. Sweat, Maine
- William Temple, Delaware
- Dwight Townsend, New York
- Daniel W. Voorhees, Indiana
- W-X-Y-Z
|
- A-B-C
- John B. Alley, Massachusetts
- William B. Allison, Iowa
- Oakes Ames, Massachusetts
- Isaac N. Arnold, Illinois (U.S. state)
- James M. Ashley, Ohio
- John D. Baldwin, Massachusetts
- Portus Baxter, Vermont
- Fernando C. Beaman, Michigan
- James G. Blaine, Maine
- George S. Boutwell, Massachusetts
- Augustus Brandegee, Connecticut
- John M. Broomall, Pennsylvania
- Ambrose W. Clark, New York
- Freeman Clarke, New York
- Amasa Cobb, Wisconsin
- Cornelius Cole, California (U.S. state)
- Schuyler Colfax, Indiana
- D-E-F
- Thomas T. Davis, New York
- Henry L. Dawes, Massachusetts
- Henry C. Deming, Connecticut
- Nathan F. Dixon, Jr., Rhode Island
- Ignatius L. Donnelly, Minnesota
- John F. Driggs, Michigan
- Ebenezer Dumont, Indiana
- Ephraim R. Eckley, Ohio
- Thomas D. Eliot, Massachusetts
- John F. Farnsworth, Illinois (U.S. state)
- Reuben E. Fenton, New York
- Augustus Frank, New York
|
- G-H-I
- James A. Garfield, Ohio
- Daniel W. Gooch, Massachusetts
- Josiah B. Grinnell, Iowa
- William Higby, California (U.S. state)
- Samuel Hooper, Massachusetts
- Giles W. Hotchkiss, New York
- Asahel W. Hubbard, Iowa
- John H. Hubbard, Connecticut
- Calvin T. Hulburd, New York
- Ebon C. Ingersoll, Illinois (U.S. state)
- Thomas A. Jenckes, Rhode Island
- George W. Julian, Indiana
- John A. Kasson, Iowa
- William D. Kelley, Pennsylvania
- Francis W. Kellogg, Michigan
- Orlando Kellogg, New York
- DeWitt C. Littlejohn, New York
- John W. Longyear, Michigan
- Owen Lovejoy, Illinois (U.S. state)
- M-N-O
- James M. Marvin, New York
- John R. McBride, Oregon
- Walter D. McIndoe, Wisconsin
- Samuel F. Miller, New York
- James K. Moorhead, Pennsylvania
- Justin S. Morrill, Vermont
- Daniel Morris, New York
- Amos Myers, Pennsylvania
- Leonard Myers, Pennsylvania
- Jesse O. Norton, Illinois (U.S. state)
- Charles O'Neill, Pennsylvania
- Godlove S. Orth, Indiana
|
- P-Q-R
- S-T-U-V
- Robert C. Schenck, Ohio
- Glenni W. Scofield, Pennsylvania
- Thomas B. Shannon, California (U.S. state)
- Ithamar C. Sloan, Wisconsin
- Rufus P. Spalding, Ohio
- John F. Starr, New Jersey
- Thaddeus Stevens, Pennsylvania
- M. Russell Thayer, Pennsylvania
- Charles Upson, Michigan
- Robert B. Van Valkenburg, New York
- W-X-Y-Z
|
Unconditional Unionist[edit]
- A-F
- Lucien Anderson, Kentucky
- Francis P. Blair, Jr., [[Missouri]]
- Jacob B. Blair, West Virginia
- Henry T. Blow, [[Missouri]]
- Sempronius H. Boyd, [[Missouri]]
- William G. Brown, Sr., West Virginia
- John A. J. Creswell, Maryland
- Henry Winter Davis, Maryland
|
- G-O
|
- P-Z
|
Unionist[edit]
Changes in membership[edit]
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.
- Senate
- replacements: 2
- deaths: 1
- resignations: 2
- interim appointments: 1
- seats of newly admitted seats: 4
- Total seats with changes: 4
|
- House of Representatives
- replacements: 6
- deaths: 3
- resignations: 3
- contested election: 1
- seats of newly admitted seats: 4
- Total seats with changes: 7
|
Officers[edit]
- Senate
- Other
|
- House of Representatives
|
References[edit]
- ↑ All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket.
- ↑ all representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket