Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Wednesday, May 9, 1860

Decatur     Convention met about 11 Oclock Α. Μ. Between 600 & 700 delegates in attendance. Every County in the State except one¹ represented. Jno. Palmer temporary chairman for organization—Jo. Gillespie permanent President. Contest for Governor² between Judd, Yates & Swett³—Dick Yates nominated after several ballotings—Hoffman, a German, nominated for Lieutenant Governor—Appointed Committees & adjourned till 9 A. M. tomorrow I dined at Dick Ogilsby's,⁴ and am at his house to night—All the gentlemen went out after tea but myself I remained to prepare resolutions for tomorrow⁵—Has been pleasant day, but somewhat cool—Had heavy rain here yesterday

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¹ The only county not sending a regular delegate was Pulaski. This Decatur convention was a much more fully organized meeting than that which met at Bloomington in 1856.

² Concerning this contest for the governorship, Gustave Koerner wrote: "To my surprise Judd, candidate for the nomineeship for Governor, was defeated, probably by an intrigue of Mr. Swett, and Richard Yates was nominated." Memoirs of Gustave Koerner, 2: 83.

³ Leonard Swett, 1825-1889. Born in Maine; came to Bloomington, Illinois, after serving in the Mexican War; active Republican from 1856; National Republican in 1872. A prominent Illinois lawyer and a close friend of Lincoln and Browning.

⁴ Richard J. Oglesby, 1824-1899. Born in Kentucky; came to Decatur, Illinois, 1836; admitted to bar and began practice of law at Sullivan, 1845; served in Mexican War; went to California with the Forty-Niners, returning in 1851; served in the Civil War rising to the rank of major general; elected governor, 1864, 1872, 1884; United States senator, 1873-1879.

⁵ In this convention, besides serving on the resolutions committee, Browning was named presidential elector, and was chosen one of the delegates-at-large to the national convention soon to meet at Chicago. In addition to naming Yates as governor and Francis H. Hoffman, a German-American, as lieutenant governor, the most important act of this convention was to instruct the delegation to the national convention to give its support to Lincoln for president. It appears that Lincoln was consulted in the selection of the delegates. Cole, The Era of the Civil War (Centennial History of Illinois, 3), 190-191; Green B. Raum, History of Illinois Republicanism, 64.

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 405