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

Benjamin Franklin Cheatham

Benjamin Franklin Cheatham

Benjamin Franklin Cheatham was born at Nashville in 1820. At twenty-six years of age he entered the army for service in the Mexican War. As captain and colonel he won fame in this war and at its close was appointed major general of Tennessee volunteers. In 1849 he went with the great throng of fortune hunters to the gold fields of California, but soon returned to Tennessee. At the beginning of the Civil War he was made a brigadier general in the Confederate Army and served with distinguished honor throughout the war, rising to the rank of major general. He was a stern, hard fighter, but a kind man, much beloved by his soldiers, who affectionately called him "Old Frank." Of course they never used this title in speaking to their general, but around their camp fires they rarely gave him any other. It is a custom among soldiers to nickname the commanders they love.

After the Civil War General Cheatham returned to Nashville. When General Grant became President he offered General Cheatham an appointment in the civil service of the United States, but Cheatham did not accept it. The two men were warm personal friends, though they had taken opposite sides in the war. In 1872 General Cheatham, Andrew Johnson, and Horace Maynard were candidates for congressman at large. That is, Tennessee was entitled to one more representative in Congress than there were districts in the state, so one representative had to be elected by the votes of all the people of the state. Maynard was elected. In 1875 Cheatham was made Superintendent of State Prisons, and held the position for four years. In 1885 he was appointed postmaster at Nashville, but died in September, 1886.

SOURCE: Gentry Richard McGee, A History of Tennessee from 1663 to 1914, p. 211-2