Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Tuesday, May 1, 1860

[Quincy, Illinois.] Very pretty day, but somewhat cool     Was a little frost this morning At work in office Emma commenced French with Miss Fougeu to day

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 404

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Wednesday, May 2, 1860

Bright, warm day—At work in office

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 404

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Thursday, May 3, 1860

Warm & bright-Yellow, cinnamon & Scotch roses in bloom, also the locust trees—At work in office

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 404

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Friday, May 4, 1860

Still warm & dry—Water all gone from cisterns—At work in office

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 404

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Saturday, May 5, 1860

Very warm. At work in office. Stanleys & Allens with us to tea

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 404

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Sunday, May 6, 1860

Quincy     Very warm day. At Church A. M. & P. M. and at Episcopal at Sunday School exhibition in the afternoon.

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 404

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Monday, May 7, 1860

Very warm & cloudy—threatning rain—Dr & Mrs Warren with us to dinner. At work in office

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 404

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Tuesday, May 8, 1860

Warm and cloudy. At work in office in forenoon. At 5½ P M started to Decatur to attend Republican State Convention in company with quite a number of other delegates—Cars crowded—Very windy day, threatning rain, but giving none—turned quite cool towards night—Reached Decatur at 2 Oclock at night, and stopped at Macon House where Gilpin and I got a small, hard, bed together, and slept a little

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, pp. 404-5

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

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Thursday, May 10, 1860

Decatur     Cold morning, but pleasant day. Convention met at 9 A. Μ. Dubois nominated for Auditor, Butler for Treasurer—Hatch for Secy of State, and Bateman for Superintendent of Instruction.

At 2 P. M. I, as Chairman of the Committee of resolutions reported—all adopted without opposition, and convention adjourned. I was then loudly and persistently called upon for a speech, but had too much discretion to make one. I spoke about 10 minutes, and we then dispersed. I went to Ogilsbys to tea, where I have been staying—then went to the depot and remained till after midnight, waiting for the train going West

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 405-6

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Friday, May 11, 1860

Quincy     At 12 A. M. took the cars on my way home and arrived at 9 to 10 A. M.—Bright, warm day.

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 406

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Saturday, May 12, 1860

Continues warm & dry

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 406

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Sunday, May 13, 1860

Heard last night that Dr Robertson & sister Ann were at Hannibal on their way to Ky, and at 10 A. M. Mrs B. Emma and I went down on Steamer Louisiana to see them. Stopped at the Hotel at the depot, where they, and their children & servants, and Ann OBannon all were. They came on the St Jo Road and will take the packet to St Louis tomorrow—the Missouri being so low they could not go down that. The day has been very warm

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 406

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Monday, May 14, 1860

Quincy     Thundered & lightened last night, but did not rain—Quite cool this morning. Soon after breakfast took Steamer Hannibal for home where we arrived at 10 А. М. *At 512 PM took the cars for Chicago, to attend the National Republican Convention which is to assemble there on Wednesday. At Galesburg took a sleeping car, and had comfortable nights rest. *A great many going up-long train of cars & all crowded

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 406

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Tuesday, May 15, 1860

Arrived in Chicago before breakfast this morning and stopped at Briggs House. Head quarters of our delegation at the Tremont House. We have had a busy day arranging the programme of proceedings. By request I went in Chicago company with Judge Davis and Tom Marshall to meet and confer with the Maine delegation; and at their solicitation made them a speech. Also called upon the delegation of New Hampshire     At night we received a message from the Massachusetts delegation, and called upon them at their rooms. I addressed them also upon the aspect of political affairs in Illinois

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 406-7

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Wednesday, May 16, 1860

Chicago     At 12 Meridian the Convention assembled at the wigwam near Lake Street bridge, and were called to order by Gov Morgan¹ of New York, who is Chairman of the National Central Committee David Willmot² of Pa: was appointed temporary Chairman He is a dull, chuckel headed, Chicago booby looking man, and makes a very poor presiding officer. After appointing Committees with a view to permanent organization adjourned till 5 P. M. at which time we again assembled, when Mr Ashman³ was elected President of the Convention. I was designated by our delegation as Vice President for Illinois, but declined, and Judge Davis was appointed in my place. After appointing some additional Committees we adjourned till 10 O'clock tomorrow morning

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¹ Edwin D. Morgan, 1811-1883. Chairman of the Republican National Committee, 1856-1864; governor of New York, 1859-1862; major general of volunteers; United States senator, 1863-1869.

² David Wilmot, 1814-1868. Representative from Pennsylvania, 29th, 30th, 31st congresses; United States senator, 1861-1863; author of the Wilmot Proviso.

³ George Ashmun, 1804-1870, of Springfield, Massachusetts, member of Congress from 1845 to 1851.

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 407

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Thursday, May 17, 1860

Warm day—The convention was occupied all day on credentials, rules and resolutions. The platform was adopted late in the afternoon, when we adjourned to meet at 10 AM tomorrow when we will proceed to nominate candidates [Leaf missing.] *My first choice for the Presidency was Mr Bates of Missouri, but under instructions our whole delegation voted for Mr Lincoln Many reasons influenced me to support Mr Bates, the chief of which, next to his eminent fitness, were to strengthen our organization in the South, and remove apprehension in the South of any hostile purpose on the part of Republicans to the institutions of the South—to restore fraternal regard among the different sections of the Union—to bring to our support the old whigs in the free states, who have not yet fraternized with us, and to give some check to the ultra tendencies of the Republican party. Mr Bates received 48 votes on the first ballot, and would probably have been nominated if the struggle had been prolonged¹

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¹ Browning's entries in his diary give a disappointing account of the work of the convention which nominated Lincoln, and of Browning's own work therein. Though he privately favored Bates, his influence for Lincoln, exerted according to instructions, seems to have been a factor of importance. Gustave Koerner, one of the Illinois delegates, has left an interesting account of the way in which the Illinois men worked to obtain support for Lincoln from the delegations of other states. The Bates forces were working hard to win over the Indiana and Pennsylvania delegations which were holding a meeting at the court house. Koerner states that he and Browning were "despatched to counteract the movement." Koerner urged Lincoln as a candidate far more likely to win the support of German Republicans than Bates. Browning, he said, spoke from the Whig standpoint, showing that Lincoln ought to satisfy the Whigs of Indiana and Pennsylvania, while his opposition to nativism ought to win for him the foreign vote. Koerner adds: "He [Browning] wound up with a most beautiful and eloquent eulogy on Lincoln, which electrified the meeting." After this the delegates held a secret session and it was later learned that Indiana would go for Lincoln at the start, while the Pennsylvanians would support him as a second choice. Memoirs of Gustave Koerner, 2: 87-89.

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, pp. 407-8

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Saturday, May 19, 1860

At 9 A. M. left Chicago on my way home, and arrived at midnight, having been delayed several hours on the way. Gov Selden¹ of New York, who was one of the delegates to the Convention, came down the road as far as Batavia. He introduced himself to me, and thanked me, on behalf of the New York delegation, for my speech of yesterday.

I had a good deal of conversation with him upon political subjects. He thinks with great effort New York may be carried for Mr Lincoln, but does not regard it as certain. The delegation of that state was greatly devoted to Mr Seward, and are mortified and disappointed.

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¹ Henry R. Selden, 1805-1885. Lieutenant governor of New York from 1850 to 1858.

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 408

Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Sunday, May 20, 1860

Quincy     Very warm day. At Church in the morning, but not out again. Thunder, lightning and a little rain at night.

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 408

Diary of Senator Orville Hickman Browning, Saturday, February 1, 1862

Snowed last night, and slush and slop all day. Raining in the forenoon *After breakfast went to the War & State Departments Wrote letters and franked documents the rest of the day

SOURCE: The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 528