Charles H. Larrabee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Billinghurst |
| Succeeded by | A. Scott Sloan |
| Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office August 28, 1848 – June 1, 1853 | |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Judgefor the 3rd Circuit | |
| In office August 28, 1848 – September 1858 | |
| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Succeeded by | A. Scott Sloan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles Hathaway Larrabee (1820-11-09)November 9, 1820 Rome, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 20, 1883(1883-01-20) (aged 62) Tehachapi, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | 1883 Tehachapi train wreck |
| Resting place | Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco (originally) Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Colma, California (re-interred 1931) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Volunteers Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank | Colonel, USV |
| Unit | 5th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
| Commands | 24th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Charles Hathaway Larrabee (November 9, 1820 – January 20, 1883) was an American lawyer andDemocratic politician fromDodge County, Wisconsin. He served one term in theU.S. House of Representatives, representingWisconsin's 3rd congressional district during the36th Congress (1859–1860), and was anex officio member of Wisconsin's firststate Supreme Court (1848–1953) due to his role as one of Wisconsin's first electedcircuit court judges. He also served as aUnion Army officer during theAmerican Civil War.
Larrabee was born inRome, New York on November 9, 1820, the son of Charles Larrabee of Connecticut. His family moved toCincinnati, Ohio, where young Charles attended Springfield Academy and thenGranville College from 1834 to 1836. At Granville he specialized in English studies, mathematics and ancient languages.[1]: 4 [2] Later, heread law withSamson Mason and W.A. Rogers inSpringfield, Ohio.[1]: 4
He studied law with CongressmanSamson Mason inOhio, but before becoming a lawyer, Larrabee worked as anengineer and helped survey theLittle Miami Railroad.[2] He was admitted tothe bar in September 1841, inPontotoc, Mississippi, and in the same year ran unsuccessfully for theMississippi Legislature. He moved toChicago in 1844, where he edited theDemocratic Advocate and was electedcity attorney.[1]: 4 On May 13, 1846, in Chicago, he married his first wife, Minerva Norton.[2][3]
In 1840, Larrabee married Minerva Norton. They were the parents of a son, Charles, and a daughter, Minerva ("Minnie").[4] Minnie Larrabee was the wife ofGeorge H. Burton.[4]
In March 1847, Larrabee and his wife moved to a settlement inDodge County in theWisconsin Territory. Larrabee opened the first business in the settlement, where he sold goods from Chicago, shipped viaLake Michigan toMilwaukee and carried over land to Dodge County. Larrabee became one of the leading residents of the small town, and gave it the nameHoricon.[1]: 4 Larrabee is recognized as one of the founders of the city.
In October 1847, Larrabee was chosen as one of three representatives for Dodge County to the 2nd Wisconsin Constitutional Convention. His chief preoccupation there was establishing ahomestead exemption that would protect people from becoming homeless or destitute in the event of debt or liability.[1]: 4–6
After the new constitution was adopted in 1848, Larrabee was elected Circuit Judge for the 3rd district, and was, by virtue of that role, a member of the state's first Supreme Court. He was the youngest person to serve on that court.[2]
A newWisconsin Supreme Court was created in 1852. Larrabee was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Chief Justice, but he was defeated by "the older and more experienced"Edward V. Whiton inthe general election.
Larrabee served for ten years as Circuit Judge until his nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858. He went on to win that election to representWisconsin's 3rd congressional district in the 36th Congress. At the time, his district was the largest—by population—in the country, with 350,000 people.[1]: 6 [2]
In Congress, Larrabee spoke fervently in favor of maintaining the Union, and defended the patriotism and loyalty ofGerman American immigrants living in Wisconsin.
Larrabee ran for re-election, and supported the platform ofSenatorStephen A. Douglas, the Democratic candidate forU.S. President in the1860 election. Douglas was defeated byAbraham Lincoln, and Larrabee lost his seat along with dozens of other Democrats in the realignmentelections of 1860.
After the news of the attack on Fort Sumter reached Wisconsin, Larrabee wrote to theMilwaukee News, a Democratic paper, to rally his party in defense of the Union. He also wrote to Wisconsin GovernorAlexander Randall andGeneralRufus King to offer his services.
On April 18, 1861, Larrabee enlisted as aprivate in the Horicon Guardmilitia, where he was elected2nd lieutenant. The militia quickly marched to Milwaukee for enrollment in a Volunteer Regiment. A month later, on May 28, 1861, Governor Randall commissioned Larrabee as amajor for the5th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
Larrabee marched with the 5th Regiment to Washington, D.C., where they eventually attached to theArmy of the Potomac.
In 1862, the Regiment joined thePeninsula Campaign. Larrabee participated in theSiege of Yorktown, assisting in the attack on a fortress along theWarwick River. Days later, the regiment was involved in heavy fighting at Fort Magruder during theBattle of Williamsburg. Larrabee was commended for his work inspiring and directing the regiment during the battle.
After the battle, they marched through theChickahominy marsh land, and Larrabee fell ill along with others in the regiment. He recuperated atWhite House, Virginia, but would continue to exhibit symptoms.
When new Wisconsin regiments were raised that summer, GovernorEdward Salomon appointed Larrabee to organize and command the new24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. When the 24th regiment mustered into service in August, Larrabee was promoted tocolonel. The regiment was quickly ordered to Kentucky, before much drilling or preparation.
The regiment was attached to theArmy of the Cumberland, and arrived in time to join theBattle of Perryville, which ended theConfederate incursion in Kentucky. During the battle, the 24th was assigned to defend a cannon battery, which came under assault from a Confederate brigade, led byDaniel Weisiger Adams. The attack was repulsed, and Larrabee was commended by his brigade commander, ColonelNicholas Greusel, for his leadership in the defense of the battery.
After the battle, Larrabee again fell ill and recuperated inNashville, Tennessee, while the regiment fought at theBattle of Stones River. In March, 1863, Larrabee returned to the regiment for a short time, but ultimately resigned in August due to his ongoing illness.
In the spring of 1864, still plagued by his illnesses—diarrhea anderysipelas in the head—he sought relief in the climates of California, then Nevada, then Oregon, where he practiced law with his old congressional colleague,Lansing Stout. He later returned to California, where his wife died in August, 1873.
After his wife's death, he moved toSeattle in theWashington Territory and resided withBeriah Brown. While there he became a member of a state constitutional convention and helped to organize a state university in Seattle.[1]: 23
In 1868 he was in Los Angeles, California, where he andWilliam A. Winder, the former commander of theU.S. prison on Alcatraz Island, opened an agency "for the purchase and sale of lands in the southern part of the state."[5][6] In April 1868 he was electedcity attorney. None of the officials elected at that time served, however, and the election "seems to have been wholly ignored."[7]
Larrabee eventually settled inSan Bernardino, California, where he resumed his law practice.[1]: 23
Larrabee was killed in atrain accident at theTehachapi Loop nearTehachapi, California, on January 20, 1883.[8][9] He was survived by a son and daughter.[1]: 23 Interment was in the Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco.[10]
An attempt was made in the settlement of his estate to show that the claim by his second wife was not legitimate, but she produced a marriage certificate and letters to show that it was, and the marriage was therefore allowed in San Bernardino Superior Court.[11] In June 1884, John Anderson,executor of Larrabee'sestate, filed a court action in San Bernardino against theCentral Pacific Railroad, asking $100,000 indamages.[12]
The town ofLarrabee, Wisconsin, is named in his honor.[13]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, September 1852 | |||||
| Independent | Edward V. Whiton | 11,792 | 54.60% | ||
| Democratic | Charles H. Larrabee | 9,806 | 45.40% | ||
| Plurality | 1,986 | 9.20% | |||
| Total votes | 21,598 | 100.0% | |||
| Independentwin (new seat) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 2, 1858 | |||||
| Democratic | Charles H. Larrabee | 23,905 | 50.95% | +2.99% | |
| Republican | Charles Billinghurst (incumbent) | 23,011 | 49.05% | ||
| Plurality | 894 | 1.91% | -2.18% | ||
| Total votes | 46,916 | 100.0% | -6.42% | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 6, 1860 | |||||
| Republican | A. Scott Sloan | 34,002 | 53.98% | +4.93% | |
| Democratic | Charles H. Larrabee (incumbent) | 28,986 | 46.02% | ||
| Plurality | 5,016 | 7.96% | +6.06% | ||
| Total votes | 62,988 | 100.0% | +34.26% | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | |||||
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Regiment established | Command of the24th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment August 22, 1862 – August 27, 1863 | Succeeded by Lt. Col. Theodore S. West |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| New state government | Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the3rd Circuit August 28, 1848 – September 1858 | Succeeded by |
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