1861 Confederate States House of Representatives election in Florida

The 1861 Confederate States House of Representatives election in Florida was held on Wednesday, November 6, 1861 to elect the two Confederate States Representatives from the state of Florida, one from each of the state's congressional districts, to represent Florida in the 1st Confederate States Congress. The election coincided with the elections of other offices, including the presidential election and various state and local elections.

Confederate States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 1861

November 6, 1861
Both of Florida's seats to the Confederate States House of Representatives
Party Independent Seats won 2[lower-alpha 1] Seat change 2 Popular vote 8,365 Percentage 100.00%

The winning candidate would serve a two-year term in the Confederate States House of Representatives from February 18, 1862, to February 17, 1864.[1][2]

Background

Florida seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861 and joined the Confederate States of America. The state appointed five delegates to the Provisional Confederate Congress, to serve in interim until the Congress first convened on February 18, 1862.[3]

District 1

Candidates

• Antonio A. Canova, state representative[4]
• James M. Commander, former U.S. Army general[5]
• James Baird Dawkins, former U.S. attorney for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Florida[6]
• Philip Dell, former president of the Florida Senate[4]

Results

Florida's 1st congressional district election, 1861[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	James Baird Dawkins	1,462	36.07%	N/A
	Independent	Philip Dell	1,050	25.91%	N/A
	Independent	Antonio A. Canova	980	24.18%	N/A
	Independent	James M. Commander	561	13.84%	N/A
Majority			412	10.17%	N/A
Turnout			4,053	100.00%

Aftermath

Dawkins resigned from Congress on December 9, 1862 following his appointment to a state court by Governor John Milton. The special election to replace him was won by John Marshall Martin.

District 2

Candidates

• Frederick R. Cotton, planter[8]
• Robert Benjamin Hilton, former U.S. representative-elect[3]
• James L. Mosely, former North Carolina state representative[9]
• John Tanner, former Orange County commissioner[10]
• Frederick L. Villepigue, secretary of state of Florida[4]

Results

Florida's 2nd congressional district election, 1861[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Robert Benjamin Hilton	1,668	38.68%	N/A
	Independent	James L. Mosely	937	21.73%	N/A
	Independent	Frederick R. Cotton	774	17.95%	N/A
	Independent	John Tanner	497	11.53%	N/A
	Independent	Frederick L. Villepigue	436	10.11%	N/A
Majority			731	16.95%	N/A
Turnout			4,312	100.00%

See also

• Confederate States House of Representatives elections, 1861

References

1. "Our Campaigns - FL CSA District 01 Race - Nov 06, 1861". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
2. "Our Campaigns - FL CSA District 02 Race - Nov 06, 1861". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
3. Confederate States of America. Congress; United States Department of War (1904). Journal of the Congress of the Confederate States of America, 1861-1865. New York Public Library. Washington, Government Printing Office. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
4. Proctor, Samuel (1963). "Jacksonville during the Civil War". Florida Historical Quarterly (4 ed.). 41: 343. Retrieved November 9, 2020 – via JSTOR.
5. "The Democratic National Convention" (PDF). New York Herald (Morning ed.). June 5, 1852. Retrieved November 9, 2020 – via Library of Congress.
6. Warner, Ezra J.; Yearns, Wilfred Buck (1975). Biographical Register of the Confederate Congress. LSU Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-0092-9.
7. "FL CSA 1 - 1861". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
8. "Florida Plantations Past". www.dejaelaine.com. 2004. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
9. "James L. Mosely". The Weekly Standard. 1861-10-16. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
10. Staff, Jim Robison of The Sentinel. "PIONEER TANNER CLAN LIVED A ROUGH-AND-READY LIFE". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
11. "FL CSA 2 - 1861". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 8, 2020.

Notes

1. While the Confederate States of America did not have formal political parties, most members of the Confederate Congress were previously affiliated with the Democratic Party before secession.