Gabriel Bouck (December 16, 1828 – February 21, 1904) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He represented Wisconsin in the United States House of Representatives for two terms. He also served as Wisconsin's 6th Attorney General and was the 24th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly. During the American Civil War he served as a Union Army officer.

Gabriel Bouck
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 6th district
In office
March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881
Preceded byAlanson M. Kimball
Succeeded byRichard W. Guenther
6th Attorney General of Wisconsin
In office
January 1, 1858 – January 1, 1860
GovernorAlexander Randall
Preceded byWilliam Rudolph Smith
Succeeded byJames Henry Howe
24th Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly
In office
January 14, 1874 – January 13, 1875
Preceded byHenry D. Barron
Succeeded byFrederick W. Horn
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Winnebago 1st district
In office
January 1, 1874 – January 1, 1875
Preceded byThomas Wall
Succeeded byAsa Rogers
In office
January 1, 1860 – January 1, 1861
Preceded byRichard P. Eighme
Succeeded byPhiletus Sawyer
Personal details
Born(1828-12-16)December 16, 1828
Fultonham, New York, U.S.
DiedFebruary 21, 1904(1904-02-21) (aged 75)
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeRiverside Cemetery
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Parents
RelativesJoseph Bouck (uncle)
Alma materUnion College
Professionlawyer, politician
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Volunteers
Union Army
Years of service1861–1864
RankColonel, USV
Commands18th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Early life and family

edit

He was born in Fultonham, Schoharie County, New York, the fourth of eight children of William C. Bouck and Catherine Lawyer. Bouck lived at Bouck's Island. His siblings were James Madison; Joseph William, born on October 27, 1809; Christian, born on May 14, 1818; Charles, born on September 9, 1829; Catherine, born on July 11, 1820, married Erskine Danforth; Caroline, married Dr. Volney Danforth; and Anna, born on December 29, 1814, married Lyman Sanford.

His father, William C. Bouck, was elected Governor of New York in 1842 and his uncle, Joseph Bouck, was elected to the House of Representatives from the state of New York serving in the 22nd United States Congress from 1831 to 1833.

Gabriel Bouck prepared for college at Schoharie Academy and The Albany Academy. In 1847, he graduated from Union College with Phi Beta Kappa honors and membership in the Kappa Alpha Society. He studied law in the Binghamton, New York, offices of Daniel S. Dickinson. Bouck moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1848, where he attained admission to the bar. In 1849, he moved to Oshkosh, in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, to practice law. The 1860 Census listed him as a resident of Oshkosh's third ward.

Military service

edit
 
Monument to the 18th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry commanded by Col. Gabriel Bouck

Gabriel served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In the first month of the war, he helped to raise Company E of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment with volunteers from Oshkosh, and was chosen to serve as captain of that company. This unit was a part of the famous Iron Brigade attached to the Army of the Potomac.

After a year with the 2nd Wisconsin, he accepted a promotion to colonel of the 18th Wisconsin Infantry on April 29, 1862, succeeding Colonel James S. Alban—who had been killed at the Battle of Shiloh. It was with some reluctance that Bouck accepted this assignment when it was offered by Governor Alexander Randall; he was strongly encouraged to do so by fellow Wisconsin officer Edward S. Bragg. Bouck led the 18th Wisconsin through two years of campaigning in the western theater of the war, serving in the Army of the Tennessee under Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman. He resigned from service on January 4, 1864, and returned to Oshkosh.

Following the war, he stayed active in military endeavors, founding two Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) posts. He also formed the 2nd Company of the Wisconsin National Guard on March 25, 1876, serving as its captain.

Political career

edit

Bouck was an active and loyal member of the Democratic Party, and was elected on the Democratic ticket as Attorney General of Wisconsin serving from 1858 to 1860. He also served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, in 1860 and 1874, serving the last year as speaker. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1868 and 1872.

Bouck was defeated in his first run for the United States Congress, in 1874, but in 1876 was elected to the United States House of Representatives, receiving 20,623 votes to his Republican opponent, Alanson M. Kimball's 17,847. He served in the 45th United States Congress, representing Wisconsin's 6th congressional district and was reelected to the 46th Congress as well. His greatest political ambition was to be elected Governor of Wisconsin, the same office held by his father in the state of New York. He was defeated for reelection to the 47th Congress in 1880 by Republican Richard Guenther.

Death

edit

He resumed his law practice in Oshkosh and for many years was head of Bouck & Hilton Attorneys at Law. After four months of being confined to his room at the Athearn Hotel in Oshkosh, he died there on Sunday morning at 2:45 a.m., February 21, 1904. According to his obituary, death was the result of general debility due to old age. He was 76 years old. His funeral was held at the Masonic Temple of Oshkosh Lodge No. 27. and he is buried in Oshkosh.

Electoral history

edit

Wisconsin Attorney General (1857)

edit
Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1857[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 3, 1857
Democratic Gabriel Bouck 44,764 50.23% −1.00%
Republican Mortimer M. Jackson 44,362 49.77%
Plurality 402 0.45% -1.99%
Total votes 89,126 100.0% +22.35%
Democratic hold

U.S. House of Representatives (1874, 1876, 1878, 1880)

edit
Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District Election, 1874[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 3, 1874
Republican Alanson M. Kimball (incumbent) 14,783 50.24%
Democratic Gabriel Bouck 14,641 49.76%
Total votes 29,424 100.0%
Republican hold
Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District Election, 1876[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 1876
Democratic Gabriel Bouck 20,623 53.61% +3.85%
Republican Alanson M. Kimball (incumbent) 17,847 46.39%
Total votes 38,470 100.0% +30.74%
Democratic gain from Republican
Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District Election, 1878[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 5, 1878
Democratic Gabriel Bouck (incumbent) 14,349 45.93% −7.68%
Republican James V. Jones 11,748 37.60% −8.79%
Greenback G. M. Steele 5,144 16.47%
Total votes 31,241 100.0% -18.79%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District Election, 1880[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 1880
Republican Richard W. Guenther 20,168 52.50% +14.90%
Democratic Gabriel Bouck (incumbent) 16,807 43.75% −2.18%
Greenback L. A. Stewart 1,437 3.74% −12.72%
Total votes 38,412 100.0% +22.95%
Republican gain from Democratic

Sources

edit
  • United States Congress. "Gabriel Bouck (id: B000658)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  • Gabriel Bouck Photo & Bio – Oshkosh Public Museum
  • Gabriel Bouck Obituary – New York Times
  • Gabriel Bouck Obituary – The Stevens Point Journal, Stevens Point, WI
  • Excerpt from "History of the Fox River Valley Lake Winnebago and the Green Bay Region"; Hon. William A. Titus, Editor
  • Oshkosh Daily Northwestern via the Wisconsin Historical Society
  • Benjamin Perley Poore (1878). The Political Register and Congressional Directory. Houghton, Osgood and Company. p. 483. gabriel bouck.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Official Footings". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. December 5, 1857. p. 2. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Bashford, R. M., ed. (1878). "Election statistics". The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 399. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Election statistics". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 316. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
edit
Military offices
Preceded by Command of the 18th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
April 29, 1862 – January 4, 1864
Succeeded by
Charles H. Jackson
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin
1857
Succeeded by
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by
Richard P. Eighme
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Winnebago 1st district
January 1, 1860 – January 1, 1861
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Winnebago 1st district
January 1, 1874 – January 1, 1875
Succeeded by
Preceded by Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
January 14, 1874 – January 13, 1875
Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district

March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Wisconsin
January 1, 1858 – January 1, 1860
Succeeded by