Horatio Bisbee Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Horatio Bisbee, Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd district
In office June 1, 1882 – March 3, 1885
Preceded by	Jesse J. Finley
Succeeded by	Charles Dougherty
In office January 22, 1881 – March 3, 1881
Preceded by	Noble A. Hull
Succeeded by	Jesse J. Finley
In office March 4, 1877 – February 20, 1879
Preceded by	Jesse J. Finley
Succeeded by	Jesse J. Finley
11th Florida Attorney General
In office 1872–1872
Governor	Harrison Reed
Preceded by	J. B. C. Drew
Succeeded by	J. P. C. Emmons
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
In office 1869–1873
Appointed by	Ulysses S. Grant
Personal details
Born	(1839-05-05)May 5, 1839 Canton, Maine
Died	March 27, 1916(1916-03-27) (aged 76) Dixfield, Maine
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Charlotte Randolph
Children	1
Education	Tufts College
Occupation	Attorney
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1861–1863
Rank	Colonel
Unit	5th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
Commands	9th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Horatio Bisbee Jr. (born May 1, 1839 – died March 27, 1916) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for Florida, which means he helped make laws for the country.

Early Life and Education

Horatio Bisbee Jr. was born in Canton, Maine, on May 1, 1839. He started college at Tufts College in Massachusetts. However, he stopped his studies in 1861 when the American Civil War began.

Serving in the Civil War

Bisbee joined the Union Army in the 5th Massachusetts Militia. He started as a private. In July 1861, he became a captain in the 9th Maine Infantry. He bravely rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant colonel and then a colonel.

Bisbee left the army in March 1863. He then went back to Tufts College and finished his degree that same year.

Political Career

After college, Bisbee moved to Chicago, Illinois, in late 1863. He became a lawyer in Illinois in 1864. After the Civil War ended in 1865, Bisbee moved to Jacksonville, Florida. There, he started his own law practice.

In 1869, President Ulysses S. Grant chose Bisbee to be the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. This job meant he was the main lawyer for the U.S. government in that area. Bisbee was a member of the Republican Party. In this role, he met important people in Florida. These included Governor Harrison Reed and lawyer Joseph E. Lee. Lee was one of the most well-known Black Republicans in Florida at that time.

In 1872, Governor Reed temporarily appointed Bisbee as the eleventh Florida Attorney General. This job meant he was the chief legal officer for the state. He stepped down later that year when another lawyer, J. P. C. Emmons, was chosen for the permanent position. Bisbee was still serving as a U.S. Attorney during this time. He resigned from his U.S. Attorney role in 1873.

Becoming a U.S. Representative

In 1876, Bisbee was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented Florida's new 2nd congressional district. Bisbee won against Democratic candidate Jesse J. Finley by only three votes! Finley challenged the election results. He was given the seat on February 20, 1879, just before the term ended.

Since Finley was not seated until after the 1878 election, Bisbee was still technically the person holding the office. In that 1878 election, Bisbee lost to Democratic Lieutenant Governor Noble A. Hull by only 22 votes. Bisbee then challenged these results. He won his challenge and took the seat on January 22, 1881. Again, this was only about a month and a half before the term ended.

In the 1880 election, Hull did not run again. Bisbee and Finley ran against each other once more. Finley won this time, but Bisbee again challenged the results. On June 1, 1882, Bisbee was declared the winner. This meant he was the person holding the office going into the 1882 election.

In the 1882 election, Bisbee won a clear victory over Finley. There were no challenges this time. Bisbee ran for reelection in 1884 but lost to Charles Dougherty. Dougherty had previously been the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.

After this loss, Bisbee decided to leave politics. He went back to working as a private lawyer.

Personal Life

After he retired from politics, Horatio Bisbee married Charlotte Randolph. They had a daughter named Florence in 1885.

Later in life, Bisbee and his wife moved back to Maine. Their daughter Florence stayed in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband and his family.

Death and Burial

Horatio Bisbee Jr. died in Dixfield, Maine, on March 27, 1916. He is buried in Dixfield's Greenwood Cemetery. His wife, Charlotte, who died twelve years later, is buried with him.