Gabriel Bouck

Gabriel Bouck (December 16, 1828 – February 21, 1904) was an American lawyer, politician, and Union Army officer. He represented Wisconsin as a member of 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.

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
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
DiedFebruary 21, 1904(1904-02-21) (aged 75)
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Resting placeRiverside Cemetery
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Political partyDemocratic
MotherCatherine Lawyer
FatherWilliam C. Bouck
RelativesJoseph Bouck (uncle)
Alma materUnion College
Professionlawyer, politician
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Union Army
Years of service18611864
Rank Colonel, USV
Commands18th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Early life and family

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

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 Volunteer 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. Albanwho was 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

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

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

Wisconsin Attorney General (1857)

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)

U.S. House of Representatives, Wisconsin 6th 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
U.S. House of Representatives, Wisconsin 6th 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
U.S. House of Representatives, Wisconsin 6th 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
U.S. House of Representatives, Wisconsin 6th 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

  • 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

  1. "Official Footings". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. December 5, 1857. p. 2. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  2. 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. 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.


Military offices
Preceded by
James S. Alban
Command of the 18th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
April 29, 1862  January 4, 1864
Succeeded by
Charles H. Jackson
Party political offices
Preceded by
William Rudolph Smith
Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin
1857
Succeeded by
Samuel Crawford
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
Philetus Sawyer
Preceded by
Thomas Wall
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Winnebago 1st district
January 1, 1874  January 1, 1875
Succeeded by
Asa Rogers
Preceded by
Henry D. Barron
Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
January 14, 1874  January 13, 1875
Succeeded by
Frederick W. Horn
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Alanson M. Kimball
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district

March 4, 1877  March 3, 1881
Succeeded by
Richard W. Guenther
Legal offices
Preceded by
William Rudolph Smith
Attorney General of Wisconsin
January 1, 1858  January 1, 1860
Succeeded by
James Henry Howe
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