1863 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

1863 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

March 10, 1863

Nominee Joseph A. Gilmore Ira Allen Eastman Walter Harriman Party Republican Democratic Independent Democrat Electoral vote 192 133 1 Popular vote 29,035 32,833 4,372 Percentage 43.63% 49.34% 6.57%

Governor before election Nathaniel S. Berry Republican Elected Governor Joseph A. Gilmore Republican

The 1863 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on March 10, 1863.^[1]

Incumbent Republican Governor Nathaniel S. Berry did not stand for re-election.

Republican nominee Joseph A. Gilmore defeated Democratic nominee Ira Allen Eastman and Union Democrat Walter Harriman.

Since no candidate received a majority in the popular vote, Gilmore was elected by the New Hampshire General Court per the state constitution.

General election

Candidates

• Ira Allen Eastman, Democratic, former U.S. Representative, former judge of the New Hampshire Supreme Court
• Joseph A. Gilmore, Republican, former President of the New Hampshire Senate
• Walter Harriman, Union (or War) Democrat,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} colonel of the 11th New Hampshire Regiment, former State Senator

Results

1863 New Hampshire gubernatorial election^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]^[a]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Ira Allen Eastman	32,833	49.34%
	Republican	Joseph A. Gilmore	29,035	43.63%
	Independent Democrat	Walter Harriman	4,372	6.57%
	Scattering		303	0.46%
Majority			3,798	5.71%
Turnout			66,543

Legislative election

As no candidate received a majority of the vote, the New Hampshire General Court was required to decide the election, both Houses in convention choosing among the top two vote-getters, Eastman and Gilmore.^[b] The legislative election was held on June 4, 1863.^[16]

Legislative election^[12]^[13]^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joseph A. Gilmore	192	58.89%
	Democratic	Ira Allen Eastman	133	40.80%
	Independent Democrat	Walter Harriman	1	0.31%
Turnout			326
	Republican hold

Notes

1. Most sources give scattering votes as 363. The result given is taken from the New Hampshire Senate Journal.
2. Nevertheless, one vote was cast for Harriman, who finished third.

References

1. "New Hampshire Election". The weekly pioneer and Democrat. Saint Paul, Minn. February 27, 1863. p. 5. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
2. "The State Canvass in New Hampshire". The daily Green Mountain freeman. Montpelier, Vt. February 18, 1863. p. 2. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
3. "New Hampshire politics". The Caledonian. St. Johnsbury, Vt. February 20, 1863. p. 2. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
4. "The Coming Elections". Rutland weekly herald. Rutland, Vt. February 26, 1863. p. 2. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
5. "New Hampshire Election". Daily Ohio statesman. Columbus, Ohio. March 11, 1863. p. 3. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
6. Pride, Mike (November 9, 2014). "'Our country is on the very brink of ruin'". Our War. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
7. "NH Governor, 1863". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
8. Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Westport, CT: Meckler Books. pp. 202–203. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
9. Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. p. 67. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
10. Kallenbach, Joseph E.; Kallenbach, Jessamine S., eds. (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Vol. I. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc. p. 386. ISBN 0-379-00665-0.
11. Dubin, Michael J. (2010). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1861-1911. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-7864-4722-0.
12. "Journal of the House of Representatives, of the State of New-Hampshire. June Session, 1863". Journals of the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire at Their Session, Holden at the Capitol in Concord Commencing. Concord: Amos Hadley, State Printer: 20–21. 1863.
13. Lyon, G. Parker. The New-Hampshire Annual Register, and United States Calendar, for the year 1864. Concord: G. Parker Lyon. p. 124.
14. Carter, Hosea B., ed. (1891). "Gubernatorial Vote of New Hampshire – 1784 to 1890". The New Hampshire Manual for the General Court 1680–1891. Concord: Office of the Secretary of State. p. 156.
15. "New Hampshire Election". Rutland weekly herald. Rutland, Vt. March 10, 1864. p. 4. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
16. "New Hampshire". The Caledonian. St. Johnsbury, Vt. June 12, 1863. p. 2. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
17. "New Hampshire". Bellows Falls times. Bellows Falls, Vt. June 12, 1863. p. 2. Retrieved December 27, 2021.