Presidential Electors, chosen on 11/8/1864, cast the electoral votes on 12/7/1864.
Joint Session of Congress
Congress assembled in joint session in the U.S. House chamber to count the electoral votes at 1 p.m. on 2/8/1865. The
[More...]
Presidential Electors, chosen on 11/8/1864, cast the electoral votes on 12/7/1864.
Joint Session of Congress
Congress assembled in joint session in the U.S. House chamber to count the electoral votes at 1 p.m. on 2/8/1865. The galleries were packed, and Mary Todd Lincoln was one of the spectators.
VP Hamlin presided. Tellers were U.S. Sen. Lyman Trumbull IL, and U.S. Reps. James F. Wilson IA and John L. Dawson PA. Hamlin gave a brief statement outlining what was about to happen, then began opening the certificates of vote beginning with his home state (Maine).
The audience was amused when the vote of New Jersey was read. It was the first state to cast Democratic electoral votes. Rep. Pendleton, who was present, did not notice the commotion when his name was first read.
The only other item of note was that the votes of TN and LA were read, but they were not counted due to objections.
After all states had been read, the tellers announced that the Lincoln-Johnson ticket received 212 votes to 21 for McClellan-Pendleton. Hamlin stood and declared Lincoln and Johnson to have been elected, and those present mostly stood and clapped. [New York Times 2/9/1865]
[Less...]
212 (90.99%)