Affirmation of Joseph E. Johnston's Appointment as Quartermaster-General of the Army of the United States, June 28, 1860

[Thursday, June 28, 1860. Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the U.S. (Thirty-sixth Congress, First Session, 1859-1860), pages 229-220. Technically, this was a Special Second Session, June 26-June 28, 1860. The entire document can be found via the Library of Congress here.]

THURSDAY, June 28, 1860.

   The following message was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Buchanan, his secretary:

To the Senate of the United States:

I nominate Second Lieutenant William B. Hazen, of the 8th Regiment of Infantry, for brevet promotion, as proposed by the Secretary of War.

                                                                               JAMES BUCHANAN.

Washington, June 27, 1860.

                                                                War Department, June 27, 1860.

   Sir: I have the honor to propose for your approbation the name of Second Lieutenant William B. Hazen, of the Eighth Regiment of Infantry, to be first lieutenant by brevet, to date from May 16, 1859, for gallant conduct as commander in two several engagements with the Indians in Texas.

   I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,

                                                                 JOHN B. FLOYD,

                                                                     Secretary of War.

To the President of the United States.

The message was read.

   On motion by Mr. Davis,

The Senate, by unanimous consent, proceeded to consider the nomination of William B. Hazen and

   Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to the appointment of William B. Hazen, agreeably to the nomination.

   The Senate proceeded to consider the nomination of Joseph E. Johnston; and On the question, Will the Senate advise and consent to the appointment of Joseph E. Johnston?

   It was determined in the affirmative,        Yeas . . . . 31

                                                                        Nays . . . .  3

     On motion by Mr. Bigler,

   The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the Senators present,

   Those who voted in the affirmative are,

Messrs. Anthony, Bayard, Bigler, Bright, Brown, Chesnut, Crittenden, Davis, Durkee, Fitzpatrick, Foot, Gwin, Hammond, Hemphill, Iverson, Johnson of Ark., Johnson of Tenn., Kennedy, Lane, Mallory, Mason, Nicholson, Polk, Powell, Pugh, Rice, Sebastian, Simmons, Wigfall, Wilkinson, Yulee.

   Those who voted in the negative are,

Messrs. Hale, King, Trumbull.

   So it was
Resolved, That the Senate advise and consent to the appointment of Joseph E. Johnston, agreeably to the nomination.

[William B. Hazen was a tough fighter who later became a major general in the US Army. 
Yays. Many of these US senators, including Jefferson Davis, joined the Confederacy within a year. 

Did not vote/not present. On the same day as the final confirmation vote for Johnston, John C. Breckinridge, President of the Senate, was nominated for President for the Constitutional Union Party in Richmond.

Nays. John P. Hale (R-NH). His daughter Lucy was later engaged to John Wilkes Booth.

Preston King (R-NY). Committed suicide in 1865.

Lyman Trumball (R-IL). Co-author of the Thirteenth Amendment, abolishing slavery.]

[Many thanks to Sue Davis, William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their ongoing research collaboration.]