Alexander Randall (Wisconsin politician)

Alexander Randall
Alexander Randall
22nd United States Postmaster General
	In office; July 25, 1866 – March 4, 1869
President	Andrew Johnson
Preceded by	William Dennison, Jr.
Succeeded by	John Creswell
3rd United States Minister to the Papal States
	In office; June 6, 1862 – August 4, 1862
President	Abraham Lincoln
Preceded by	John P. Stockton
Succeeded by	Richard Blatchford
6th Governor of Wisconsin
	In office; January 4, 1858 – January 6, 1862
Lieutenant	Erasmus D. Campbell; Butler Noble
Preceded by	Coles Bashford
Succeeded by	Louis P. Harvey
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge ; for the 2nd Circuit
	In office; April 1856 – December 31, 1857
Appointed by	Coles Bashford
Preceded by	Levi N. Hubbell
Succeeded by	Arthur MacArthur, Sr.
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly; from the Waukesha 4th district
	In office; January 10, 1855 – January 9, 1856
Preceded by	Jesse Smith
Succeeded by	Charles S. Hawley
Personal details
Born	Alexander Williams Randall; October 31, 1819; Ames, New York, U.S.
Died	July 26, 1872 (aged 52); Elmira, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery; Elmira, New York
Political party	Republican (after 1855); Whig (Before 1838, 1849–1855); Free Soil (1848–1849); Democratic (1838–1848)
Spouse(s)	Mary C. Van Vechten; (died 1858); Helen M. Thomas; (died 1918)
Children	Sarah Adaline Randall; (b. 1843; died 1852)
Parents	Phineas Randall (father); Sarah Beach (mother);
Profession	lawyer, politician

Alexander Williams Randall (October 31, 1819 – July 26, 1872) was an American lawyer, judge, and Republican politician from Waukesha, Wisconsin. He served as the 22nd United States Postmaster General, during the administration of President Andrew Johnson (1865–1869). He previously served as the sixth governor of Wisconsin (1858–1862) and, as governor, was instrumental in raising and organizing the first Wisconsin volunteer troops for the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is the namesake of Camp Randall and Camp Randall Stadium.

Life and career

Randall was born in Ames, New York, on October 31, 1819.^[1] His father, Phineas, was judge of the court of common pleas there from 1837 to 1841. Randall attended Cherry Valley Academy in New York then studied law with his father.^[2] He was admitted to the bar in New York at age 19.^[1] Shortly after that, he moved to Wisconsin Territory. He opened a law practice in Waukesha in 1840, where he became postmaster in 1845.^[1]^[2]

Randall was a delegate to the state's first constitutional convention in 1846. There he successfully advocated for a resolution that would put the question of "Negro suffrage" to a statewide referendum.^[3] He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 1855 session and was the Republican Party's first candidate for Attorney General of Wisconsin, running unsuccessfully in the 1855 election.^[1]^[4] From 1855 to 1857, he was a circuit judge in Milwaukee.^[1]

Randall was elected governor in 1857 as a Republican, and won re-election in 1859.^[1] He was a dark horse candidate in 1857. The two principal candidates in the convention that year were Edward D. Holton of Milwaukee and Walter McIndoe of Wausau. Holton's abolitionist passions and his connections with the Milwaukee elite gave him strong support, but McIndoe's more rough-hewn personality resonated better with the frontier character of the state at the time. As such, they split the vote, neither able to garner a majority for the nomination. When it became apparent that the convention was at an impasse, and the delegates were released from their obligation, the votes eventually were cast in favor of Randall, the obvious compromise candidate.^[5]

Prior to the beginning of the Civil War, he was an ardent abolitionist and proposed that Wisconsin secede from the Union if Abraham Lincoln did not win the presidency.^[6]

As governor, Randall conducted an investigation of fraud in the distribution of federal railroad land grants in Wisconsin perpetrated by his predecessor, Republican Governor Coles Bashford.^[2]^[7]

Civil War

Once war began Randall raised 18 regiments, 10 artillery batteries, and three cavalry units before leaving office, exceeding Wisconsin's quota by 3,232 men. The Union Army created a military camp from the former state fairgrounds in Madison, Wisconsin, and named it "Camp Randall" after the governor. Camp Randall Stadium is now located on the site of the military camp.

In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Randall U.S. Minister to the Papal States.^[2] He was succeeded by Richard Milford Blatchford, and, in 1863, accepted appointment as Assistant Postmaster General.^[1] President Andrew Johnson appointed him United States Postmaster General in 1866 and he remained in that position until 1869.^[1] When Johnson was impeached, Randall remained loyal, testifying on Johnson's behalf and contributing to his defense fund.^[2]

After leaving the federal government, Randall moved to Elmira, New York, where he resumed practicing law. He died there July 26, 1872.^[1] He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Attorney General

1855 Wisconsin Attorney General election, ^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 6, 1855
	Democratic	William R. Smith	37,312	51.22%	−5.81%
	Republican	Alexander Randall	35,533	48.78%
Plurality			1,779	2.44%	-12.00%
Total votes			72,845	100.0%	+31.03%
	Democratic hold

Wisconsin Governor

1857 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 3, 1857
	Republican	Alexander Randall	44,693	49.63%	−0.23%
	Democratic	James B. Cross	44,239	49.12%	−0.95%
		Scattering	1,126	1.25%
Total votes			'*90,058'*	'*100.0%'*	+24.05%
	Republican hold

1859 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 8, 1859
	Republican	Alexander Randall (incumbent)	59,999	53.21%	+3.58%
	Democratic	Harrison Carroll Hobart	52,539	46.60%	−2.53%
		Scattering	83	0.07%
Total votes			'*112,755'*	'*100.0%'*	+25.20%
	Republican hold

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Wisconsin Historical Society, Dictionary of Wisconsin History, "Term: Randall, Gov. Alexander W. (1819–1872) Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine". Retrieved December 20, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Historical Images, "Governor Alexander Randall". Retrieved December 20, 2012.
^ Michael J. McManus, Political Abolitionism in Wisconsin, 1840–1861. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1998, p. 28.
^ Caryn Hannan (ed.), Wisconsin Biographical Dictionary. 2008–2009 ed. State History Publications, 2008, pp.334–335.
^ "State Convention of 1857". The Milwaukee Sentinel. March 18, 1896. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
^ Gayle Soucek, Chicago Calamities: Disaster in the Windy City. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2010, p.54.
^ National Governor's Association, "Wisconsin Governor Alexander Williams Randall". Retrieved December 20, 2012.
^ "The Official Canvass". Daily Free Democrat. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. December 19, 1855. p. 2. Retrieved August 7, 2020.

External links

Randall, Gov. Alexander W. (1819–1872) | Wisconsin Historical Society

Party political offices
New party	Republican nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin 1855	Succeeded by Mortimer M. Jackson
Preceded by Coles Bashford	Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin 1857, 1859	Succeeded by Louis P. Harvey
Political offices
Preceded by Coles Bashford	Governor of Wisconsin 1858 – 1861	Succeeded by Louis P. Harvey
Preceded by William Dennison	United States Postmaster General 1866 – 1869	Succeeded by John Creswell
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by John P. Stockton	United States Minister to the Papal States 1862	Succeeded by Richard Blatchford