Wells A. Hutchins

Wells A. Hutchins

Wells Andrews Hutchins (born October 8, 1818 in Hartford , Trumbull County , Ohio , †  January 25, 1895 in Portsmouth , Ohio) was an American politician . Between 1863 and 1865 he represented the state of Ohio in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Wells Hutchins was a cousin of Congressman John Hutchins (1812-1891). He attended the public schools in his home country and then taught himself for some time as a teacher. After studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1841, he began to work in this profession in Warren . In 1842 he moved to Portsmouth. Politically, he was a member of the Whig Party at the time . He was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives in 1852 and 1853 . From 1857 to 1861 he was the legal representative for the city of Portsmouth. After the Whigs dissolved, he joined the Democratic Party . In 1860 he ran unsuccessfully for the US House of Representatives. During the Civil War , he was United States Provost Marshal for the State of Ohio in 1862 .

In the congressional election of 1862 , Hutchins was elected to the Eleventh constituency of Ohio in the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC , where he succeeded Valentine B. Horton on March 4, 1863 . Since he was not confirmed in 1864, he could only serve one term in Congress until March 3, 1865 . This was shaped by the events of the civil war. During this time, Hutchins was one of the few Democrats to support the policies of Republican President Abraham Lincoln . Among other things, he campaigned for the 13th amendment to the constitution , through which slavery was to be abolished and which was then actually ratified in the further course of 1865. With his support for the president, he made himself unpopular with his party.

After his time in the US House of Representatives, Wells Hutchins practiced as a lawyer again. In 1880 he sought his return to Congress without success. He died on January 25, 1895 in Portsmouth, where he was also buried.

Web links

• Wells A. Hutchins in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Wells A. Hutchins in the database of Find a Grave (English)