39th United States Congress

39th United States Congress
38th ← → 40th
United States Capitol (1877)
March 4, 1865 – March 4, 1867
Members	54 senators 193 representatives 9 non-voting delegates
Senate Majority	Republican
Senate President	Andrew Johnson (D) (until April 15, 1865) Vacant (from April 15, 1865)
House Majority	Republican
House Speaker	Schuyler Colfax (R)
Sessions
Special: March 4, 1865 – March 11, 1865 1st: December 4, 1865 – July 28, 1866 2nd: December 3, 1866 – March 4, 1867

The 39th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1865, to March 4, 1867, during Abraham Lincoln's final month as president, and the first two years of the administration of his successor, U.S. President Andrew Johnson.

The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Eighth Census of the United States in 1860. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

Major events[]

• March 4, 1865: Second inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln.
• April 9, 1865: Surrender of Confederate forces at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the American Civil War
• April 15, 1865: Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson became President of the United States
• December 11, 1865: Creation of the House Appropriations Committee and the House Banking and Commerce Committee, reducing the tasks of the House Ways and Means Committee
• January, 1866: The second and current United States Capitol dome completed after 11 years of work.
• July 24, 1866: Tennessee became the first U.S. state to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.
• November 5, 1866: United States House of Representatives elections, 1866
• January 8, 1867: African American men are granted the right to vote in the District of Columbia

Major legislation[]

• April 9, 1866: Civil Rights Act of 1866, Sess. 1, ch. 31, 14 Stat. 27
• July 16, 1866: Freedmen's Bureau Bill, Sess. 1, ch. 200, 14 Stat. 173
• July 23, 1866: Judicial Circuits Act, Sess. 1, ch. 210, 14 Stat. 209, reduced the number of United States circuit courts to nine and the number of Supreme Court justices to seven
• July 25, 1866: An Act to revive the grade of General in the United States Army, Sess. 1, ch. 232, 14 Stat. 223, (now called "4-star general"); Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant became the first to have this rank.
• July 28, 1866: Metric Act of 1866, Sess. 1, ch. 301, 14 Stat. 339, legalized the use of the metric system for weights and measures in the United States.
• March 2, 1867: Reconstruction Act, ch. 153, 14 Stat. 428 established five military districts, each headed by a general, in ten states of the former Confederate South (Tennessee excepted), and stipulates conditions for re-admission of these States into the Union.
• March 2, 1867: Tenure of Office Act, ch. 154, 14 Stat. 430 required the president to obtain the Senate's advice and consent to suspend or dismiss certain federal public officials (notably cabinet officers). Violation of this act will lead to the impeachment of Andrew Johnson by the next (40th) Congress in 1868.

Constitutional amendments[]

• December 18, 1865: Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution declared ratified
• June 13, 1866: Approved an amendment to the Constitution addressing citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification^[1]
  • Amendment was later ratified on July 9, 1868, becoming the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution^[2]

States admitted[]

• July 24, 1866: Tennessee readmitted to representation.
• March 1, 1867: Nebraska admitted as the 37th state, Sess. 2, ch. 36, 14 Stat. 391 (over president's veto)

Party summary[]

The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate[]

During this Congress, two seats were added for the new state of Nebraska.

House of Representatives[]

During this Congress, one seat was added for the new state of Nebraska.

Leadership[]

President of the Senate
Andrew Johnson, until April 15, 1865

Senate[]

• President: Andrew Johnson (D), until April 15, 1865; vacant thereafter.
• President pro tempore: Lafayette S. Foster (R), until March 2, 1867
  • Benjamin F. Wade (R), elected March 2, 1867
• Republican Conference Chairman: Henry B. Anthony

House of Representatives[]

• Speaker: Schuyler Colfax (R)
• Republican Conference Chairman: Justin S. Morrill

Members[]

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and representatives are listed by district.

Senate[]

Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1868; Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1870; and Class 3 meant their term ended in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1866.

Skip to House of Representatives, below

Alabama[] 2. Vacant 3. Vacant Arkansas[] 2. Vacant 3. Vacant California[] ▌1. John Conness (R) ▌3. James A. McDougall (D) Connecticut[] ▌1. James Dixon (R) ▌3. Lafayette S. Foster (R) Delaware[] ▌1. George Read Riddle (D) ▌2. Willard Saulsbury Sr. (D) Florida[] 1. Vacant 3. Vacant Georgia[] 2. Vacant 3. Vacant Illinois[] ▌2. Richard Yates (R) ▌3. Lyman Trumbull (R) Indiana[] ▌1. Thomas A. Hendricks (D) ▌3. Henry S. Lane (R) Iowa[] ▌2. James W. Grimes (R) ▌3. James Harlan (R), until May 15, 1865 ▌Samuel J. Kirkwood (R), from January 13, 1866 Kansas[] ▌2. James H. Lane (R), until July 11, 1866 ▌Edmund G. Ross (R), from July 19, 1866 ▌3. Samuel C. Pomeroy (R) Kentucky[] ▌2. James Guthrie (D) ▌3. Garrett Davis (U) Louisiana[] 2. Vacant 3. Vacant Maine[] ▌1. Lot M. Morrill (R) ▌2. William Pitt Fessenden (R) Maryland[] ▌1. Reverdy Johnson (D) ▌3. John A. J. Creswell (UU), from March 9, 1865 Massachusetts[] ▌1. Charles Sumner (R) ▌2. Henry Wilson (R) Michigan[] ▌1. Zachariah Chandler (R) ▌2. Jacob M. Howard (R) Minnesota[] ▌1. Alexander Ramsey (R) ▌2. Daniel S. Norton (R) Mississippi[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant

Missouri[] ▌1. John B. Henderson (R) ▌3. B. Gratz Brown (R) Nebraska[] ▌1. Thomas Tipton (R), from March 1, 1867 (newly admitted state) ▌2. John M. Thayer (R), from March 1, 1867 (newly admitted state) Nevada[] ▌1. William M. Stewart (R) ▌3. James W. Nye (R) New Hampshire[] ▌2. Aaron H. Cragin (R) ▌3. Daniel Clark (R), until July 27, 1866 ▌George G. Fogg (R), from August 31, 1866 New Jersey[] ▌1. William Wright (D), until November 1, 1866 ▌Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (R), from November 12, 1866 ▌2. John P. Stockton (D), March 15, 1865 – March 27, 1866 ▌Alexander G. Cattell (R), from September 19, 1866 New York[] ▌3. Ira Harris (R) ▌1. Edwin D. Morgan (R) North Carolina[] 2. Vacant 3. Vacant Ohio[] ▌1. Benjamin F. Wade (R) ▌3. John Sherman (R) Oregon[] ▌2. George H. Williams (R) ▌3. James W. Nesmith (D) Pennsylvania[] ▌1. Charles R. Buckalew (D) ▌3. Edgar Cowan (R) Rhode Island[] ▌1. William Sprague (R) ▌2. Henry B. Anthony (R) South Carolina[] 2. Vacant 3. Vacant Tennessee[] ▌1. David T. Patterson (U), from July 28, 1866 ▌2. Joseph S. Fowler (U), from July 24, 1866 Texas[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant Vermont[] ▌1. Solomon Foot (R), until March 28, 1866 ▌George F. Edmunds (R), from April 3, 1866 ▌3. Jacob Collamer (R), until November 9, 1865 ▌Luke P. Poland (R), from November 21, 1865 Virginia[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant West Virginia[] ▌1. Peter G. Van Winkle (UU) ▌2. Waitman T. Willey (R) Wisconsin[] ▌1. James R. Doolittle (R) ▌3. Timothy O. Howe (R)

Senators' party membership by state at the opening of the 39th Congress in March 1865. Green stripes represent Unionists and gray stripes represent Unconditional Unionists. The senators from Nebraska and Tennessee were not seated until later in the Congress.   2 Democrats   1 Democrat and 1 Republican   2 Republicans   2 Unionists   Territories

Senate President pro tempore Lafayette S. Foster, until March 2, 1867 Senate President pro tempore Benjamin F. Wade, from March 2, 1867

House of Representatives[]

The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

Alabama[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant 4. Vacant 5. Vacant 6. Vacant Arkansas[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant California[] (3 Republicans) ▌1. Donald C. McRuer (R) ▌2. William Higby (R) ▌3. John Bidwell (R) Connecticut[] (4 Republicans) ▌1. Henry C. Deming (R) ▌2. Samuel L. Warner (R) ▌3. Augustus Brandegee (R) ▌4. John H. Hubbard (R) Delaware[] (1 Democrat) ��At-large. John A. Nicholson (D) Florida[] At-large. Vacant Georgia[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant 4. Vacant 5. Vacant 6. Vacant 7. Vacant Illinois[] (11-3 Republican) ▌1. John Wentworth (R) ▌2. John F. Farnsworth (R) ▌3. Elihu B. Washburne (R) ▌4. Abner C. Harding (R) ▌5. Ebon C. Ingersoll (R) ▌6. Burton C. Cook (R) ▌7. Henry P. H. Bromwell (R) ▌8. Shelby M. Cullom (R) ▌9. Lewis W. Ross (D) ▌10. Anthony Thornton (D) ▌11. Samuel S. Marshall (D) ▌12. Jehu Baker (R) ▌13. Andrew J. Kuykendall (R) ▌At-large. Samuel W. Moulton (R) Indiana[] (8-3 Republican) ▌1. William E. Niblack (D) ▌2. Michael C. Kerr (D) ▌3. Ralph Hill (R) ▌4. John H. Farquhar (R) ▌5. George W. Julian (R) ▌6. Ebenezer Dumont (R) ▌7. Daniel W. Voorhees (D), until February 23, 1866 ▌Henry D. Washburn (R), from February 23, 1866 ▌8. Godlove S. Orth (R) ▌9. Schuyler Colfax (R) ▌10. Joseph H. Defrees (R) ▌11. Thomas N. Stilwell (R) Iowa[] (6 Republicans) ▌1. James F. Wilson (R) ▌2. Hiram Price (R) ▌3. William B. Allison (R) ▌4. Josiah B. Grinnell (R) ▌5. John A. Kasson (R) ▌6. Asahel W. Hubbard (R) Kansas[] (1 Republican) ▌At-large. Sidney Clarke (R) Kentucky[] (5-4 Democratic) ▌1. Lawrence S. Trimble (D) ▌2. Burwell C. Ritter (D) ▌3. Henry Grider (D), until September 7, 1866 ▌Elijah Hise (D), from December 3, 1866 ▌4. Aaron Harding (D) ▌5. Lovell H. Rousseau (UU), until July 21, 1866, and from December 3, 1866 ▌6. Green C. Smith (UU), until July ??, 1866 ▌Andrew H. Ward (D), from December 3, 1866 ▌7. George S. Shanklin (D) ▌8. William H. Randall (UU) ▌9. Samuel McKee (UU) Louisiana[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant 4. Vacant 5. Vacant Maine[] (5 Republicans) ▌1. John Lynch (R) ▌2. Sidney Perham (R) ▌3. James G. Blaine (R) ▌4. John H. Rice (R) ▌5. Frederick A. Pike (R) Maryland[] (3-2 Unconditional Unionist) ▌1. Hiram McCullough (D) ▌2. Edwin H. Webster (UU), until July ??, 1865 ▌John L. Thomas Jr. (UU), from December 4, 1865 ▌3. Charles E. Phelps (UU) ▌4. Francis Thomas (UU) ▌5. Benjamin G. Harris (D) Massachusetts[] (10 Republicans) ▌1. Thomas D. Eliot (R) ▌2. Oakes Ames (R) ▌3. Alexander H. Rice (R) ▌4. Samuel Hooper (R) ▌5. John B. Alley (R) ▌6. Daniel W. Gooch (R), until September 1, 1865 ▌Nathaniel P. Banks (R), from December 4, 1865 ▌7. George S. Boutwell (R) ▌8. John D. Baldwin (R) ▌9. William B. Washburn (R) ▌10. Henry L. Dawes (R) Michigan[] (6 Republicans) ▌1. Fernando C. Beaman (R) ▌2. Charles Upson (R) ▌3. John W. Longyear (R) ▌4. Thomas W. Ferry (R) ▌5. Rowland E. Trowbridge (R) ▌6. John F. Driggs (R) Minnesota[] (2 Republicans) ▌1. William Windom (R) ▌2. Ignatius L. Donnelly (R) Mississippi[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant 4. Vacant 5. Vacant Missouri[] (8-1 Republican) ▌1. John Hogan (D) ▌2. Henry T. Blow (R) ▌3. Thomas E. Noell (R) ▌4. John R. Kelso (IR) ▌5. Joseph W. McClurg (R) ▌6. Robert T. Van Horn (R) ▌7. Benjamin F. Loan (R) ▌8. John F. Benjamin (R) ▌9. George W. Anderson (R) Nebraska[] (1 Republican) ▌At-large. Turner M. Marquette (R), from March 2, 1867 (newly admitted state) Nevada[] (1 Republican) ▌At-large. Delos R. Ashley (R) New Hampshire[] (3 Republicans) ▌1. Gilman Marston (R) ▌2. Edward H. Rollins (R) ▌3. James W. Patterson (R) New Jersey[] (3-2 Democratic) ▌1. John F. Starr (R) ▌2. William A. Newell (R) ▌3. Charles Sitgreaves (D) ▌4. Andrew J. Rogers (D) ▌5. Edwin R. V. Wright (D)

New York[] (20–11 Republican) ▌1. Stephen Taber (D) ▌2. Teunis G. Bergen (D) ▌3. James Humphrey (R), until June 16, 1866 ▌John W. Hunter (D), from December 4, 1866 ▌4. Morgan Jones (D) ▌5. Nelson Taylor (D) ▌6. Henry J. Raymond (R) ▌7. John W. Chanler (D) ▌8. James Brooks (D), until April 7, 1866 ▌William E. Dodge (R), from April 7, 1866 ▌9. William A. Darling (R) ▌10. William Radford (D) ▌11. Charles H. Winfield (D) ▌12. John H. Ketcham (R) ▌13. Edwin N. Hubbell (D) ▌14. Charles Goodyear (D) ▌15. John A. Griswold (R) ▌16. Orlando Kellogg (R), until August 24, 1865 ▌Robert S. Hale (R), from December 3, 1865 ▌17. Calvin T. Hulburd (R) ▌18. James M. Marvin (R) ▌19. Demas Hubbard Jr. (R) ▌20. Addison H. Laflin (R) ▌21. Roscoe Conkling (R) ▌22. Sidney T. Holmes (R) ▌23. Thomas T. Davis (R) ▌24. Theodore M. Pomeroy (R) ▌25. Daniel Morris (R) ▌26. Giles W. Hotchkiss (R) ▌27. Hamilton Ward Sr. (R) ▌28. Roswell Hart (R) ▌29. Burt Van Horn (R) ▌30. James M. Humphrey (D) ▌31. Henry H. Van Aernam (R) North Carolina[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant 4. Vacant 5. Vacant 6. Vacant 7. Vacant Ohio[] (17-2 Republican) ▌1. Benjamin Eggleston (R) ▌2. Rutherford B. Hayes (R) ▌3. Robert C. Schenck (R) ▌4. William Lawrence (R) ▌5. Francis C. Le Blond (D) ▌6. Reader W. Clarke (R) ▌7. Samuel Shellabarger (R) ▌8. James R. Hubbell (R) ▌9. Ralph P. Buckland (R) ▌10. James M. Ashley (R) ▌11. Hezekiah S. Bundy (R) ▌12. William E. Finck (D) ▌13. Columbus Delano (R) ▌14. Martin Welker (R) ▌15. Tobias A. Plants (R) ▌16. John Bingham (R) ▌17. Ephraim R. Eckley (R) ▌18. Rufus P. Spalding (R) ▌19. James A. Garfield (R) Oregon[] (1 Republican) ▌At-large. James H. D. Henderson (R) Pennsylvania[] (15-9 Republican) ▌1. Samuel J. Randall (D) ▌2. Charles O'Neill (R) ▌3. Leonard Myers (R) ▌4. William D. Kelley (R) ▌5. M. Russell Thayer (R) ▌6. Benjamin M. Boyer (D) ▌7. John M. Broomall (R) ▌8. Sydenham E. Ancona (D) ▌9. Thaddeus Stevens (R) ▌10. Myer Strouse (D) ▌11. Philip Johnson (D), until January 29, 1867 ▌12. Charles Denison (D) ▌13. Ulysses Mercur (R) ▌14. George F. Miller (R) ▌15. Adam J. Glossbrenner (D) ▌16. Alexander H. Coffroth (D), February 19, 1866 – July 18, 1866 ▌William H. Koontz (R), from July 18, 1866 ▌17. Abraham A. Barker (R) ▌18. Stephen F. Wilson (R) ▌19. Glenni W. Scofield (R) ▌20. Charles V. Culver (R) ▌21. John L. Dawson (D) ▌22. James K. Moorhead (R) ▌23. Thomas Williams (R) ▌24. George V. Lawrence (R) Rhode Island[] (2 Republicans) ▌1. Thomas A. Jenckes (R) ▌2. Nathan F. Dixon Jr. (R) South Carolina[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant 4. Vacant Tennessee[] (8 Unconditional Unionists) ▌1. Nathaniel G. Taylor (U), from July 24, 1866 ▌2. Horace Maynard (UU), from July 24, 1866 ▌3. William B. Stokes (UU), from July 24, 1866 ▌4. Edmund Cooper (U), from July 24, 1866 ▌5. William B. Campbell (U), from July 24, 1866 ▌6. Samuel M. Arnell (UU), from July 24, 1866 ▌7. Isaac R. Hawkins (U), from July 24, 1866 ▌8. John W. Leftwich (UU), from July 24, 1866 Texas[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant 4. Vacant Vermont[] (3 Republicans) ▌1. Frederick E. Woodbridge (R) ▌2. Justin S. Morrill (R) ▌3. Portus Baxter (R) Virginia[] 1. Vacant 2. Vacant 3. Vacant 4. Vacant 5. Vacant 6. Vacant 7. Vacant 8. Vacant West Virginia[] (3 Unconditional Unionists) ▌1. Chester D. Hubbard (UU) ▌2. George R. Latham (UU) ▌3. Kellian Whaley (UU) Wisconsin[] (5-1 Republican) ▌1. Halbert E. Paine (R) ▌2. Ithamar C. Sloan (R) ▌3. Amasa Cobb (R) ▌4. Charles A. Eldredge (D) ▌5. Philetus Sawyer (R) ▌6. Walter D. McIndoe (R) Non-voting members[] (6-3 Republican) ▌Arizona Territory. John N. Goodwin (R) ▌Colorado Territory. Allen A. Bradford (R) ▌Dakota Territory. Walter A. Burleigh (R) ▌Idaho Territory. Edward D. Holbrook (D) ▌Montana Territory. Samuel McLean (D) ▌Nebraska Territory. Phineas W. Hitchcock (R), until March 1, 1867 ▌New Mexico Territory. J. Francisco Chaves (R) ▌Utah Territory. William H. Hooper (D) ▌Washington Territory. Arthur A. Denny (R)

House seats by party holding plurality in state   80.1-100% Democratic   80.1-100% Republican   60.1-80% Democratic   60.1-80% Republican   Up to 60% Democratic   Up to 60% Republican Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax

Changes in membership[]

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.

Senate[]

• Replacements: 8
  • Democratic: 2-seat net loss
  • Republican: 2-seat net gain
  • Unionist: no net change
  • Unconditional Union: no net change
• Deaths: 4
• Resignations: 2
• Vacancy: 1
• Seats of newly admitted states: 2
• Seats of re-admitted states: 2
• Total seats with changes: 12

House of Representatives[]

• Replacements: 9
  • Democratic: 1-seat net gain
  • Republican: 2-seat net gain
  • Unconditional Unionist: 1 seat net loss
  • Unionist: 0 net change
• Deaths: 4
• Resignations: 4
• Contested election: 3
• Seats from newly admitted states: 1
• Seats from re-admitted states: 8
• Total seats with changes: 21

Committees[]

Lists of committees and their party leaders, for members (House and Senate) of the committees and their assignments, go into the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of the article and click on the link (1 link), in the directory after the pages of terms of service, you will see the committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and after the committee pages, you will see the House/Senate committee assignments in the directory, on the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.

Senate[]

• Agriculture (Chairman: John Sherman)
• Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: George H. Williams)
• Claims (Chairman: Timothy O. Howe)
• (Select)
• Commerce (Chairman: Zachariah Chandler)
• (Select)
• (Select)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Lot M. Morrill)
• Engrossed Bills (Chairman: Aaron H. Cragin)
• Finance (Chairman: William P. Fessenden)
• Foreign Relations (Chairman: Charles Sumner)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: John B. Henderson)
• (Select)
• Judiciary (Chairman: Lyman Trumbull)
• Manufactures (Chairman: William Sprague IV)
• Military Affairs and the Militia (Chairman: Henry Wilson)
• Mines and Mining (Chairman: John Conness)
• (Select)
• (Select)
• (Select)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: James W. Grimes)
• (Select)
• Pacific Railroad (Chairman: Jacob M. Howard)
• Patents and the Patent Office (Chairman: Waitman T. Willey)
• Pensions (Chairman: Henry S. Lane)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Alexander Ramsey)
• Private Land Claims (Chairman: Ira Harris)
• Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: B. Gratz Brown)
• Public Lands (Chairman: Samuel C. Pomeroy)
• Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Richard Yates)
• Tariff Regulation (Select)
• Territories (Chairman: Benjamin F. Wade)
• Whole

House of Representatives[]

• Accounts (Chairman: Edward H. Rollins)
• Agriculture (Chairman: John Bidwell)
• Appropriations (Chairman: Thaddeus Stevens)
• Banking and Currency (Chairman: Theodore M. Pomeroy)
• Claims (Chairman: Columbus Delano)
• Coinage, Weights and Measures (Chairman: John A. Kasson)
• Commerce (Chairman: Elihu B. Washburne)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Ebon C. Ingersoll)
• Elections (Chairman: Henry L. Dawes)
• Expenditures in the Interior Department (Chairman: Ebenezer Dumont)
• Expenditures in the Navy Department (Chairman: George W. Julian)
• Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Chairman: Jehu Baker)
• Expenditures in the State Department (Chairman: Frederick A. Pike)
• Expenditures in the Treasury Department (Chairman: James M. Marvin)
• Expenditures in the War Department (Chairman: Henry C. Deming)
• Expenditures on Public Buildings (Chairman: John W. Longyear)
• Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Nathaniel P. Banks)
• Freedmen's Affairs (Chairman: Thomas D. Eliot)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: William Windom)
• Invalid Pensions (Chairman: Sidney Perham)
• Judiciary (Chairman: James F. Wilson)
• Manufactures (Chairman: James K. Moorhead)
• Mileage (Chairman: George W. Anderson)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: Robert C. Schenck)
• Militia (Chairman: Abner C. Harding)
• Mines and Mining (Chairman: William Higby)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: Alexander H. Rice)
• (Chairman: Hiram Price)
• Patents (Chairman: Thomas A. Jenckes)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: John B. Alley)
• Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: John H. Rice)
• Public Expenditures (Chairman: Calvin T. Hulburd)
• Public Lands (Chairman: George W. Julian)
• Revisal and Unfinished Business (Chairman: Glenni W. Scofield)
• Revolutionary Claims (Chairman: Kellian V. Whaley)
• Revolutionary Pensions (Chairman: Walter D. McIndoe)
• Roads and Canals (Chairman: Fernando C. Beaman)
• Rules (Select)
• Standards of Official Conduct
• Territories (Chairman: James M. Ashley)
• Ways and Means (Chairman: Justin S. Morrill)
• Whole

Joint committees[]

• Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
• Conduct of the War
• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Sen. James Nye)
• The Library (Chairman: N/A)
• Printing (Chairman: N/A)

Caucuses[]

• Democratic (House)
• Democratic (Senate)

Employees[]

Legislative branch agency directors[]

• Architect of the Capitol: Thomas U. Walter, resigned May 26, 1865
  • Edward Clark, appointed August 30, 1865
• Librarian of Congress: Ainsworth Rand Spofford

Senate[]

• Chaplain: Thomas Bowman (Methodist), until March 9, 1865
  • Edgar H. Gray (Baptist), from March 9, 1865
• Secretary: John W. Forney
• Sergeant at Arms: George T. Brown

House of Representatives[]

• Chaplain: William Henry Channing (Unitarian), until December 4, 1865
  • Charles B. Boynton (Congregationalist), from December 4, 1865
• Clerk: Edward McPherson
• Doorkeeper:
• Messenger to the Speaker:
• Postmaster: Josiah Given
• Reading Clerks:
• Sergeant at Arms: Nehemiah G. Ordway

See also[]

• United States elections, 1864 (elections leading to this Congress)
  • 1864 United States presidential election
  • United States Senate elections, 1864 and 1865
  • United States House of Representatives elections, 1864
• United States elections, 1866 (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
  • United States Senate elections, 1866 and 1867
  • United States House of Representatives elections, 1866

Notes[]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Aynes, Richard L. "The 39th Congress (1865–1867) and the 14th Amendment: Some Preliminary Perspectives," Akron Law Review, 42 (no. 4, 2009), 1019–49.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.

External links[]

• Statutes at Large, 1789–1875
• Senate Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
• House Journal, First Forty-three Sessions of Congress
• Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
• U.S. House of Representatives: House History
• U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
• Congressional Directory for the 39th Congress, 1st Session. 1866.
• Congress, United States (1867). Congressional Directory for the 39th Congress, 2nd Session.

Transcripts of debates and proceedings[]

The Congressional Globe contains the official transcripts and proceedings of the Thirty-Ninth Congress, although newspapers often provided their own transcripts that sometimes differed from the official ones. Following are external links to the pertinent volumes of the Globe, which are downloadable and/or searchable via Google Books and HathiTrust:

The congressional debates pertaining to the Fourteenth Amendment can be found at “Congressional Debates of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution”.