Charlottesville Town Council (1852–1870)

See also: Charlottesville City Council (History)

The Charlottesville Town Council (1852–1870), was the legislative and policy-making body of Charlottesville from 1852 to 1870. A new charter was granted by the Legislature to the Town of Charlottesville in 1851. The first municipal election under this charter was held on February 28, 1852 when qualified voters selected a new Board of Aldermen (and mayor) of the Corporation of Charlottesville. The last election under this form of government was held on Thursday, May 26, 1870 - William L Cochran defeated former military appointed mayor T. W. Savage with a vote of 271 to 215 for the executive office of mayor.

At the close of the Civil War (1861–1865), the town of Charlottesville surrendered to Union forces on March 3, 1865 and fell under military rule until January 1870. In early April of 1868, Mayor C. L. Fowler and the six-member Board of Aldermen were removed from office by Union General J. M. Schofield, the military commander of the district. On April 20, 1868, Gen. Schofield appointed a five-member Board of Aldermen and T. W. Savage to serve as mayor. After Virginia returned to full civilian control in 1870, residents of the city held a public meeting at the Court House on April 7th to select a Board of Aldermen (and mayor) until the next municipal election. On May 26, 1870, the Town of Charlottesville held an election, the first since the end of military occupation, wherein a six-member Board of Aldermen (and an executive mayor who presided over the council), were directly elected by the voters. This council served until July 4, 1871, when it was replaced by a new council elected on Saturday, June 24, 1871, in accordance with the 1870/71 Charter.

Charter

Under a new charter, granted by the General Assembly on May 31, 1851, the municipal authorities of the town of Charlottesville consists of an executive mayor and a four member Board of Aldermen, who were elected annually on the fourth Saturday in February "by the free white male inhabitants of twenty-one years of age and upwards...four persons, being freeholders, as aldermen, and one other person, being a free holder, as mayor, to serve as the council for one year, and until their successors are elected and qualified." One-year terms for the mayor and all members of the council began and ended in February. The mayor and aldermen held the title of "Esquire", usually abbreviated Esq, placed after their name. A charter amendments increased the Board of Alderman to six members in 1861.

Elections

Elections were held on the fourth Saturday in February and conducted by the sergeant of the corporation at the courthouse. At the close of the election (sunset the same day) the results were immediately counted. The sergeant provided each person elected with a certificate of his election which stated whether they had received the first, second, third or fourth highest number of votes, and consequently his rank as an alderman. Should the mayor become incapacitated, the first alderman would assumed the duties of mayor. If the mayor died or resigned, the council would elect one in his place.

Historical Context

On May 31, 1851, the General Assembly enacted legislation establishing the municipal authorities of Charlottesville, consisting of a Mayor and a four-member Board of Aldermen. These officials were to be elected annually on the fourth Saturday in February by free white male inhabitants aged twenty-one and older. The act stipulated that four freeholders would serve as aldermen, with one freeholder as mayor, all for a term of one year or until their successors were elected and qualified.

On February 28, 1852, Dr. James A. Leitch was elected Mayor of Charlottesville, receiving every vote cast. The elected Aldermen were Messrs. Lobban, Wolfe, Wood, and Alexander, with Mr. A. B. Ralls appointed as Clerk of the Council.

Following Lee’s surrender, Charlottesville came under the jurisdiction of the Army of the James, which included a regiment of Pennsylvania cavalry.

After the war, Congress established five federal military districts to implement Reconstruction policies in the former Confederate states. The First Military District was under the command of various U.S. Army generals, effectively placing Virginia under military rule from March 1867 until January 1870. During this period, military-appointed governors governed the state, and the General Assembly did not meet. Once Virginia regained civilian control in 1870, Charlottesville held an election.

Virginia underwent Reconstruction from 1865, when the Civil War ended, until 1871, when Republican governance and military occupation ceased.

The Constitution of 1869 and the enabling legislation from the 1869–1870 General Assembly mandated that each county be divided into townships, stipulating that commissioners responsible for creating these townships (later changed to magisterial districts) could not include any town or city with a population of 5,000 or more.

Military rule

The First Military District, also known as Military District No. 1, was one of five federal military districts created by the U.S. Congress after the American Civil War (1861–1865) to implement Reconstruction policies in the former states of the Confederacy. Composed of Virginia and under the command of a succession of U.S. Army generals, the district effectively put the state under military rule from March 1867 until January 26, 1870, when the ACT readmitting Virginia to the Union and its representatives into Congress was signed by President Ulysses S. Grant.

The army officers who supervised Virginia’s civilian government were Major General Schofield from March 13, 1867, until June 2, 1868; Major General Stoneman from June 2, 1868, to March 31, 1869; Brigadier General Alexander S. Webb from April 2, to April 20, 1869; and Brigadier General Canby from April 20, 1869, until military rule and Reconstruction ended in Virginia on January 26, 1870.

Reconstruction

During the decade following the Civil War, former Confederate states were required to “reconstruct” their state governments before reentering the Union. Congress placed the commonwealth under military rule until a new constitution could be adopted.

Underwood Constitution (1870)

After Congress passed Reconstruction acts in 1867 that reduced the former Confederate states to conquered provinces, each state was to assemble a convention that would draft a new constitution and appoint a legislature. The “Underwood Constitution” was adopted in 1870; it reformed the tax system, created a system of free public schools, and recognized the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. In 1870, Virginia's new Constitution was ratified by a popular vote. Significant provisions included expanding the suffrage to all male citizens over the age of twenty-one, which included freedmen.

Following Virginia’s ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, this bill, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on January 26th, 1870 allowed Virginia’s senators and elected representatives to take their seats in Congress. The act ended Congressional Reconstruction in Virginia.

Members

Mayor	Year	Board of Aldermen
		President	Seat 1	Seat 2	Seat 3	Seat 4	Seat 5	Seat 6
James A. Leitch	1852	Office did not exist	James Lobban	E. M. Wolfe	Drury Wood	James Alexander	Office did not exist	Office did not exist
Drury Wood	1853		?	?	?	?
Drury Wood	1854		R. W. T. Duke, Sr.	John B. Dodd	Andrew J. Brown	William M. Keblinger
John B. Dodd	1855		Drury Wood	Patrick Martin	Julius Munday	Oswald S. Allen
Drury Wood	1856		James Lobban	James A. Leitch	Eugene Davis	J. C. R. Taylor
Eugene Davis	1857		James A. Leitch	J. C. R. Taylor	William T. Early	Patrick Martin
James A. Leitch	1858		William T. Early	George McIntire	William H. Foster	Tekel W. Savage
William T. Early	1859		Thomas J. Wertenbaker	John H. Bibb	Edward. J. Timberlake	Alexander F. Terrell
Thomas Wood	1860		Edward. J. Timberlake	A. P. Terrell	John H. Bibb	S. M. Keller
	1861		Thomas J. Wertenbaker	Edward. J. Timberlake	John Wood, Jr.	Alexander P. Abell	George L. Peyton	John H. Bibb
George Carr	1862		A. H. Maupin	John H. Bibb	George L. Peyton	Alexander P. Abell	Thomas J. Wertenbaker	John Wood, Jr.
John H. Bibb	1863		George McIntire	James Alexander	Christopher L. Fowler	Thomas J. Wertenbaker	Andrew Robert McKee	Edward. J. Timberlake
George McIntire	1864		James Alexander	Thomas J. Wertenbaker	Shelton F. Leake	Christopher L. Fowler	Andrew Robert McKee	Edward. J. Timberlake
Christopher L. Fowler	1865		Edward. J. Timberlake	R. F. Harris	George McIntire	E. S. H. Wise	Samuel Benson	James Alexander
	1866		Joseph W. Lipop	Alexander P. Abell		R. B. Nelson	E. S. H. Wise	J. H. Bowman
	1867		R. F. Harris	William A. Watson	A. P. Abell	Joseph W. Lipop	E. S. H. Wise	N. H. Massie
T. W. Savage (appointed)	1868		John Thornley	C. L. Thompson	Samuel W. Allen	Allen Bacon	Vacant	Vacant
	1869
	1870
William L. Cochran	1870	Alexander P. Abell	John Thornley	Alexander P. Abell	Joseph W. Lipop	T. F. Wingfield	W. C. N. Randolph	R. F. Harris

• February 25, 1854, a municipal election was held at the Albemarle County Courthouse, where Drury Wood won the mayoral election with 75 votes. Seven months later, Wood resigned, and R. T. W. Duke, Sr., the council president, succeeded him. Alderman John B. Dodd won the mayoral election in 1855 but resigned shortly after, leading to Wood's return as mayor. A year later, Wood resigned again, and Eugene Davis took over.
• September 1864 – Andrew J. Brown resigned from the Board of Aldermen, Allen B. Magruder was chosen to fill the vacant seat.
• In April 1868, Mayor C. L. Fowler and the six-member Board of Aldermen were removed from office by General J. M. Schofield, the military commander of the district.
• April 20, 1868, Gen. Schofield appointed T. W. Savage as mayor and a member of the Board of Aldermen.
• January 26, 1870 – An ACT of Congress ends Reconstruction in Virginia, readmitting Virginia into the United States and restoring civilian rule.
• March 1870 – The Commission from the Governor, G. C. Walker named these members of the Town as duly qualified: Dr. John Thornley, J. W. Lipop, Dr. W. C. N. Randolph, T. F. Wingfield and A. P. Abell. Dr. Thornley previously served on the board under Mayor Savage.
• March 25, 1870 – The Board elected N. H. Massie interim Mayor.
• March 31, 1870 – The Board of Aldermen met in the National Bank this afternoon at 5 o’clock, present: A. P. Abell, J. W. Lipop, W. C. N. Randolph, R. F. Harris, John Thornley and T. F. Wingfield; N. H. Massie qualified as Mayor.
• April 7, 1870 – A public meeting at the Court House was held on this Thursday evening at 8 o’clock, for the purpose of “nominating some suitable person to fill the Mayor’s office".
• April 16, 1870 – The Board of Aldermen for the town of Charlottesville met this afternoon at 5 o’clock in the National Bank, present: N. Haden Massie, Mayor; Board members Dr. John Thornley, A. P. Abell, J. W. Lipop, T. F. Wingfield, W. C. N. Randolph and R. F. Harris. (Dr. Thornley also served on the board under Savage and was the only holdover.) N. H. Massie offered his resigned as mayor, which was accepted. On motion, C. L. Fowler was then elected by the Board of Aldermen to serve as mayor until the next town election could be held.
• April 16, 1870 – The Board of Aldermen named A. P. Abell chairman (President of the Council) and N. H. Massie to serve as mayor.

• March 31, 1870 – the last meeting of the military appointed Mayor T. W. Savage and Board of Aldermen was held. Mayor Savage and three members of the Board of Aldermen were later replace.

• April 16, 1870 – the Board of Aldermen for the town of Charlottesville met this afternoon at 5 o’clock in the National Bank, viz: N. H. Massie, Mayor (who replaced T. W. Savage) and board members Dr. John Thornley, A.P. Abell, J. W. Lipop, T. F. Wingfield, W. C. N. Randolph and R. F. Harris. Mayor N. H. Massie offered his resigned, which was accepted. On motion, C. L. Fowler was then elected mayor by the board members.

• Thursday, May 26, 1870, the Town of Charlottesville held its first municipal election after the "late war." A six-member Board of Aldermen was elected; William L. Cochran defeated T. W. Savage with a vote of 271 to 215 for the office of mayor.
• Monday, July 4, 1870, the newly elected Board of Aldermen of the Corporate Court of Charlottesville, consisting of Dr. W. C. N. Randolph, Dr. Joseph Norris, R. F. Harris, B. Obendoffer, Samuel Comer, and Col. Bennet Taylor assembled in the mayor's office for the purpose of organizing the Board in conformity with the new State Constitution, Laws and Regulations. At the first meeting of the mayor and Board of Aldermen, a committee was formed to meet with former mayor, T. W. Savage, to obtain town records and property. In accordance with the General Assembly, the town of Charlottesville was divided into four voting wards.

See Also

• Charlottesville City Council (History)
• Charlottesville City Council