US Congressman. Born in Hartford, Trumbull County, Ohio, he read law under his prominent cousin, John Hutchins, and was admitted to the Ohio State Bar Association in 1841. He established a law practice in Portsmouth, Ohio, and rose in political prominence. He was elected to the Ohio State Assembly in 1852, and served as Portsmouth’s City Solicitor from 1857 to 1861. In 1858 he made an unsuccessful attempt to be elected to Congress, losing the election to Republican Carey Trimble. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Wells A. Hutchins was appointed by Ohio Governor David Tod as one of the Provost Marshal’s for the state. In 1862 he again ran for Congress, and was elected as a Democrat to represent Ohio’s 11th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. In Congress he was considered a “War Democrat”, often going against Democrat partisans to support war measures by President Abraham Lincoln. Congressman Hutchins drew the ire of his Democratic constituency when he supported the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act of 1863, which he considered a necessary war measure, and he supported the recruitment of African-American troops to fight the Confederacy. The loss of support would result in his losing his 1864 attempt for re-election to Republican Hezekiah S. Bundy. In January 1865, with only weeks to go before his Congressional term ended, he voted in favor of the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that abolished slavery, one of only sixteen Democrats in Congress to do so. He returned to his law practice in Portsmouth after leaving Congress, made an unsuccessful attempt at re-election in 1880, and passed away at age eighty-six in January 1895.
US Congressman. Born in Hartford, Trumbull County, Ohio, he read law under his prominent cousin, John Hutchins, and was admitted to the Ohio State Bar Association in 1841. He established a law practice in Portsmouth, Ohio, and rose in political prominence. He was elected to the Ohio State Assembly in 1852, and served as Portsmouth’s City Solicitor from 1857 to 1861. In 1858 he made an unsuccessful attempt to be elected to Congress, losing the election to Republican Carey Trimble. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Wells A. Hutchins was appointed by Ohio Governor David Tod as one of the Provost Marshal’s for the state. In 1862 he again ran for Congress, and was elected as a Democrat to represent Ohio’s 11th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. In Congress he was considered a “War Democrat”, often going against Democrat partisans to support war measures by President Abraham Lincoln. Congressman Hutchins drew the ire of his Democratic constituency when he supported the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act of 1863, which he considered a necessary war measure, and he supported the recruitment of African-American troops to fight the Confederacy. The loss of support would result in his losing his 1864 attempt for re-election to Republican Hezekiah S. Bundy. In January 1865, with only weeks to go before his Congressional term ended, he voted in favor of the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that abolished slavery, one of only sixteen Democrats in Congress to do so. He returned to his law practice in Portsmouth after leaving Congress, made an unsuccessful attempt at re-election in 1880, and passed away at age eighty-six in January 1895.
Bio by: RPD2
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