Edward Scofield

Scofield was born in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, on March 28, 1842.{{cite news|title=A Gallant Comrade |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1461124/edward_scofield_18421925/|newspaper=The National Tribune|date=September 24, 1896|page=8|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = December 24, 2014 }} {{Open access}} He became a printer's apprentice at a newspaper in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and worked in the newspaper business for a number of years.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Scofield volunteered for service in the Union Army and was enrolled as a private in Company K of the 11th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment. He was promoted to corporal and then sergeant, and, on April 15, 1863, after the Battle of South Mountain, he was commissioned as first lieutenant. He was subsequently promoted to captain of his company.

He participated in all the battles and marches of his regiment up to the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864, where he was taken prisoner and incorrectly reported as dead. He was held as a prisoner of war for ten months, passing through 12 different prison camps in the South before being released at Wilmington, North Carolina, on March 1, 1865.{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1899 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1899 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Froehlich |editor-first= William H. |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1899/reference/wi.wibluebk1899.i0016.pdf |chapter= Biographical Sketches |page= 748 |accessdate= March 25, 2022 }} He was granted an honorary brevet to major after his release and mustered out of federal service.

For months after his release from prison, Scofield suffered due to the starvation and deprivation of his ten months in captivity. After his recuperation from his illness, he worked in the "engineer corps" of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. In 1868, he moved to Oconto, Wisconsin, where he entered the lumber business and became a principal in the Marinette Mill Co.{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1887 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1887 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Timme |editor-first= Ernst G. |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1887/reference/wi.wibluebk1887.i0018.pdf |chapter= Biographical Sketches |pages= 465, 472, 484 |accessdate= March 25, 2022 }} Later becoming president of his own lumber company, the Scofield & Arnold Lumber Co. of Marinette.

He entered politics when he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1886 as a Republican, beating Democrat Amos Holgate. He was appointed to the standing committees on engrossed bills (which he chaired) and on railroads. He ran for re-election in 1890 and the election was close enough to warrant a recount by the Senate Elections Committee. The 1890 election gave Democrats the majority in the Senate for the first time since 1855, the Democratic majority on the Elections Committee ruled in favor of his Democratic opponent, John Fetzer, finding that Scofield had been defeated by 15 votes.{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1891 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1891 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Cunningham |editor-first= Thomas J. |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1891/reference/wi.wibluebk1891.i0017.pdf |chapter= Biographical Sketches |page= 577 |accessdate= March 25, 2022 }}

In 1896 Scofield was elected as the 19th Governor of Wisconsin. He entered the gubernatorial race as a conservative against progressive Republican Robert M. La Follette, winning the Republican nomination on the sixth ballot.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98367759/1896-republican-state-ticket/ |title= All Are United Now |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= August 7, 1896 |page= 1 |accessdate= March 25, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }} In November, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Willis C. Silverthorn, in a five-way general election: 264,981 for Scofield; 169,257 for Silverthorn; 8,140 for Prohibitionist Joshua H. Berkey; 1,306 for Christ Tuttrop of the Socialist Labor Party; and 407 for Robert Henderson of the short-lived "National Party"—a splinter movement from the Prohibition Party.

Running for re-election in 1898, Scofield again faced a challenge for the Republican nomination from Robert La Follette. After a fight for delegates across the state, Scofield prevailed at the convention on the first ballot.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98369376/scofield-renominated/ |title= Scofield; Erdall Fails |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= August 18, 1898 |page= 1 |accessdate= March 25, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }} Scofield went on to win the general election with 53% of the vote. He did not run for a third term in 1900.

During his tenure, he introduced the first governor's budget in Wisconsin, established a central accounting system, and oversaw revision of the state's banking laws. He increased public school funding and helped raise troops to serve in the Spanish–American War. After completing a second term in office, he returned to his business interests in Oconto.

The most significant act of his gubernatorial term was likely the establishment of a state tax commission, the forerunner of the present Wisconsin Department of Revenue. The initial step was a study of state taxes which began in 1897, followed by an 1899 act of the Legislature to establish a state tax commission for ten years. The commission was made permanent under the subsequent gubernatorial term of Robert La Follette.{{Cite report|url=https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2011_2012/ |title= State of Wisconsin 2011–2012 Blue Book |year= 2011 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |isbn= 978-0-9752820-1-4 |editor1-last= Barish |editor1-first= Lawrence S. |editor2-last= Lemanski |editor2-first= Lynn |chapter-url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2011_2012/600_executive.pdf |chapter= Executive Branch |pages= 471–475 |accessdate= March 25, 2022 }}

Scofield married Agnes Potter (1850–1919){{cite news|title=Mrs. Edward Scofield Expires in Hospital |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1461139/agnes_potter_scofield_18501919/|newspaper=Oshkosh Daily Northwestern|date=December 8, 1919|page=15|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = December 24, 2014 }} {{Open access}} and they had three children, Julia, Paul, and George.{{cite web|title=Edward Scofield|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wioconto/scofield.htm|publisher=Oconto County WIGenWeb Project|access-date=28 May 2014}}

Scofield died in his home in Oconto on February 3, 1925 (age 82 years, 312 days).{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/272546104/?terms=Edward%20Scofield&match=1 |title=Edward Scofield |newspaper=Wausau (WI) Daily Herald |page=6 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=February 4, 1925 |accessdate=June 5, 2022 }} He is interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Oconto.

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Senate, 1st District Election, 1886}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 2, 1886

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Edward Scofield

|votes = 6,177

|percentage = 51.07%

|change = -4.56%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Amos Holgate

|votes = 5,919

|percentage = 48.93%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 258

|percentage = 2.13%

|change = -9.12%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 12,096

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +32.66%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Senate, 1st District Election, 1890}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 4, 1890 (after recount)

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = John Fetzer

|votes = 3,304

|percentage = 50.11%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Edward Scofield (incumbent)

|votes = 3,289

|percentage = 49.89%

|change = -1.18%

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 15

|percentage = 0.23%

|change = -1.91%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 6,593

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = -45.49%

}}

{{Election box gain with party link no swing

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

|loser = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1896{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1897 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1897 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Casson |editor-first= Henry |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1897/reference/wi.wibluebk1897.i0016.pdf |chapter= Biographical Sketches |page= 656 |accessdate= March 25, 2022 }}}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 3, 1896

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Edward Scofield

|votes = 264,981

|percentage = 59.67%

|change = +7.42%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Willis C. Silverthorn

|votes = 169,257

|percentage = 38.11%

|change = +0.22%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Prohibition Party

|candidate = Joshua H. Berkey

|votes = 8,140

|percentage = 1.83%

|change = -1.16%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Labor Party (United States, 19th century)

|candidate = Christ Tuttrop

|votes = 1,306

|percentage = 0.29%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate

|party = National Prohibition

|color = #FF00FF

|candidate = Robert Henderson

|votes = 407

|percentage = 0.09%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party =

|candidate = Scattering

|votes = 19

|percentage = 0.00%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 95,724

|percentage = 21.55%

|change = +7.20%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 444,110

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +18.29%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1898}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; background:#e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 8, 1898

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Edward Scofield (incumbent)

|votes = 173,137

|percentage = 52.57%

|change = -7.09%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Hiram W. Sawyer

|votes = 135,353

|percentage = 41.10%

|change = +2.99%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = People's Party (United States)

|candidate = Albinus A. Worsley

|votes = 8,518

|percentage = 2.59%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Prohibition Party

|candidate = Eugene W. Chafin

|votes = 8,088

|percentage = 2.46%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Social Democratic Party of America

|candidate = Howard Tuttle

|votes = 2,544

|percentage = 0.77%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Socialist Labor Party of America

|candidate = Henry Riese

|votes = 1,473

|percentage = 0.45%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate

|party =

|candidate = Scattering

|votes = 327

|percentage = 0.10%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 37,784

|percentage = 11.47%

|change = -10.08%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 329,440

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = -25.85%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

• Pennsylvania Reserves

{{reflist}}

• {{Find a Grave|38670432}}
• [http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_wisconsin/col2-content/main-content-list/title_scofield_edward.html National Governors Association]

{{s-start}}

{{s-ppo}}

{{s-bef|before =William H. Upham}}

{{s-ttl|title =Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin|years=1896, 1898}}

{{s-aft|after =Robert M. La Follette, Sr.}}

{{s-par|us-wi-sen}}

{{s-bef|before = Edward S. Minor }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nobreak|from the 1st district}} |years= January 1, 1887{{spaced ndash}}February 4, 1891 }}

{{s-aft|after = John Fetzer }}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before =William H. Upham}}

{{s-ttl|title =Governor of Wisconsin|years=January 4, 1897{{spaced ndash}}January 7, 1901}}

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{{s-end}}

{{Governors of Wisconsin}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scofield, Edward}}

Category:1842 births

Category:1925 deaths

Category:People from Clearfield, Pennsylvania

Category:People from Oconto, Wisconsin

Category:Republican Party governors of Wisconsin

Category:Pennsylvania Reserves

Category:Union army officers

Category:Republican Party Wisconsin state senators

Category:People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War

Category:Military personnel from Wisconsin

Category:19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature