In 1868, Local Man Elected to Senate in Time for First Impeachment
Kevin Hemstock • February 16, 2021
(The First of Two Parts)
The impeachment of Donald Trump isn’t that much different than the nation’s first impeachment, that of President Andrew Johnson in 1868. Johnson was acquitted by the U.S. Senate, in part thanks to George Vickers, a senator from Kent County.
Vickers was not elected to the U.S. Senate by the people of Maryland. That’s because prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution in 1913, senators were elected by state legislatures.
So, Kent’s consummate lawyer was elected to the U.S. Senate by the Maryland legislature, by a vote of 59 to the nearest candidate’s 41, on March 4, 1868.
That nearest candidate was another lawyer, Philip F. Thomas, who, in theory, had already been elected to the post.
Hailing from Easton, Thomas, 57, was eminently qualified. A lifelong Talbot County resident, he started in politics in 1838. He served as the state’s governor from 1848 to 1851. He also served in the state legislature off and on, and for a while was in the administration of President James Buchanan.
But the Civil War changed the political landscape of the state and the nation.
Thomas was elected by the legislature in March 1867 as U.S. senator. But when Congress met in session in January 1868, the Republican majority refused to seat him and the following month, he was rejected. They claimed he wasn’t a viable candidate for the job because his son, John, had joined the Confederacy and fought in the war against Union forces. Worse, Thomas had sent his son money and aided him by other means during the war.
The Baltimore Sun opined in its Feb. 21, 1868, edition that aid to Vickers's son really had nothing to do with the Confederacy, but that his son’s participation in the losing side of the War Between the States was an excuse for the Republican majority to eliminate a Democrat with such a lofty political pedigree.
“Never were a series of objections shown to be more completely frivolous and groundless than those assigned against Mr. Thomas. The act of the majority leaves nothing in doubt as to its motive.”
Vickers — well qualified for the job — didn’t really want it. In fact, he had for much of his life avoided the limelight, but was cast in it whether he liked it or not. But to the “Radical Republicans,” a more extreme faction of the Republican party, he was lesser known and perhaps seemed less a threat to the legislative status quo, even though he, too, had a son who had fought for the Confederacy.
Born in Kent County in 1801, the son of Capt. James and Lydia Towers Vickers, George Vickers graduated from Washington College in 1817 and began his own law practice in Chestertown in 1827, operating initially out of an office on Cross Street. Later he moved to Lawyer’s Row. His cases were numerous and consequential, and he soon made a name for himself in the county and the state as a thoughtful and articulate community leader. He bought a newspaper in 1838 — the Kent Bugle, which later became the Kent News — a vehicle for editorials supporting the Whig Party.
He was involved in real estate, and established his home with his wife, the former Mary Mansfield, in a substantial three-story manse on Mill Street. He was director of the Farmers & Mechanics Bank.
As a Whig, he became actively involved in politics. His local Whig leadership gave him some gravitas and in 1840, he was chosen an elector for William Henry Harrison. Harrison was elected president, but died a month after his inauguration. Locally, Vickers served on the county commission, the Chestertown town commission, and for a brief spell was a judge of the circuit court.
As the Civil War neared, he made it clear he supported preservation of the Union, and as a member of the Friends of the Constitution, opposed secession. After Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter at Charleston, S.C., in April 1861, igniting the war, Vickers was somber in a letter to the Kent News, April 27, 1861:
“The condition of public affairs and the impenetrable cloud that skirts the future, hang as a pall upon the spirits of the people, and should admonish us all of the necessity of unity of feeling and effort in these times of ominous peril, and lead us to look to a source higher than all earthly power for relief, in this the darkest hour of our country’s history.”
A slaveowner, he continued to support the dubious institution.
Soon after hostilities began, Gov. Thomas Holliday Hicks appointed Vickers as Major General of the Second Maryland Militia, a largely nominal political office, but with military trappings. As local men in Kent began preparing for war in the months following its onset, “Camp Vickers” was established north of Chestertown.
Like most Kent countians, he opposed Abraham Lincoln and Lincoln’s Republican Party in the 1860 election. In 1864, he supported Democrat Gen. George B. McClellan’s candidacy for the presidency. In accepting the appointment as an elector, he noted his reluctance in getting involved in politics following the demise of the Whig Party in the late 1850s, and his surprise at being chosen to participate.
It also disenfranchised supporters of the Confederacy, another bone of contention, since many locals had fought or continued to fight for the Confederacy at the time of the vote.
The new constitution was approved by a scant margin statewide, but in Kent, 1,196 of the 1,434 votes cast on Oct. 13, 1864 opposed it. Nonetheless, freedom for Maryland slaves became the law of the state on Nov. 1, 1864, more than a year after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had been issued.
Perhaps that’s what drove him to run for the state senate in November 1865 against another Kent stalwart, Col. Edward Wilkins, who was associated with the “Radical Republicans.” Vickers won, with 562 votes against Wilkins’ 454.
In his second year as a state senator, 1867, he opposed the repeal of a law that required one of the U.S. senators elected by the state senate to be from the Eastern Shore.
The debate was part of the effort to reduce the power of the minority Democrats. The Republicans won, and the law was set aside. A vote afterward, to elect a U.S. senator, favored Gov. Thomas Swann, a Republican-turned-Democrat, but one who had opposed slavery and supported the 1864 constitution. At the time, Vickers was also in the running, but Swann’s own party convinced the governor to remain in that post, and Philip F. Thomas was chosen as the senator.
As noted, Thomas’ failure to be seated resulted in that singular March 4, 1868, election in the legislative session. Vickers was elevated to the federal post. It was a propitious election, and his role in taking on the weighty political office would have national consequences that echo most loudly in today’s divisive political environment.
Kevin Hemstock writes from Millington. The former editor of the Kent County News, his book, Injustice on the Eastern Shore, was published in 2015. He has also self-published a number of books on the topic of local history.
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
The Republican Congress and President Trump are causing a health care crisis and Democrats are trying to fix it. Passed in July, the GOP budget reconciliation bill is drastically cutting health insurance programs to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD01) voted for the budget reconciliation bill. He voted, knowing that his vote would mean that health care costs would rise for 25,000 of his constituents in Maryland’s First Congressional District:
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Maryland has eight congressional districts, and the seats for all but District 01 are filled by Democrats. As we well know, the First District representative is a Republican — Andrew P. Harris. Here’s what Maryland’s congressional district map is now.
With standing room only at Salisbury’s Historic Poplar Hill Mansion, and blending policy, community service, and grassroots energy, Megan Outten launched her campaign for Wicomico County Council District 7 before almost 100 supporters on Oct. 4. The event drew community residents, labor leaders, and local officials, many of whom also helped to pack nearly 300 care kits for Wicomico residents in need. The community service effort doubled as a campaign statement about what Outten calls “choosing connection over convenience.” District 7 is one of Wicomico’s newly drawn single-member districts, with a Democratic advantage of 7.7%. Outten recalled her family’s history of service in Fruitland and Salisbury. “Service isn’t just politics in my family,” she said. “It’s how you belong to a place. It’s how you prove you care.” She pointed to the county’s landfill crisis, water and septic system failures, and school underfunding as examples of leadership that reacts rather than plans. “This is what happens when leaders only react after things break,” she said. “It costs us more. It hurts families. It robs our kids of the future they deserve.” Outten was joined by several local leaders who offered strong endorsements and reflections on her record. AFSCME Local 3 Eastern Shore representative Jack Hughes praised her leadership on the Salisbury City Council, crediting her with helping pass the Eastern Shore’s first municipal labor code, a significant win for city workers and first responders. Councilman Josh Hastings, who represents the district and is running for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 38B, said Outten would be “crucial in carrying forward the progress we’ve made” on clean water, schools, and infrastructure planning. Whitney Snowden-Olanrewaju from Blending Cultures, a non-profit organization that promotes diversity and equality, spoke about Outten’s record of community inclusion and bridge-building across diverse groups. Outten’s campaign is expected to roll out additional endorsements in the coming weeks. In her speech, she outlined a platform focused on fully funding schools, investing in infrastructure before it fails, and ensuring that county government works for everyone. “This campaign is not mine,” she told the crowd. “It’s ours. I am not standing above you. I am standing with you. And together, we will put Wicomico families first.” With enthusiasm, endorsements, and her message that’s focused on service and accountability, Outten’s kickoff reinforced that District 7 is already shaping up to have a strong favorite in 2026.
Community Rallies After Theft of Car Containing Hundreds of Care Kits for Wicomico Residents in Need
An act of inhumanity in Salisbury has sparked an outpouring of compassion. Early on Oct. 5, community organizer Jared Schablein’s car was stolen from his backyard. Inside the vehicle were hundreds of care kits assembled just days earlier during Megan Outten’s Wicomico County Council District 7 campaign kickoff event. Packed by volunteers at Salisbury’s Poplar Hill Mansion, the kits contained feminine hygiene products, socks, and toiletries meant for Wicomico County residents facing housing insecurity. “Those kits were meant for neighbors in need,” said Schablein. “If nothing else, I hope whoever took them returns them. Getting those care kits to the folks who need them matters more to me than anything else.” Schablein and Outten have turned the theft into action, launching a new effort called the “Care Kits Comeback Drive.” The event, scheduled for Oct. 12 at 2pm at Poplar Hill Mansion, aims to replace every lost kit, and more. Volunteers are asked to bring or donate items such as sanitary wipes, socks, toothpaste, period products, and underwear. Donations will support the Wicomico County Library, Help and Outreach Point of Entry, and other local service organizations. In announcing the new drive, Schablein emphasized the deeper meaning behind the effort: “When acts of inhumanity happen, the best response is acts of humanity. We’re showing that Salisbury’s compassion can’t be stolen.” Despite the setback, organizers say community support has been overwhelming. Donations began arriving within hours of the announcement, and several local groups have offered to distribute supplies once the new kits are complete. The theft is still under investigation by the Salisbury Police Department. As one volunteer put it at the last event, “Community isn’t guaranteed, it’s built.” This Sunday, Salisbury will build it again.
What began as a grassroots campaign to preserve a parcel of local land has become one of the most inspiring community movements on the Eastern Shore. Led by residents James and Mikele Dahlen and Holly Campbell, alongside dozens of volunteers, the Save Connelly Mill Park effort reached a significant milestone last week as Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz toured the site with local and state officials to explore opportunities for partnership and permanent protection. On Sept. 23, citizens gathered at Connelly Mill Park with a delegation of state and county leaders, including Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, Del. Barry Beauchamp, County Council President John Cannon, Vice President Jeff Merritt, Councilman James Winn, and local municipal representatives from Delmar and Salisbury. The tour marked the strongest signal to date that the state may play an active role in turning the park’s long-promised vision into reality. Advocates for Save Connelly Mill Park presented Kurtz with a booklet outlining the site’s environmental, historical, and economic importance. The presentation highlighted Connelly Mill’s potential to become a keystone of Wicomico’s park system — protecting the Paleochannel aquifer, preserving wildlife habitats, and providing much-needed green space for recreation and community gathering. Located just five miles from Salisbury, the 234-acre property has rolling forest, wetlands, and unique topography that advocates say could one day make it the “Central Park of Wicomico County.” “The natural beauty of Connelly Mill spoke for itself,” said one organizer after the event. “What we have here is not just land, it’s a promise to future generations.” Adding to the momentum, the community’s advocacy materials were presented directly to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore the next day at the Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield, where he was briefed on the citizens’ efforts and growing local support. The proposed park would provide walking trails, open space for families, and educational opportunities while safeguarding vital water resources and promoting mental, physical, and social well-being for county residents. For many, the movement to save Connelly Mill has come to represent more than just one park. It’s about accountability, long-term planning, and ensuring public commitments to community spaces are kept. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” the group shared in a recent update. “But the spotlight is on Connelly Mill, and the momentum is growing.” As the state evaluates whether to designate Connelly Mill as a Partnership Park, supporters say they will continue to meet with officials and rally community engagement to ensure this once-forgotten project finally fulfills its promise. If realized, Connelly Mill would not only protect vital natural resources — it would stand as testament to what determined citizens can build when they refuse to give up.
