Who appointed George Purnell Fisher?

President Abraham Lincoln appointed George Purnell Fisher to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Supreme Court of the District of Columbia) in 1863.

Was George Purnell Fisher appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?

George Purnell Fisher was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.

What was George Purnell Fisher's confirmation vote?

George Purnell Fisher was confirmed by voice vote on March 11, 1863. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.

District of Columbia (Supreme Court of the District of Columbia) / Appointed 1863 / Served to 1870

George Purnell Fisher

Associate Justice, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Supreme Court of the District of Columbia)

Appointed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and confirmed by voice vote, George Purnell Fisher was an Associate Justice on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Supreme Court of the District of Columbia). Sources ↓

Lived: 1817–1899
Appointed by: Abraham Lincoln, 1863
Confirmed: by voice vote
Succeeded by: David Campbell Humphreys

Federal judicial service

Year	Court	Appointed by	Vote
1863	District of Columbia (Supreme Court of the District of Columbia)	Lincoln (R)	Voice vote

Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.

Confirmation vote

Voice vote

The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.

Education

Dickinson College

1838

Before the bench

Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.

Private practice, Dover, Delaware	1841-
Clerk, Delaware State Senate	1843
State representative, Delaware	1844
Secretary of state, State of Delaware	1846-1847
Aide-de-camp, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Young, Commander of Delaware Militia	1846-
Confidential clerk, U.S. Secretary of State	1849-1850
Commissioner to settle claims of U.S. citizens against Brazil	1850-1852
Private secretary, Pres. Millard Fillmore	1852-
Attorney general, State of Delaware	1855-1860
U.S. representative from Delaware	1861-1863
First Delaware Cavalry colonel	1863
U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia	1870-1875
First auditor, U.S. Department of the Treasury	1889-1893

Questions & answers

Who appointed George Purnell Fisher?: President Abraham Lincoln appointed George Purnell Fisher to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Supreme Court of the District of Columbia) in 1863.
Was George Purnell Fisher appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?: George Purnell Fisher was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was George Purnell Fisher's confirmation vote?: George Purnell Fisher was confirmed by voice vote on March 11, 1863. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was George Purnell Fisher on?: George Purnell Fisher was an Associate Justice on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Supreme Court of the District of Columbia).

Sources

Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.

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7 years on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Supreme Court of the District of Columbia). Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).