John Curtiss Underwood
Appointed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and confirmed by voice vote, John Curtiss Underwood was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He previously served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Virginia. Sources ↓
- Lived
- 1809–1873
- Appointed by
- Abraham Lincoln, 1864
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Succeeded
- James Dandridge Halyburton
- Succeeded by
- Robert William Hughes
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1864 | Eastern District of Virginia succeeded James Dandridge Halyburton | Lincoln (R) | Voice vote |
| 1864 | District of Virginia | Reassigned | – |
| 1871 | Eastern District of Virginia | Reassigned | – |
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
| Read law | ||
| Hamilton College | 1832 |
Before the bench
Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.
| Private practice, Herkimer County, New York | -ca. 1839 |
| Private practice | ca. 1839-1856 |
| Secretary, Emigrant Aid and Homestead Society | 1856-1861 |
| Fifth auditor, U.S. Department of the Treasury | 1861-1863 |
| U.S. senator-elect from Virginia (not seated) | 1865 |
Questions & answers
- Who appointed John Curtiss Underwood?
- President Abraham Lincoln appointed John Curtiss Underwood to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in 1864.
- Was John Curtiss Underwood appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
- John Curtiss Underwood was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
- What was John Curtiss Underwood's confirmation vote?
- John Curtiss Underwood was confirmed by voice vote on January 25, 1864. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
- Which court was John Curtiss Underwood on?
- John Curtiss Underwood was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Sources
Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.
- FJC Biographical Directory
- Wikidata
- Portrait: Brady-Handy Photograph Collection (Library of Congress) Cropped and touched up by CPacker (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
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9 years on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).