MAJOR GENERAL NATHANIEL PRENTISS BANKS
Item #: CWB6775
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| Born: 01/30/1816 in Waltham, MA Died: 09/01/1894 in Waltham, MA |
Promotions
| Date |
To Rank |
Full/Brevet |
Army/Vol |
Comments |
| 05/16/61 |
Major-Gen |
Full |
Vol |
|
Commands
| From |
To |
Brigade |
Division |
Corps |
Army |
| 07/25/61 |
08/17/61 |
|
|
|
Department of the Shenandoah |
| 08/17/61 |
03/13/62 |
|
Bank's |
|
Army of Potomac |
| 04/04/62 |
06/26/62 |
|
|
|
Department of the Shenandoah |
| 06/26/62 |
09/04/62 |
|
|
2 |
Army of Virginia |
| 09/07/62 |
10/27/62 |
|
|
|
Military District of Washington |
| 12/16/62 |
08/20/63 |
|
|
19 |
Army and Dept of the Gulf |
| 12/17/62 |
09/23/64 |
|
|
|
Army and Dept of the Gulf |
| 04/22/65 |
06/03/65 |
|
|
|
Army and Dept of the Gulf |
Banks, Nathaniel P., major-general, was born in Waltham,
Mass. Jan. 30, 1816, received a common school education, and
then learned the trade of a machinist in a cotton factory of
which his father was superintendent. He afterwards became
editor of a local paper at Waltham, studied law, was admitted
to the bar, and in 1849 was elected a member of the state
legislature. He was elected speaker of the Massachusetts
legislature in 1851, re-elected in 1852, was chairman of the
Massachusetts constitutional convention in 1853, and was in
the same year elected to Congress as a coalition-democrat. He
was re-elected on the "Know-Knothing" ticket, elected speaker
of the house of representative, after a spirited fight, on the
133rd ballot, and at the next election was chosen congressman
on the republican ticket. On Dec. 4, 1857, he resigned to
become governor of Massachusetts, was re-elected governor in
1858 and 1859, and in 1860 accepted the presidency of the
Illinois Central railroad, succeeding Gen. George B. McClellan
in that capacity. When the Civil war broke out in the
following year, he resigned his position, was commissioned
major-general of volunteers and assigned to the command of the
5th army corps in the Army of the Potomac, seeing his first
active service along the upper Potomac and in the Shenandoah
valley, in 1861-62. On March 23, 1862, a part of his troops,
under Gen. Shields, defeated Jackson at Winchester, and the
next month at the head of two divisions, Gen. Banks was
assigned to guard the Shenandoah. When one of the divisions
had been withdrawn, leaving only 8,000 men with Banks, the
force was attacked by Gen. Jackson and defeated, but escaped
capture. Gen. Banks then joined Pope, who had command of the
army of Virginia, and on August 9, was defeated at the battle
of Cedar mountain. He was then for a time in command of the
defenses of Washington, and in Dec., 1862, commanded the
expedition to New Orleans, where he succeeded Gen. B. F.
Butler as commander of the Department of the Gulf. In the
spring of 1863 he commanded the expedition against Port
Hudson, which finally, after several disastrous attempts to
storm it had failed, surrendered on July 9, 1863, when the
occupants learned that Vicksburg had fallen. Early in 1864
Gen. Banks led the expedition up the Red River, his force
strengthened by the addition of a powerful fleet, and at
Sabine cross-roads met defeat at the hands of Gen. Richard
Taylor. On the next day the Confederates made an attack at
Pleasant Hill, but were defeated, and the army withdrew to
Alexandria. There the skill of Gen. Joseph Bailey saved the
fleet, and the whole expedition withdrew to the Mississippi.
In May, 1864, Gen. Banks was relieved of his command, resigned
his commission, and, returning to Massachusetts, was elected
to Congress, where he served, with the exception of one term,
until 1877, being for many years chairman of the committee on
foreign relations. In 1888 he was again elected to Congress,
but, after 1890, suffered from a mental disorder and was
forced to withdraw from public life. In 1891 Congress voted
him an annual pension of $1,2OO, and in 1894 he died.
Shipping Weight:
0.75 lb
Item # CWB6775
$75.00 USD