Bio: Henry Watkins Allen, Caddo Parish La Source: From Chronicles of Shreveport and Caddo Parish, Maude Hearn O'Pry, 1928, Submitted by: Kay Thompson Brown ********************************************************** ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ************ HENRY WATKINS ALLEN, Soldier and Statesman. HENRY WATKINS ALLEN was born in Prince Edward county, Virginia, April 29, 1820. His early life was spent in a shop, but having an ambition for something higher, he was withdrawn and sent to Marion College, Missouri. After having a dispute with his father, be ran away from college and taught school in Grand Gulf, Mississippi, studied law, and became a successful attorney. In 1842, President Houston of Texas called for volunteers in the Texas War against Mexico. Allen raised a company, joined the Texas forces, acquitted himself as a trusty leader during the campaign, then returning home, resumed his legal practice as a private citizen. In 1846 he was sent to the legislature. At the expiration of his term he secured an estate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and became a planter. Tn 1853 he went to the Louisiana Legislature. The following year he left his Southern home to pursue a course in Harvard University, but abandoned it to take part in the Italian struggle for independence in 1859. Their contest having ended when he arrived, he made a tour of Europe, which resulted in his hook, "Travels of a Sugar Planter." During his absence he was elected a second time to the Louisiana Legislature and served with distinction in that body. When the War between the States broke on the country in 1861, he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel for the Confederate service and was stationed at Ship Island. This life proving monotonous, he was appointed colonel of the Fourth Louisiana regiment and made military governor of Jackson. At Shiloh he fought gallantly and was wounded; at Vicksburg he superintended the construction of fortification while under fire; at Baton Rouge he commanded a brigade but was badly wounded in both legs by a shell. In 1864 he received a brigadier general's commission, which was followed immediately by his election as governor of Louisiana. Among the many important things which he accomplished for the benefit of his State, were the payment of the Cotton tax to the Confederate government in kind, and the opening of trade between. Texas and Mexico, whereby cotton was exchanged for medicine, clothing and other necessaries. Governor Allen, in the liquor traffic, exercised dictatorial power and suppressed the trade in a way never known before. After Mr. Allen's return to Mississippi from the war in Texas, he married a Miss Crane, daughter of a wealthy planter of Grand Gulf and becoming administrator for a large estate at Baton Rouge, he became the possessor of a plantation in West Baton Rouge parish. He was just at the point where he could enjoy life when the War between the States was declared. He enlisted in the Delta Rifles as a private. Then he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel because of his war record. After his legs were crushed by a shell he had to go on crutches and in an ambulance. His undaunted courage and service brought a promotion from President Davis to brigadier general and ordered him to report to Gen. Kirby Smith in Western Louisiana on August 19, 1863. He had great difficulty reaching the post as the stream was vigilantly guarded by the Federals. Shortly after reaching Shreveport he found himself elected Governor of Louisiana or that part of the State not over-run by the Federals. Crippled as he was, he went over the entire State in an ambulance to investigate at first hand the conditions and needs of his people. Allen took over the buying of cotton, selling it to such advantage that the people realized much better prices than before. He had wagon trains delivering the cotton beyond the Rio Grande to come back laden with goods making the exchange easier and Louisiana was beginning to get some money in her treasury. Mr. Allen was direct and practical. He established a system of stores from which goods could be dispensed; purchased a foundry in Texas and put it to work making kettles, pots and so forth. Women came to him for all manner of things, from a pig to a pair of cards, and he always supplied them excepting that he could not furnish the pigs toward the close of the war. At Mount Lebanon he established a laboratory for the manufacture of medicines-and the people were suffering from this lack. In Shreveport a dispensary was established. At Minden he established a rope walk to manufacture cordage of all kinds; in Sabine he set up a turpentine still; in Claiborne a cloth factory; he urged the women to make candles during spare moments; his motto was "every woman with a pair of cards." It is wonderful how he was a master of so many things. His wonderful foresight caused him to get paper from Mexico for the papers and for publishing school books; had swords made in the Jones Foundry of Shreveport; encouraged the cultivation of Palma Christa plants from which to manufacture castor oil. In the South-Western, a newspaper published in Shreveport and now owned by Mrs. Andrew Currie, are some notices of the books published by Allen.. Having served his people so long as it was in his power to do, he retired into Mexico rather than suffer the humiliation of being court-martialed. He had protected the widow, the orphan, the sick and the wounded and had not forgotten the poor and the needy. He made his residence in Mexico City, established a paper which he called the Mexican Times, printed in Spanish and also in English. After two years of its management, he died April 22, l866 a brave soldier and an able statesman. His memory is cherished and revered by the State whom he served in every possible way for four long hard, sad years. He was buried in New Orleans. An account of the funeral is given in the old South-Western (Shreveport) paper and the New Orleans paper of that date. Governor Allen, in a letter from Mexico City, December 25, 1865, to a friend in Louisiana said: "When it shall please God to consign this mutilated body to its last resting place be it among strangers in Mexico, or friends in Louisiana, I should desire no better epitaph inscribed on my tomb than the sentiment in the closing part of your letter: "Your friends are proud to know that Louisiana had a governor who, with an opportunity of securing millions. of dollars in gold, preferred being honest in a foreign land without one cent." Brigadier-General in the Confederate Army and last Governor of Louisiana under the old regime. Born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, 29th April, 1820. Died in the City of Mexico, 22d April, 1866. * * * Note: The above is the inscription on the Baton Range monument to Allen, * * * HENRY W. ALLEN, IN MEMORIAM. (Written for the Allen Monumental Association, to be sung at the concert to be given for the benefit of their fund by the New Orleans Conservatory of Music). Aye, raise the glittering shaft on high, And on it trace his honored name, Let art with nature here unite Their worthiest tribute to his fame; While Southern hearts recall in love How Allen for them suffered long, And how when sorrow rent his soul, He bade them hope, be firm and strong. Let Allen's name forever be To us a sacred memory. Sweet perfumes float from flowery groves, Soft breathe the song bird's varied chime, And shade and sunlight blend and change, Like fortunes in our own loved clime. While echoing back from years gone by, Like words we learned at mother's knee, Comes to our hearts the message sent To us in our extremity: "The gloom is passing fast away, To us there comes a glorious day." Let patriots gather round and list, While we his actions brave resume, And learn that noble deeds and words, May not be covered by the tomb; But live they will; and when the heart That prompted them has turned to dust Will bear their fruit and bring reward To those who hold the gems in trust. Thus Allen's words and deeds hold sway, Tho he has passed from earth away. -Tim Linkinwater. New Orleans, January 11, 1873. Note: Death of Gov. Henry W. Allen-The Estafette, a paper published in the City of Mexico, had this: "Mr. H. W. Alien, late governor of Louisiana, under the Confederation, and formerly brigadier general in the armies of the South, has just died in Mexico, May 5, 1866, after a short and painful illness. "Consecrated to the cause of his country, Mr, Allen sacrificed his fortune which was considerable, and which he lost entirely. He devoted his life to her on the field of battle, and he did not leave them until the wounds, which never entirely healed, compelled him to return to civil life. His compatriots then elected him governor of Louisiana. "On the advent of the catastrophe to the South, Mr Allen came to Mexico. Firm and spirited, without making any parade of it, this man, who has possessed an income of $80,000, set himself to editing a newspaper-the Mexican Times-and to live by his labor. "He was about to leave for Europe in order to get cured of his wounds, when sickness and death came suddenly to tear him away from the affection and esteem with which he had inspired all who knew him. We had the honor to count him among our friends, and we have wished to sketch in these lines the honorable and sympathetic being, the loyal heart, the just and sensitive spirit of H. W. Allen, we have sought to pay the last tribute of affectionate respect to the man of whose friendship we are proud, who was an honor to his country and who carries with him the unanimous regard for having his body removed to this State. "Henry W. Allen came to he what he was-the most thoroughly representative man produced by the rebellion, Born on the 'sacred soir of the Old Dominion with the best blood of the State in his veins, he had the hardy training of Missouri in his boyhood with the experience of nearly 20 years residence in Mississippi and Louisiana."