Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/775

Rh pelling the banks for their own safety—in defiance of forfeiture of charters—to suspend specie payments. Before the surrender of New Orleans, and as a practical measure warranted alone by the exigencies of the time, he prohibited planters from adding other bales to the cotton supply already crowding the levee. When the city fell, he promptly summoned the State legislature to meet at Opelousas. Finding it difficult to insure a quorum in that town, he transferred its sessions to Shreveport, which remained, throughout the conflict, the war capital of Louisiana. Governor Moore did not long survive the war. In June, 1876, he passed away at his home in Rapide Parish, honored by the people of the State which he had so loyally and intelligently served. He died at the ripe age of seventy-three.

Henry Watkins Allen, second war governor of Louisiana, was born in Prince Edward county, Virginia, April 29, 1820. His father, a noted physician, removed to Lexington, Mo., and Henry was placed in Marion college, whence he went to Grand Gulf, Miss., in consequence of a family dispute. There he became a lawyer, and after creditable service in the Texan war with Mexico, he was elected to the legislature in 1846. Later he settled near West Baton Rouge, and was elected to the Louisiana legislature, in 1853. In 1859 he went to Europe to engage in the Italian struggle for independence, and made a tour of the continent. On his return he again sat in the legislature. When war broke out he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel and stationed at Ship Island. Subsequently he was made colonel of the Fourth Louisiana regiment and military governor of Jackson. He was wounded at Shiloh, and at Vicksburg rendered valuable service in the construction of fortifications. At Baton Rouge he was badly wounded. On his recovery his devoted service was recognized by promotion to the rank of brigadier-general, in September, 1864,