Huntsville gazette., 1894-09-08
GEN. N. p. BANKS DEAD.


He Passed Away at waltham, Mass, His
Birthplace Long and Useful Career
Ended-'Twas Begun as "Bobbin Boy
i'm Cotton MILL and He X ached High
Political and Military Homo s-Biograph-
tcal Sketch.
WALTHAM, Mass, Sept 2.-Gen. N.
P. Banks, who has been very low at his
home on Main street here since Thurs
day night. expired at o'clock this
morning.
Nathaniel Prentiss Banks was born
in Waltham, Mass, January 30, 1916.
While a boy he worked in cotton fac
tory in his native village, and after
ward learned the machinist's trade. He
devoted his leisure hours to study. and
at an early age lectured before political
meetings, lyceums, and temperance So
cieties. He afterwards became editor
of the village newspaper and received,
during the Polk administration, an APP
pointment in the customhouse at Bos-
ton. He was admitted to the bar in
1s49, and the same year was elected
to the Massachusetts house of rep
resentatives. In 1851 he was chosen
speaker of the house as one of the
prominent advocates of coalition"
between the democrats and the free
soilers, by which the wings were
overthrown in Massachusetts,. He
was again elected by the same
combination, and also representa-
tive in the ensuing congress. IN
the summer of 1858 he was president of
the convention called to revise the con-
stitution of the state. During his first
term in congress he withdrew from the
democratic party and, in 1854, was
reelected with the support of both
the 'know-nothing or American
and republican parties, and in Decem-
ber, 1855, was elected speaker of the
national house of representatives after
contest lasting two months. He was
a member of the succeeding congress,
and was nominated in separate conren-
tions of the American and republican
parties for the office of governor
of Massachusetts. to which he was
elected in November, 1857, and re-
elected in 1853 and 1859. In 1860 he
succeeded Capt. George b. Mcclellan
as president of the Illinois Central
Railroad Co., but upon the outbreak of
the civil war, in 1861, he re-
ceived major-general's commits
sion, and was assigned to the
Fifth corps of the army of the Poto-
mae. A portion of his troops fought
with success at Winchester, March %,
1872. On May "A he was attacked by
Stonewall Jackson and forced to re-
treat to the Potomac AS commander
Of corps under Gen. Pope he
fought the battle Of Cedar Noun
tain. and after participating in Gen.
Sigels movements in the valley of
Virginia, was put in command of the
city of Washington. Later he sue
ceeded Gen. Butler as commander OF
the department Of the gulf,
with headquarters at New Or
leans. In April, 1868, he captured
Opelousas, and in July took Port Hud-
son, completing the opening Of the
Mississippi river. In the spring of
1864 he made an unsuccessful expedi-
tion up the Red river, and in May of
that year was relieved of his COM
mand He was elected to congress
in his old district in November,
1864, and was reelected in 1866, 1868
ana 1870, serving as chairman of the
committee on foreign relations. In the
canvass of 1872 he took an active part
in favor of the election of Horace Gree
ley as president of the United States,
since which time he took no very active
part in public affairs
The funeral services will be held in
Asbury temple, this city, at 2 o'clock
next Tuesday afternoon, and the body
will lie in state in the temple.