The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-02
An EventfuI Career.

Follow the course of the Charles river
from Massachusetts bay out q yh the
meadows in front of Longfellov II man.
sion in Cambridge. through w, ter own, a
distance Of ten miles. and you W D ,ome to
the town of Waltham. 1t was in that town
that Nathaniel Prentiss Banks was born
or Jan. 80. 1916. His father was a carpenter
in poor circumstances, unable to give his
children an extended education. At a ten
der age Banks was set to work in the cot
ton milf in the town. When hardly out of
his teens he manifested a taste for oratory,
and the strongest feature of his personality
was his wonderful voice. In addition to his
magnificent voice his personality was at
t%ractive. As straight as an Indian, his
well-knit frame proclaimed perfect health
and a robust manhood, while his finely
shaped head well set off his broad, square
shoulders. His hair vas as white as the
driven snow. but the mustache and i'm
periai which he wore made him look fully
a dozen years younger than he really was.
From the workshop in the mill to his
election as a member OF the Legislature
from his native town, thence inward 10
the speakership of the Massachusetts
House. the gubernatorial chair. to
Congress and the speakership of the
General Banks's career was rapid.
he first went 10 Congress in 1853 as a
coalition Democrat. He identified himself
with the knOwnothing party and was over
~whelmingly reelected in 1856. After a con-
test of nine weeks he was elected Sneaker
Of the House on the 133d ballot. After the
House had become well-nigh exhausted i'm
Its efforts to elect a Speaker, ii adopted the
plurality rule in order to put an end to the
effort was made to unite the opposition
against General Banks by making Gov.
Aiken his rival, and had not six members
then belonging to the knownothing party
refused to vote for him he would have been
chosen. Tremendous excitement followed
the declaration by the tellers that Banks
had been chosen. DR.. Marshall, a ire-eat-
Ing member from Kentucky, offered a res
olution declaring Howell Cobb. of Georgia,
seconded the motion in one of his fiery,
ranting harangues. For a few moments ev-
proceedings by a fight upon the floor Of the
House, when Governor Aiken mounted his
seat; and. in a voice that rang out above
the Jury or the storm, declared n. u. Banks
elected Speaker, and that he would person.
ally conduct him TO the chair. The South
erners quailed before the voice of their
chosen leader, and for a moment their fury
and rant was hushed into silence, and.
Selling the opportunity, Governor Aiken
and ex-Speaker Cobb. OF Georgia. escorted
Banks to the Speakers chair. when a shout
went up from freedoms champion on the
first great Republican victory achieved in
the Nation. PROFESSIONALLY Banks was in
the zenith OF his fame as Speaker of the
national House of Representatives. So we'll
htted was ne for this position. and so ex-
tended became his fame, that in 1860 he was
one OF the candidates for the presidential
n1mlnati0n Of v Teceivin agg ,a a respectable
ballots at the convention In Chicago
The American party dissolved after Banks
was made Speaker In Congress, and he be-
came a Republican, returning to Congress-
In 1851 by a larger majority than ever. He
resigned to accept the governorship of Mas
sachusetts, and was reelected Governor in
1858 and 1883. In 1860 he followed Gen. Chen
Captain George 3. Mcclellan as president
of the Illinois Central railroad.
When the civil war broke out he was
commissioned major general of volunteers,
and took the command OF the Fifth Corps
in the Army of the Potomac. His military
in comparison with his civil career. It TtiV wars
as Representative of Congress from the
Fifth district that he lived the most re-
Never was a member OF Congress wor-
SHIPPED as Banks. His appearance in a pub
demonstration OF applause. and whoever
had the platform he was obliged to sub
side until Banks had been heard from
Many a time he mas been borne up and
down Washington street in Waltham on
the shoulders of his wild and faithful sup
porterS. and often he secluded himself TO es-
cape the pent-up enthusiasm of his friends
There was something in the man that
the Republican ticket in 1872 and supported
Greeley for President. Then ii was said
that Banks,s day had come; His oppon-
the nominee of the Independents and Dem
ocrats in 1874 Banks received a tremen-
00AS " alo vas CtQlL u Nlt lOUSc
Later he came back into the Republican
fold. when he failed TO get the nomination
by a single vote.
General Banks's i'll luck struck him dur
ing the war. His first active service was
on the upper Potomac. and in the Shenan-
doah valley. a part of his corp acquitting
itself we'll at Winchester. March o. 1852.
He was left with about eight thousand men
TO guard the Shenandoah. and TO the tender
mercy Of Stonewall Jackson who. with the
whole rebel CORDS. fell on General Banks's
command. which barely escaped being to-
tally captured by hard fighting and a good
retreat across the Potomac at Front Royal.
May %. 1862. General Banks made a good
fight at Cedar Mountain. holding out
against largely superior forces until rein
forced. In the fall he was placed in COM
mand OF the defenses at Washington while
the secret preparations for the army
TO New Orleans were going on. He look
command Of the expedition that sailed from
New York In November. and on reaching
New Orleans succeeded General Butler in
command OF the department. Then came
his unfortunate expedition up the Red
river. Backed BY . powerful fleet he was