Civil War Neal Dow

general dow

dow continued promote prohibition after leaving office, added voice growing chorus advocating abolition of slavery. several slaveholding states seceded after election of republican presidential candidate abraham lincoln, , formed confederate states of america; before outbreak of civil war, dow called rebellion crushed , slavery abolished. 57 years old @ outbreak of war, , determined stay home , tend business , care aging father. after confederate attack on fort sumter, however, dow felt compelled join union cause. governor israel washburn appointed him colonel of 13th maine volunteer infantry regiment on november 23, 1861. many of officers dow recruited cause associates prohibition movement.

new orleans

after winter of training in maine, dow , 13th maine dispatched gulf of mexico in february 1862. before departing, dow quarreled superiors when learned unit placed under command of major general benjamin f. butler, democrat whom dow regarded soft on slavery , pro-rum . dow s protests ineffective, earned butler s enmity. after joining butler @ fort monroe, virginia, regiment sailed south , forced land in north carolina after storm; dow s performance in emergency won butler s praise, 2 still cordially loathed each other. after damaged ships repaired, butler s army continued south ship island, mississippi.

butler s army, aided flag officer david farragut s fleet, captured new orleans on april 29, 1862. dow , 13th maine did not join in attack, remaining behind guard ship island. day earlier, congress had approved dow s promotion brigadier general. blamed butler excluding him battle, believing butler threatened promotion , calling him bully , beast . spent of time quarreling second-in-command, lieutenant colonel francis s. hesseltine, while regiment occupied forts around new orleans. while there, dow encouraged black slaves run away captivity , take shelter union army. confiscated property nearby planters, including supported union, , tried unsuccessfully claim personal salvage rights on confederate military property abandoned in river.

in october 1862, dow given command on district of pensacola, , moved join other units there. earned troops disfavor placing pensacola under prohibition. (without authorization washington) began recruit black troops local slave population while continuing confiscation of rebel property. butler countermanded confiscation order, dow believed done in revenge banning of alcohol.

port hudson , capture

libby prison, site of dow s imprisonment

in december 1862, nathaniel p. banks replaced butler in command @ new orleans. banks, massachusetts republican prohibitionist sympathies, had known dow before war, displeased dow refusing repeal butler s order against confiscation of rebel property. did, however, allow dow return new orleans take part in planned spring offensive. union armies looked complete control on mississippi river, vicksburg, mississippi , port hudson, louisiana held out against federal control. major general ulysses s. grant moved on vicksburg north while banks advanced port hudson south. may 21, town surrounded.

banks determined break siege direct assault on confederate lines. dow believed attack mistake, , delayed units participation until later in day. in assault, unsuccessful, dow wounded in right arm , left thigh , sent nearby plantation convalesce. while in hospital, lobbied transfer theater chances of promotion greater. on june 30, having healed enough mount horse again, dow visited troops. returned hospital after dark, captured confederate cavalry operating behind union lines.

dow taken wagon , train jackson, mississippi, montgomery, alabama, before being confined libby prison in richmond, virginia, confederacy s capital. in august, transferred mobile, alabama, confederate officials investigated whether dow had armed slaves fight against rebels, confederate congress had made capital offense. dow had done so, prosecutors find no evidence of such action after law passed, charges dropped , dow returned libby prison in october. remained there until february 1864, when exchanged captive confederate general william henry fitzhugh lee, son of general robert e. lee. health damaged prison experience, , after spending several months convalescing in portland, resigned army in november 1864.