Henry Watkins Allen Governor 1864-1865

Henry Watkins Allen was born in Farmville, Virginia on April 29, 1820. He was the son of a physician and planter. He attended public schools most of his life and became an attorney after being admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1841. Allen served in the Mississippi State Legislature from 1845-1847. He moved to West Baton Rouge Parish in 1852 and acquired a large sugar plantation. Allen was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1857 as a member of the Know-Nothing (American) party. He transferred to the Democratic Party in 1859. An avid history enthusiast, Allen reorganized the Louisiana Historical society and served as its President in 1861. Allen traveled to Europe in 1861 and wrote a book "The Travels of a Sugar Planter." While in Europe, he was reelected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. At the onset of the Civil War, Allen joined the Confederate fight. He occupied multiple positions in the Confederate Army: Private in Delta Rifles Co., Lieutenant Colonel of the 4th Louisiana Infantry Regiment and Colonel of the 4th Louisiana Infantry Regiment. He helped seize the federal arsenal in Baton Rouge, fought at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee and commanded a brigade at the Battle of Baton Rouge. After being wounded at both the Battle of and the Battle of Baton Rouge, Allen's direct fighting career was over. Governor Thomas O. Moore appointed Allen to the rank of Major General of the Louisiana Militia. The Confederate Congress later promoted him to Brigadier General. On November 2, 1863, Allen was elected Governor of Confederate Louisiana. He was inaugurated on January 25, 1864. Once in office, Allen 

took a trip around the state and was amazed at what he saw. He saw people starving, diseased, children suffering from malnourishment and lacking the bare necessities. He saw firsthand the damage the Civil War had done to Louisiana. One of Allen's first efforts as Governor was to help provide for the needy citizens of Louisiana. He opened stores across the state to provide the poor and starving with clothes, food and medicine. He also established a laboratory to produce medicines and medical facilities to distribute them. Faced with financial instability and high cost for civilian care, Men began to trade with Mexico. He traded sugar and cotton for food, medicine, farm equipment and many other necessities. He urged the Legislature to provide pensions for the widows of Confederate soldiers, those impoverished by the absence of a husband or father and aid to wounded veterans. As Governor Allen's efforts began to help pull the state from its decline, the Civil War ended. As the end of the war approached, Allen was a hero in the state, both for his war effort and for his effort to help the suffering citizens. When Governor Allen heard of General Robert E. Lee s surrender, he gave a farewell speech and went into exile in Mexico for fear of being punished by the federal forces. He was buried in the American Cemetery in Mexico City. His remains were returned to Louisiana and placed on the grounds of the state capitol in 1885. In 1878, a settlement along the Mississippi river was named Port Allen after Governor Allen. The village was officially incorporated in 1916 and designated a city in 1923.