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and Iron those who are shedding tears today over his untimely end. From the hill* and the valleys, from river to river, and from the Bea shore to the farthest limit of the State, there goes up a wail of sorrow, and our people will not be comforted because their benefactor is no more.Henry Watkins Allen was bom in Prince Edward County. Virginia, of a family of great respectability in that, one of the most refined and enlightened, sections of the State. The house in which he was horn is still standing, within two miles of the little town of Farmville, and about the same distance from the ‘'High Bridge| across the Appomattox river, all of which p'aces have recently been rendered classic a9 the scenes of the retreat and capture of Lie's noble army of Northern Virginia.— About a mile farther is “Longwood,” in the suburbs of Farmville, many years ago the residence of Judge Peter Johnston, on eminent jurist and member of the famed Legislature of 1798, which passed the Resolutions; where was born about the year 1808 his illustrious sou General Joseph Eggleston Johnston, commander of the Western Army of thn Confederate States of America. Both these places arc now owned by members of the Venable family,[near collnteral relations of our departed i friend. A few miles beyond Longwood, in an humble cottage, was horn Sterling I Price, the Missouri hero, who shared with his illustrious countrymen, the son of his | old friend, a galling exilo in a far country [rather than admit tlmt the cmi3e for which [he fought was unjust, inhuman and rebel-I lions. In the same neighborhood was born |T. Watkins Lignni Governor of Maryland,! and cousin of Henry Watkins Allen. And I in the same County George M. Bib, dis ! tinguished in tho Cabinet and the Legisla-' live lmlls of the country, first saw the light. | j fn the same County also is situated Hamp- j j don Sidney College a trenerable seat of | Learning, and the Union Theological Semi-1 j nary, an able nu-sery of piety, within the pale of the Presbyterian Church.Henry allien's father was Dr. James .Ul;u, a highly respected physician and j planter of Prince Edward County, and hi? mother was a Miss Watbius, a daughter of one of the be3t families of that neighbor , hood, distinguished fur talents and for I many private virtues, Through her oui j friend was related to the Venable family j which lias given a Senator and a Bepre-I sentative to the Councils of the nation, more than one ornament to the literary ; world, and many an estimable gentleman ;: and lady to the walks of private life. He j , was also related to the Lig'rns, the Wil-| j sons, tlio Mortons anil other? among the j j most respectable families in the .State. i | Many years ago when tho new State? I 1 were first opened up in'tho West, it wasi j fashionable for tho most enterprising among ; j the Virginians to emigrate to tire West i ! for the purpose of providing tor their fami jMr. Allen raised a company among tn? neighbors, inarched to the seat of war, and offered himself to the people of Texas in tho emergency which was likely to call forth tlieir heroism in another war for the maintenance of their newly purchased lib erties. It was for this act of disinterestedness that the Texans to this day revere the memory of Captain Allen, and expressed their willingness during the late war to do anything for him that lie should desire of them. While a member of the Legislature of Louisiana he procured the passage of a resolution donating to the State of Texas two cannon in the possession of the authorities of our State, called the “Twin sisters,’’ which had been captured by the Tfptnns at the battle of Son Jacinto on the19th of April, 183(5.Some time about the year 1850, if we remember rightly, Captain Allen removed from Mississippi and settled in the Parish of West Baton Rouge as a sugar planter.— ily means of energy, industry and integrity he soon amassed a fortune and was living in the ease and retirement which characterized so many of our planters at the commencement, of the late unfortunate war.— His splendid mnn?ion was destroyed by the Federal.? on the occupation of tho countiy, his fine shade trees cut dowr., and the ‘-Robertson crevasse, of which we hear so much in the paper?, is now desolating those beautiful fields, which, under hi3 culture, were as blooming as the rose.In the year 1857 Captain Allen wasreaders and grammars, at a triflingexpense. to aid in the education of those who were too young to bear the hardships of the battle field. His legislature met while he wo? absorbed in his labors, saw what he was doing, said well done good and faithful servsnt, and placod at his disposal all the resources of the State. Thousands of bales of cotton, and millions of dollars, passed through his hands and were devoted to tho good of the people, and yet he was dependent on the charity of his friends for the means to take him out of the countiy. Was Aristides more just, or Fabrieius less corruptible?We cannot dwell on the scenes following tho surrender; our heart sicken? at the recital; our eyes are blinded by tears as we write. By the action of the conquering power this noble spirit was forced into ex-Ic to escape certain death in a dungeon.— Languishing far away from his home he 1ms died with a broken heart. His last thoughts were of tits friend? he had left behind; his last request to be buried in the military uniform of the country for which he gave his fiie.It were useless to attempt to portray the character of Governor Allen to the people of Louisiana within whoso limits every man, woman and child are as familiar with his virtnes os with household words. Hi? mind was of a high order, and well cultivated by reading and observation, notwiih-tanding the incompleteness of his early duration. Naturally impulsive, his entliu-iics. Ur. Allen, who had a large family.for whom he' was anxious to provide, loll Virginia in the year 1831 and emigrated to Missouri, which was then supposed to pre sent peculiar inducements to emigrants with limited means. He settled in Bay a rich agricultural County, on the North side of the Missouri, about two hundred and fifty miles from St. Louis. Here he 1! raised liis family, and here ho died in the j year 1848. But few of the members of his | family now survive. We can recall only a j daughter, married to Hon. Ephraim B. j ' i Ewing, (son of Eov. Finis Ewing, the | ! founder of the Sect of “Cumberland Pres-! ! i hyteriaas,) who held successively the i ’; offices of Secrctan- of State, Attorney! 11 Genera!, and Judge of the Supreme Court J ' | of Missouri. Hero Henry spent hi? early; 1: boyhood and enjoyed such educational ad j 1 j vantages as the imperfect back-wooils, 1 j schools afforded until he was prepared for jI j college. He was then sent to Marion Col-! j lege, at Palmyra, in the County of Marion.! inear the Mississippi river in the NorthI Eastern part of the State. The particular j reason why this institution was selected, i i i was because its President was an oi l | f! friend cf his father, Rev. Hyram P. Good- ■II rich, D. P., who had been a professor in j i i the Union Theological Seminary in Prince;I Edward, and who had been forced to give ; I up his piMessorehip on the division of! , | the Presbyterian Church in 1837— a man | • ; of great learning, of ardent piety, but to j i i tally unskilled in the ways of the world — | I His excellent instruction produced a deci- j •: ded impression on the mind of his young! i! pupil, which he enjoyed, however, but a j i i very short time; for we find him at the age! I of sixteen wending his way to the South, j .; thrown on bis own resources, and seeking j j to earn his livelihood by means of honest j j labor. From that age lie was never a. I charge on his father or any member of his j I family. From his humble beginning as a j I reach,-r of a small school iu Mississippi at; ! the age of sixteen (as we have often heard1 him relate it «ith pride) ho rose to wealth, j l to respectability, to honor and to fame. I While engaged in his daily labors as a ! school teacher in Mississippi Mr. Allen was uot idle. His active mind could not on dare repose. All 111? leisure moments were devoted to intense study of tho Law, which lie had selected as his future profession. In due time he was admitted to the bar, and we have been assured by his neighbors would hare risen to eminence as a jurist had cot untoward circumstancesnominated by the American party and el- J ?iasm often got. the hotter ofhis judgment, ectod to tie House of Representatives j but his conclusions were in the main cor from the Parish of West Baton Rouge.—; rect, and nothing equalled the rapidity of He immediately took a high stand as a | the execution of his well settled plans.— debater and an influential member. Before j Ha was a nervous and vigorous writer, bis second session the disintegration of hi?: though often diffuse and incorrect for the own party had thrown him into the ranks j reasons we have already mentioned. Ilis of the Democracy, when bo became as “Travels uf a Sugar Planter” is aveiy mucba leader of tho Democratic party a? j entertaining work and wc think a second he had before led his own party—so form- Uditinn now would bo universally read.— ed for leadership by nature was he. j Jn the social circle Governor Allen, in theWe have now traced the life of Henry day? ofhis prosperity and happiness, had W. Allen down to the commencement of i no peer. Devoted to hi? friends, and an the present war—a contest which was to j enthusiastic admirer of women, ho was the develop liia greatness ami exhibit him to : lile of every parly in his neighborhood as-the world in thn character which best suit- secilled for social and convivial purposes, ml liis noble nature. As a matter of course j His good nature was proverbial; his teni-he was an ardent supporter of the rights of j per impossible to be milled. He would the South, and an earnest advocate of the j submit to anything that would givo pleas-right and duty of Louisiana to spvnr her j ure to others.connection with thn Federal Government. As regards his religious opinions we As soon as war had been resolved on he probably know more than most men who volunteered for ths defense of his Stale | enjoyed liis annualntaftie. Roared under and was chosen Lieutonaiit-Cotonel nf the j the teachings of firm believers in the truth Fourth Regiment of Louisiana Infantry.- j„f Christianity ho never departed from his For a year this noble regiment was in a early training. W State of inactivity on Ship Island—an inactivity which was gulling to a mnn of the nervors activity of Colonel Allen. It was released, however, in time to participate in the bloody battle of Shiloh on the Cth of April, 1862, by which time Lieulennnt-Colonrl Allen had been piomoted to the Colonelcy to fill a vacancy. In that battle Colonel Allen and hi? Regiment were conspicuous for gallantry, and during its progress our heroic friend was painfully wounded in the face.Not long after this event the Fourth Regiment was attached to a command which operated in Southern Mississippi and Louisiana, and formed part of the force which, under the commend of General •John (!, Breckinridge, fought the memorable battle of Baton Rouge on tlm 6th of August. 1862. In that battle Colonel Allen commanded a division, and was in the hottest part of the contest, in that portion of the line immediately coirmandcd by the gallant General Williams in person. In the midst of the fray the noble Allen fell, with both legs broken, and Ilis horse killed under him ; but lie rose on his shattered limbs and cheered on his men until the enemy had fled from the field. From thesedepartedremember ill his “Travels of a Sugar Planter,” a letter written from tho tomb of Calvin to bis old Pastor, Dr. Butler of Port Gibson, in which while speaking with pride of his Calvinistic faith he condemned the murder of Survetus and the kindred bigotry and fanaticism which had so often disgraced the Calvinistic church. When preparing his school books for the press, wu reiiiefliber hearing him charge the friend who was assisting biin in their preparation to make them breathe the spirit of Christianity and of piety.And our noble friend is gone 1 Wc shall never look upon his countenanco again.— Often, wheu thinking of the darkness which now surround? onr public affair?, and dreaming of the time when peace, and happiness and prosgerity should again bless our State, iu the far off future, among the sweetest and dearest thoughts was the belief that Henry Allen would be among ns, to share that prosperity and to contribute to our greatness and to our coming glory. But an all-wise Providence, for some good reason which we cannot Understand, has decreed otherwise. Wc bow in humble submission to his omnipotent will. And if indeed we had our own choice ofwounds Colonel Allen never recovered ; | '‘tarings to lie vouchsafed us, we can think they doubtless were the proximate eau3e of f no'hing better to ask than that some one liis death. | like bur departed hero miy arise in the fu-For many long months ho lay in pain ; tur,!to do for the people of this State what near liis Regiment in the trenches at Port j 'l8 h*8 ^one' aDt' 10 perpetuate the same Hudson. As soon as he had partially re- j n°bto example oi heroism, of virtue and ben-covered he was appointed Major-General of; cflcenee.the Louisiana Militia, an office which lie j ——-declined to accept that of Brigadicr-Genora| j OsS“ We regret to learn that General in the Army of the Confederate States.— Webber and the garrison on duty at this Before, however, liis Brigade was complete- post have been relieved to be mustered out, ly formed, the people of Louisiana, on the I an'l 'l|at their places are to be supplied by lir?t Monday of November, 1863, with sin I other troops. Since General Webber has gular auanijnity, elected him their Governor j hecn on duty among ns he lias treated our for the ensuing four years. j people with uniform courtery and kindness,We come now to that brilliant and glo- lanJ ff0 holle il wil1 n,,t *» taken as invid-riou? administration, which forever en-}ions whlt;1 we 81IJt,lat his command i? com-shrined the memory or General Allen in; Dostjd of tl! bl!it behaved troops that have the hearts of the people of Louisiana. He i,!Ver been 5,ationBj here. While we write settled down at Shreveport to the dis-la ,arSft detachment is inarching through charge of his duties, and immediately set ,1,c 8,re('t 0,1 tl,e!r 'v°y to worK 011 the to work to alleviate the intense sufferings Ilcvecs to allVP our Peo!1,e rrom t,le horror.the people of Louisiana were undergoing He found the people disheartened at the discouraging prospect before them, the credit of the State gone, the women and children naked and half starved while their protectors were in the army charged antliof an impending overflow. We can only hqpc that their successor? may imitate their good qualities.Bit* The Rev. J. F. B. Wilmer, of Vir-einia, has been elected Episcopal Bishop ofthe defense of the country. How to rani- L'[uis'mna' t0 fueceed tbe htmented andmate our drooping spirits, howto clothi the naked, feed the hungry, and pre vide for the sick, constituted a problem which seemed to be impossible of solution, and from which the stoutest heart shrunk in the most hopeless dismay. But Henry Allen was not made of such stuff as to give wayunder the cumulation of difficulties. By *j £3“ General Joseph E. Johnston has judiciofta husbanding of the resources of! been elected President of the Alabama and tbe State he appreciated her /ailing curren-[Tennessee River Rail Road Company.ted Leonidas Polk.B©. The Rev. Theodore Clapp, so well known in days gone by in New Orleans, a? tbe Rector of Clapp's Church, died in Louisville on tho 17th iust in the 75th year ofhis age.
Newspaper Details
The Louisiana Democrat
Alexandria, Louisiana, US
Wed, May 23, 1866
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Ronnie H.
AL, USA 21 Oct 2024
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