Campaigns · Shiloh and Baton Rouge
HistoryCentral · Primary Source & History GENERAL HENRY WATKINS ALLEN, CSA VITAL STATISTICS BORN: 1820 in Prince Edward City, VA. DIED: 1866 in Mexico City, MX CAMPAIGNS: Shiloh and Baton Rouge. HIGHEST RANK ACHIEVED: Brigadier General. BIOGRAPHY Born on April 29, 1820 in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Allen worked in business, but soon quit the position. He attending college briefly and taught, but soon found that the life of a soldier appealed to him most.
He volunteered to fight in the War for Texas Independence. After moving to Louisiana, he studied law for one year at Harvard University and returned to Louisiana to begin a political career. The Civil War interrupted his political career as Allen enlisted in the Louisiana Infantry. Although he was wounded in the face at Shiloh, he refused to leave the field and, although his leg was later shattered by a shell fragment at Baton Rouge, he refused to have his leg amputated.
By September 1863, he was physically unfit for service. Allen was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and transferred to the Trans-Mississippi. Soon after his return to Louisiana, he was elected governor, in which position he helped revitalize the war-time economy of Louisiana. Allen began trade with Mexico, began a state welfare system, and allowed people to pay with Louisiana or Confederate currency, introducing economic stability to the region.
When the Confederacy surrendered, Allen supported Kirby Smith's attempt to keep fighting. By May 1865, however, Allen suggested that the army be disbanded, and he fled to Mexico in fear for his life. Allen published an English-language newspaper based in Mexico City, but, having never fully recovered from his battle wounds, he died on April 22, 1866.