War, Politics, And Reconstruction ― Stormy Days in Louisiana

A memoir of the ambitious life and controversial political career of Louisiana governor Henry Clay Warmoth (1842-1931), War, Politics, and Reconstruction is a firsthand account of the political and social machinations of Civil War America and the war's aftermath in one of the most volatile states of the defeated Confederacy.
At the onset of the Civil War, Warmoth, an Illinois native, traded his district attorney appointment for a colonel's commission in the Union army. He was wounded at Vicksburg in May 1863 and, while on leave, was dishonorably discharged by General U. S. Grant for being absent without leave and for circulating reports of exaggerated Union losses. He fought the discharge and was restored to his rank by an executive order from President Abraham Lincoln.
Warmoth arrived in Louisiana in 1864 as part of the federal occupation forces. Upon leaving military service in 1865, he established himself in private legal practice in New Orleans. Taking full advantage of the chaotic times, Warmoth rapidly amassed fortune and influence, and soon emerged as a leader of the state's Republican Party and, in 1868, was elected governor. Amid an administration rife with scandal and corruption, the Louisiana Republican Party broke into warring factions. Warmoth survived an impeachment attempt in 1872, but a second attempt in 1873 culminated with his removal from office. This fall from Republican grace stemmed from his allegiance with white conservatives, remnants of the old guard, and staunch opponents of those Republicans who sought a wider role for African Americans in Louisiana's changing political landscape.
Though he never again held political office, Warmoth remained in his adopted Louisiana, enjoying the fruits of his investments. In 1930, the year before his death, he published War, Politics, and Reconstruction, a vindication of his public life and a rebuttal of his reputation as an opportunistic carpetbagger of the highest order. Despite Warmoth's obvious self-serving biases, the volume offers unparalleled depth of personal insight into the inner workings of Reconstruction government in Louisiana in the words of one of its key architects.
A new introduction by John C. Rodrigue places Warmoth's memoir within the broader context of evolving perceptions and historiography of Reconstruction. Rodrigue also offers readers a more balanced portrait of Warmoth by providing supplemental information omitted or slighted by the author.

John C. Rodrigue is an associate professor of history at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.