BANKS, NATHANIEL PRENTISS Amer ican politician and soldier, was born at Waltham, Mass., on Jan. 3o, I S 16. He received only a common school education and at an early age began work as a bobbin-boy in a cotton factory of which his father was superintendent. Subsequently he edited a weekly paper at Waltham, studied law and was admitted to the bar. He served as a Free Soiler in the Massachusetts house of representatives from 1849 to 1853, and was speaker in 1851 and 1852; and, in 1853, was elected to the national House of Repre sentatives as a coalition candidate of Democrats and Free Soilers. He soon after joined the Republican Party. In 1856, after a pro tracted contest, he was chosen speaker on the 133rd ballot. He resigned his seat in Dec. 1857, and was governor of Massachusetts from 1858-61. In 1861 President Lincoln appointed him major general of volunteers. In 1862 Banks was ordered to move against Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, but the latter with superior forces defeated him at Winchester, Va., on May 25. Aug. 9 Banks again encountered Jackson at Cedar Mountain, and succeeded in holding his ground. In November, Banks sailed from New York to replace Gen. B. F. Butler at New Orleans. In May, 1863, he in vested the defences of Port Hudson, La., which surrendered July 9. In the autumn of 1863 Banks organized expeditions to Texas, and secured possession of the region near the mouths of the Nueces and the Rio Grande. But his Red River expedition, March-May 1864, forced upon him by superior authority, was a complete failure. From 1865 to 1873 he was again a representa tive in Congress, serving as chairman of the committee on foreign affairs. A personal quarrel with President Grant led in 1872, how ever, to his joining the Liberal-Republican revolt in support of Horace Greeley. In 1874 he was successful as a Democratic can didate, serving one term Having rejoined the Repub lican Party in 1876, he was United States marshal for Massachu setts from 1879 until 1888, when for the ninth time he was elected to Congress. He died at Waltham on Sept. 1, See Frank M. Flinn, Campaigning with Banks in Louisiana, '63 and '64 (1887) ; and Charles Kassel, "The Labor System of General Banks," in "Open Court," xli. 3-.5o (1928) .