at the outbreak of the civil war, president lincoln appointed banks as one of the first 'political' major generals, over the heads of west point regulars, who initially resented him, but came to acknowledge his influence on the administration of the war. after suffering a series of inglorious setbacks in the shenandoah river valley at the hands of stonewall jackson, banks replaced benjamin butler at new orleans as commander of the department of the gulf, charged with administration of louisiana and gaining control of the mississippi river. but he failed to reinforce grant at vicksburg, and badly handled the siege of port hudson, taking its surrender only after vicksburg had fallen. he then launched the red river campaign, a failed attempt to occupy eastern texas that prompted his recall. banks was regularly criticized for the failures of his campaigns, notably in tactically important tasks including reconnaissance. banks was also instrumental in early reconstruction efforts in louisiana, intended by lincoln as a model for later such activities.