in november 1862, president lincoln gave banks command of the army of the gulf, and asked him to organize a force of 30,000 new recruits, drawn from new york and new england. as a former governor of massachusetts, he was politically connected to the governors of these states, and the recruitment effort was successful. in december he sailed from new york with a large force of raw recruits to replace maj. gen. benjamin butler at new orleans, louisiana, as commander of the department of the gulf. butler disliked banks, but welcomed him to new orleans and briefed him on civil and military affairs of importance. gideon welles, secretary of the navy, doubted the wisdom of replacing butler (also a political general, and later a massachusetts governor) with banks, who he thought was a less able leader and administrator. banks had to contend not just with southern opposition to the occupation of new orleans, but also to politically hostile radical republicans both in the city and in washington, who criticized his moderate approach to administration.