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217. The Piano Raids of Northwest Florida 1862

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Updated: Mar 29, 2022


Upon the evacuation of the Confederate Army in 1862 from Milton and Pensacola, the citizens were left with no protection from Richmond and only military law from the occupying Federal force. Given these two choices, many of the local citizens chose to depart for Alabama and safety. This of course left a huge vacuum of "no-man's land" for those who stayed. The departing families took what they could carry, but most of their furniture and larger possessions had to be left behind. Since Northwest Florida was considered a "rebelling territory" it was assumed that all rights and privileges had been forfeited and all property was up for grabs. It was about this time that General Neal Dow was given command over the District of Pensacola in October 1862.


Upon his arrival, the former temperance leader immediately placed Pensacola under a "prohibition order." He also continued his practice of confiscating any property of value from the surrounding homesteads. His opinion was that it was within his authority to loot the homes of the nearby planters, including those who supported the Union. He further claimed, although unsuccessfully, that he had "salvage rights" over all abandoned Confederate military property. At one point, Dow was sending his men into the Milton and Pensacola countryside to collect piano’s and have them brought back to Barrancas for transport up north. These became known as the "Piano Raids." It was recorded that "Dow acquired a large and interesting collection” of pianos and furniture for his own personal use.


Eventually, his nefarious activities came to the attention of his commanding officer, Major General Benjamin Butler who wrote on October 26, 1862 that, "the steamer was sent to Pensacola for special service, with written orders, under my own hand, for the utmost dispatch, and in such case the boat must never be interfered with. It has been informally reported to me that your expedition was sent for furniture up the Blackwater. If that was necessary for the comfortable occupation of your quarters of course I should not seriously object, but the fewer of such expeditions the better. I cannot permit the shipping of furniture or other articles North by any officer for his own use. Such taking of private property, whether belonging to rebels or others, comes under the order of the War Department, No. 107, a copy of which I send you, and is denominated "plundering." If, in your judgment, any property should belong or does belong to the United States, and can be better disposed of North than here, and should be properly shipped and sold, you will take the same course that I did with the bells captured at New Orleans, send it to the United States quartermaster at Boston or New York to be disposed of on account of the Government, but upon no consideration and under no pretense for the private account of any officer. I must of course submit such matters, with these instructions, to the discretion of an officer as high in command as yourself, not doubting that it will be properly used.....Signed General Benjamin F. Butler."


In December 1862, Nathaniel P. Banks replaced Butler in command at New Orleans. Banks immediately displeased Dow by refusing to repeal Butler's order against confiscation of Rebel property. However, as Banks moved on Port Hudson during the Vicksburg Campaign, Dow was brought back for the battle in May 1863. In the fight, Dow was severely wounded and taken prisoner where he was sent to Libby Prison in Richmond. There, he remained until February 1864, when he was exchanged for Confederate General William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, son of General Robert E. Lee. For health reasons, he resigned from the Army in November 1864. Following an unsuccessful run for the Presidency in 1880, he passed away on October 2, 1897 and was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, Maine. The fate of all those Milton and Pensacola pianos will probably never be known!


General Neal Dow "The Piano Raider"


Typical piano of the period


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