General John A. Dix

Antique illustrations that were published in "Frank Leslie's Scenes and Portraits of the Civil War." Captions: #1: Cape Girardeau, Mo., An Important Strategic Position on the Mississippi Between Cairo and St. Louis. Descriptive text printed below the illustration. #2: General John A. Dix. Descriptive text printed below the illustration. 15 1/2 x 11. Circa 1894.

Famous 1861 General Dix quote: "If anyone attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot!"

General John A. Dix: (1798-1879) Joined the U.S. Army in 1813. Was New York Secretary of State, 1833-39, and was elected to the Senate in 1845. In January 1861, President Buchanan appointed him Secretary of the Treasury, and on January 29, 1861, he made his famous American flag dispatch to a treasury official in New Orleans, "If anyone attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot!" This became a clarion call to the North! Commissioned a Major General by Abraham Lincoln, on May 16, 1861, he was first on this list, thus outranking all other volunteer officers during the Civil War. He commanded the following military departments: Dept. of Pa.; Middle Dept.; Dept. of Va.; Dept. of the East. He made an important and distinguished contribution to the Union cause when he suppressed the 1863 New York City draft riots. Was elected Governor of New York in 1872.