▁cot ton . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁Fland ers ▁campaign ed ▁for ▁governor ▁and ▁finished ▁in ▁third ▁place ▁behind ▁Michael ▁H ahn ▁and ▁F ell ows . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁by ▁Republic ans ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁Super vis ing ▁Special ▁Agent ▁of ▁the ▁Fre ed men ’ s ▁Bureau , ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁G ulf . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁he ▁led ▁the ▁movement ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁local ▁Republican ▁Party ▁in ▁Louisiana . ▁He ▁formed ▁the ▁' Fri ends ▁of ▁Universal ▁Su ff rage ' ▁with ▁other ▁Louisiana ▁Union ists ▁( known ▁as ▁scal aw ags ▁to ▁oppon ents ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁free ▁men ▁of ▁color ▁( who ▁had ▁been ▁free ▁before ▁the ▁war ) ▁and ▁fre ed men ; ▁they ▁were ▁working ▁to ▁gain ▁black ▁suff rage ▁and ▁to ▁repe al ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁Black ▁C odes . ▁These ▁laws ▁had ▁been ▁passed ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁movement ▁of ▁fre ed men . ▁F ear ful ▁of ▁the ▁black ▁majority ▁in ▁many ▁Louisiana ▁districts , ▁most ▁white ▁Democr ats ▁opposed ▁giving ▁fre ed men ▁suff rage , ▁especially ▁after ▁Confeder ate ▁veter ans ▁were ▁tempor arily ▁dis enf ranch ised ▁unless ▁they ▁took ▁a ▁loyal ty ▁o ath . ▁The ▁t ension ▁over ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁fre ed ▁slaves ▁es cal ated ▁into ▁New ▁Orleans ▁ri ot ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁in ▁which ▁whites ▁attacked ▁black s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁General ▁Philip ▁Sher idan , ▁Commander ▁of ▁the ▁