Davis Jefferson Davis born this day in 1808

CSA Today

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Honored Fallen Comrade
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Location
Laurinburg NC
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Jefferson Finis Davis, the first and only President of the Confederate States of America, was a planter, politician, and soldier born in Kentucky and raised in Mississippi. Davis was the tenth and youngest child of Revolutionary War soldier Samuel Davis and his wife Jane Cook Davis (Finis in Latin means final—the couple wanted no more children after Jefferson). Born June 3, 1808, he was heavily influenced by his oldest brother, Joseph, who saw to it that he was well educated. Davis attended college in Kentucky at Transylvania before entering the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1824.

As a military cadet, Davis’ performance was only adequate. When he graduated in 1828 he placed twenty-third in a class of thirty-four. He went on to serve briefly in the Black Hawk War in 1832. While stationed under Colonel Zachary Taylor (future President of the United States) the following year, he met the colonel’s daughter, Sarah. Jefferson Davis married her in 1835 against her father’s wishes. Sadly, the couple came down with bad cases of malaria only three months after the wedding, and the young bride died.

Jefferson Davis led a secluded life for the next eight years on his cotton plantation at Davis Bend, Mississippi. A slaveholder, Davis firmly believed in the importance of the institution of slavery for the South. In 1845 he married his second wife, Varina Howell, a young woman eighteen years old. Jefferson and Varina Davis eventually had six children—two girls and four boys—but only their daughters lived into adulthood.

In the same year, 1845, Mississippi sent Davis to the U.S. House of Representatives. His Congressional term was short, however. He resigned in June 1846 to fight in the Mexican War where he led his troops valiantly at the battles of Monterrey and Buena Vista. He was offered a promotion to brigadier general in 1847 but refused it when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

In 1853, President Franklin Pierce appointed Davis U.S. Secretary of War where he served with distinction and was recognized as one of the most capable administrators to hold the office. In 1857, Davis returned to the Senate as a vocal proponent of states rights. He formally withdrew from the U.S. Senate on January 21, 1861 after Mississippi seceded from the Union.

https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis
 
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Jefferson Finis Davis, the first and only President of the Confederate States of America, was a planter, politician, and soldier born in Kentucky and raised in Mississippi. Davis was the tenth and youngest child of Revolutionary War soldier Samuel Davis and his wife Jane Cook Davis (Finis in Latin means final—the couple wanted no more children after Jefferson). Born June 3, 1808, he was heavily influenced by his oldest brother, Joseph, who saw to it that he was well educated. Davis attended college in Kentucky at Transylvania before entering the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1824.

As a military cadet, Davis’ performance was only adequate. When he graduated in 1828 he placed twenty-third in a class of thirty-four. He went on to serve briefly in the Black Hawk War in 1832. While stationed under Colonel Zachary Taylor (future President of the United States) the following year, he met the colonel’s daughter, Sarah. Jefferson Davis married her in 1835 against her father’s wishes. Sadly, the couple came down with bad cases of malaria only three months after the wedding, and the young bride died.

Jefferson Davis led a secluded life for the next eight years on his cotton plantation at Davis Bend, Mississippi. A slaveholder, Davis firmly believed in the importance of the institution of slavery for the South. In 1845 he married his second wife, Varina Howell, a young woman eighteen years old. Jefferson and Varina Davis eventually had six children—two girls and four boys—but only their daughters lived into adulthood.

In the same year, 1845, Mississippi sent Davis to the U.S. House of Representatives. His Congressional term was short, however. He resigned in June 1846 to fight in the Mexican War where he led his troops valiantly at the battles of Monterrey and Buena Vista. He was offered a promotion to brigadier general in 1847 but refused it when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

In 1853, President Franklin Pierce appointed Davis U.S. Secretary of War where he served with distinction and was recognized as one of the most capable administrators to hold the office. In 1857, Davis returned to the Senate as a vocal proponent of states rights. He formally withdrew from the U.S. Senate on January 21, 1861 after Mississippi seceded from the Union.

https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis
Thanks for sharing @CSA Today . I actually hadn't read much history on Jefferson Davis up to now, and I enjoyed reading about his early life before the war. I had no idea he had been a soldier as well as a politician. "Finis" seems to have been a pretty final statement on his parents part as well that no.10 should do it! I can't imagine how devastated he must have been at the loss of his first wife...they must have been very 'in love' to make the decision to go against her father's wishes, and he was another who lost several children, too. Happy to acknowledge an important date in the Confederate calendar, and a momentous one for what was to come after.
 
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Colonel Jefferson Davis leading the First Mississippi at the Battle of Buena Vista, from a painting by Alexandra Alaux. Detail courtesy of Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Davis had more military experience and had led more men in combat than any field general at the start of the Civil War. Winfield Scott was the only military leader with more combat experience at the time of the Civil War. Davis was the major general of the Army of Mississippi before being appointed CSA president. He fancied himself as a military strategist. This worked to the determent of the CSA because he did not delegate military matters to a General in chief as did Lincoln, but in addition to his presidential duties tried to manage all the CSA military and his ego clashed with the other CSA generals because he fancied himself as the authority on military matters.

The problem is that as CSA president the State governors wanted all States defended everywhere while that was impossible militarily with the resources available to the CSA.
 
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Colonel Jefferson Davis leading the First Mississippi at the Battle of Buena Vista, from a painting by Alexandra Alaux. Detail courtesy of Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Davis had more military experience and had led more men in combat than any field general at the start of the Civil War. Winfield Scott was the only military leader with more combat experience at the time of the Civil War. Davis was the major general of the Army of Mississippi before being appointed CSA president. He fancied himself as a military strategist. This worked to the determent of the CSA because he did not delegate military matters to a General in chief as did Lincoln, but in addition to his presidential duties tried to manage all the CSA military and his ego clashed with the other CSA generals because he fancied himself as the authority on military matters.

The problem is that as CSA president the State governors wanted all States defended everywhere while that was impossible militarily with the resources available to the CSA.

North Carolina Governor Zebulon Vance complained that the government didn't do enough to defend the state. The fact is that North Carolina was one of the less threatened states in the Confederacy until 1865 and the government simply didn't have the manpower to send large numbers of troops there and other less vulnerable areas of the country.
 
A quick summary of Jefferson Davis' experience from wiki
President of the Confederate States
In office

February 18, 1861 – May 10, 1865
Provisional: February 18, 1861 – February 22, 1862
Vice President Alexander Stephens
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by Position abolished
23rd United States Secretary of War
In office

March 7, 1853 – March 4, 1857
President Franklin Pierce
Preceded by Charles Conrad
Succeeded by John Floyd
United States Senator
from Mississippi
In office

March 4, 1857 – January 21, 1861
Preceded by Stephen Adams
Succeeded by Adelbert Ames
In office
August 10, 1847 – September 23, 1851
Preceded by Jesse Speight
Succeeded by John McRae
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Mississippi's At-large district
In office

December 8, 1845 – June 1, 1846
Preceded by Tilghman Tucker
Succeeded by Henry Ellett
 
For comparison here is Lincoln's summary.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 7th district
In office

March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by John Henry
Succeeded by Thomas L. Harris
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
in office

1834–1842
Military service
Allegiance
Expired Image Removed United States of America
Expired Image Removed State of Illinois
Service/branch Illinois Militia
Years of service 3 months
(April 21, 1832 – July 10, 1832)
Rank
  • Captain
    (April 21, 1832 – May 27, 1832)
  • Private
    (May 28, 1832 – July 10, 1832)
OBS:. Discharged from his command and re-enlisted as a Private.
Battles/wars Black Hawk War
 
Thanks for sharing @CSA Today . I actually hadn't read much history on Jefferson Davis up to now, and I enjoyed reading about his early life before the war. I had no idea he had been a soldier as well as a politician. "Finis" seems to have been a pretty final statement on his parents part as well that no.10 should do it! I can't imagine how devastated he must have been at the loss of his first wife...they must have been very 'in love' to make the decision to go against her father's wishes, and he was another who lost several children, too. Hapypy to acknowledge an important date in the Confederate calendar, and a momentous one for what was to come after.
Hi Cavalry Charger,
You might enjoy the book " Jefferson Davis American" by Cooper. Hopefully you can get a good used copy. It is a very well researched biography. A more recent one by a prominent civil war scholar has been published. Davis is a very interesting figure.
Leftyhunter
 
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I was fascinated to read all the input here re: Jefferson Davis- thanks @jgoodguy for supplying further information - particularly around his military career prior to the Civil War. He seemed to be a lot more experienced than Abraham Lincoln for the role he undertook as President of the seceding States, but with maybe too much experience as a military man to delegate effectively during the war, as suggested. Having said that, Lincoln doesn't seem to have had much success with his early efforts at delegation either.

You might enjoy the book " Jefferson Davis American" by Cooper.
Thanks for the recc. @leftyhunter :smile: I'll add it to my list, which grows longer by the day, as the story of the Civil War continues to become more fascinating...
Thanks for the link @jgoodguy :smile: It will come in handy, saving me the search, and there is no doubt in my mind now...you are a Southern gentleman :wink:
 
I was fascinated to read all the input here re: Jefferson Davis- thanks @jgoodguy for supplying further information - particularly around his military career prior to the Civil War. He seemed to be a lot more experienced than Abraham Lincoln for the role he undertook as President of the seceding States, but with maybe too much experience as a military man to delegate effectively during the war, as suggested. Having said that, Lincoln doesn't seem to have had much success with his early efforts at delegation either.


Thanks for the recc. @leftyhunter :smile: I'll add it to my list, which grows longer by the day, as the story of the Civil War continues to become more fascinating...

Thanks for the link @jgoodguy :smile: It will come in handy, saving me the search, and there is no doubt in my mind now...you are a Southern gentleman :wink:

IMHO Davis was far more experienced than Lincoln, but while Lincoln learned from his mistakes, Davis thought what mistakes?
 
IMHO Davis was far more experienced than Lincoln, but while Lincoln learned from his mistakes, Davis thought what mistakes?
Sounds like 'arrogance vs humility'...a struggle we all have at times, but in the circumstances of the Civil War it turned out to be very costly indeed. Not quite sure where self-belief (in your abilities, cause, etc) becomes arrogance, but I'm going to guess it's a line that can be easy to step across without proper opportunity for reflection, or having the necessary checks and balances in place. I will have to read more about Jefferson Davis to understand all this better.
 
I was fascinated to read all the input here re: Jefferson Davis- thanks @jgoodguy for supplying further information - particularly around his military career prior to the Civil War. He seemed to be a lot more experienced than Abraham Lincoln for the role he undertook as President of the seceding States, but with maybe too much experience as a military man to delegate effectively during the war, as suggested. Having said that, Lincoln doesn't seem to have had much success with his early efforts at delegation either.


Thanks for the recc. @leftyhunter :smile: I'll add it to my list, which grows longer by the day, as the story of the Civil War continues to become more fascinating...

Thanks for the link @jgoodguy :smile: It will come in handy, saving me the search, and there is no doubt in my mind now...you are a Southern gentleman :wink:
Your welcome:showoff:
While it is true that Davis really wanted to be a general vs president of the Confederacy , Davis's neuralgia was so severe that simply could not happen. Even or especially because of the sress of leadership Davis's neuralgia was a severe challenge.
Leftyhunter
 
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Your welcome:showoff:
While it is true that Davis really wanted to be a general vs president of the Confederacy , Davis's neuralgia was so severe that simply could not happen. Even ir especially because of the sress if leadership Davis's neuralgia was a severe challenge.
Leftyhunter
:showoff:You've done it again! What you have just said is news to me...Davis really wanted to be a soldier, not a politician? No wonder he had so much trouble separating the two roles, and I'd say neuralgia wouldn't make for any easy job of either role. You continue to enlighten me, my friend :wink:
 
Whenever a discussion of Davis comes up I always go to @cash chestnut" Davis was the second worse choice to be president of the Confederacy. The worst choice is anyone else".
Leftyhunter
Why doesn't it surprise me that @cash came up with this 'chestnut'?? Any further comment would probably just land me in the middle of another war of words, so I ain't going there :wink: ... not today, anyway :smile coffee:
 
Why doesn't it surprise me that @cash came up with this 'chestnut'?? Any further comment would probably just land me in the middle of another war of words, so I ain't going there :wink: ... not today, anyway :smile coffee:

cash is very wise indeed, but I believe that particular chestnut belongs to James McPherson.:smile:
 
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