Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-05-07
7pa Ftold Harpar's Weekly Of Jan 9.
HON. JEFFERSON DAVIS. e
lH1rEn srEA.rEs sLNAroR mon M1ssIssIPP1.

! ~. y -
As it is generally understood that Sen;
ator Davis. will be the Administration lea
der in the Senate, the public will natur.
ally feel q desire to see what sort Of a man
he is. ,,i.r,.f ,e.,..,,.5- a.,
His modesty is such that the materials
for his biography are .scant. II is known
that his father was a Kentuckian, far
mer, it is believed. who transferred, bis
residence from Kentucky to Mississippi
Territory early in the present century.
who was born about 1906, The fathers
means enabled the son to receive the best
education the country afforded. After
the usual course at school. he entered
Pennsylvania College Kentucky, where
he re manned until his father obtained for
him admission to West Point, II was in
1929 that he entered West Point Acade>
my; he left it. with honor, in 1928. as bre-
vet Second Lieutenant, and at his own
request was placed in active service, The
only wars Of the ,ime were the frontier
affairs against the Indians; in these young
Davis distinguished himself in SO marked
a manner. that. when new regiment of
Dragons was formed, he at once obtain:
ed commission as First Lieutenat. His
exploits during seven years Of Indian
warfare resemble those of all the brave
officers who have been engaged in the
same service. The only fact that is re-
membered Of him in the romantic attach
ment which sprang up between him and
his prisoner, the famous Indian chief,
his animosity to the people OF the United
States in the friendship and admiration he
Ielt for Lieut.. Davis; not until his death
was the bond of amity between the two
brave men severed.
In 1885. the United States 5eiug at
peace with the world and likely to remain
so, Lieut. Davis grew tired of military
life. and settled down quietly on cotton
plantationin Mississippi, Foreightyears
his life was tranquil aud obscure; the du
ties of bis plantation, diversified with
study, lengrossed his time. He devoted
many hours per day to the perusal and
study OF political works. acquiring that
remarkable fund Of varied information to
which he is indebted for much Of his sub
sequent distinction. sos
In 18i3 he took the stump for Polk.
from an intimate CONJUNCTION that the
Democratic party was he only one which
was likely to deal fairly with the South;
and having attracted no little attention in
his State by his vigor and ability. he was
sent TO Congress at tile election which
took place in 1916. He had only been a
few months at Washington when the Mex
lean war broke out He wrote home
earnestly ur. ing upon his friends not TO
allow Mississippi to be behind her sister
States in contributing men for the war
The answer YVES an announcement that a
regiment Of volunteers had been formed,
and that be had been chosen as its colo
mel. He resigned his post in Congress
instantly and joined the corps 'armee I'm
der General Taylor eaH iil5s
Very few officers in the army which
marched against Mexico achieved SO
much distinction as Col. Davis. Space
forbids our attempting to follow him
throughout the campaign; suffice i: to say.
that wherever danger was. 10 be encoun
tered or glory won. there Colonel Davis.
with his Mississippi rifles. was to be
found. Buena Vista. especially. bears
men though volanteers-showed stea
diness which equallpd any thing that
might have been expected Of veteran
troops; and they were handled in SO mas.
terly way that. if the glory Of that day
were to be assigned to any one corps RAJ
Their than any other. they would proba
bly bear away the palm. Every one re !.
members the proud appeal of Colonel
Davis to another regimen, who were fu-
ding the frerather warm, to ''Stay and
reform behind that pointing to
his Missssippians. Throughout the war;
he and his brave rifiemen loom up at in
teryal whenever The FIRE grows hot or the
emergency grave. and never without good
effect They were armed with peculiar
ride. now best known as the Mississippi
rife. chosen by their Colonel himself; it
was scarcely less deadly than the MIME.
Their Col. set the example of intrepidity
and recklessness of personal injury: at
Buena Vista he was badly wounded at an
early part ofthe action; but he sat upon
bis horse steadily till the hour was was
won, and refused even to delegate por>
ton of his duties to his subordinate off.
GERS.
The term Of service for which the Mis-
sissippans had volunteered having expir.
ed. they were disbanded; and the surgeons
insisted on the Colonel withdrawing from
active service. in order to give that alten
ton TO his wound which it deserved
He was not long permitted. however. to
nurse himself on his plantation. In the
fall the Executive Of his State appointed
him United States Senator, TO fill vacau-
cy. aud as soon as tue Legislature met he
was elected unanimously TO the Office for
the ensuing six years. This was. in fact,
Colonel Dayis's first appearance as a
prominent actor in Federal politics.