, 1873-04-22
His Life, Promotions, and Pub
lie Services. =.
The True Story Of the Killing Of Con.
Nelson at the Gait House, in
louisville.
Col. John III, King and JEFF g.
Davis tho Coming Brig.
A1ters.
A Grand Military Wedding at
Omaha.

Specaa| Correspondence # The Chicago Tribune.
OMAHA, Eob., April II, 1873.
A man Of moro than ordinary interest to the
American pooplo at this moment Is Jefferson q.
Davis, who hns been tuut appointed by tho
Government to succeed tic 1amoutod Gen.
Oanby In command OF tho Departmontof Column
bia. AZ TIE TnmuNE has given n yery full nc
count OF tho Modoo War, and thu 1lfv ,n,,s1 "Hur-
vices Of Con. canby, it will not be improper now
to give aono account OF his SUCCESSOR
JEFFEnBoN g. pAv1g
WAS born on the 22d day of March, 1923, in the
County Of Clark, Indiana. Ho comes OF good
stock, Ibis grandfather, William Davis, having
boon ono Of tho pionoers Of Kontuohy, mud
M Indian fighter Of considerable rapute. Two
of Davis uncles woro prosopt at tho Baltic
Of Tippecanoo, md rendered good service. His
father WIS quiet man, born and raiael In Ken
tucky, and everywhere spoken Of, by al who
Know him, as II braro and ohivalrous gentleman.
His mothor was III Indiana lady.
Young Davis in 1871 entered Clarl. County
Seminary. and vas student thorn for four years.
The institution was thon considered one of tho
beat In the Wost, nntl Davis acquired fair el,l
cation. He wns still studont when the AIoxi-
Gull War broke out, md ho at onco loft his books
to =
Jo1:s THE ARMY.
Ho first enlisted in Capt. Il. W. Gibson'u COM
pany, then recruiting for Moxico. Ills Captain
who waB IN old Wost-Pointer, liked tho youth,
and, to show Ills appreciation, n,adc him o nom
commissioned ol1icoi. Whom. Davis started
for Mo1fco, lo was just 18 years
Of ago, and showed much Of tho
nrdor and patriotism that had distinguished lia
ancestors in their battles with tho sayagos On tho
" dark and bloody ground" Of Kontueky. His
company waa called tho Clarls Guards, and,
on boing mustered into service, waa atthclod to
tho reg irnont OF Gen. Jamea II. Lane, lato Of
Kansas. Davis VAS in tho army Of Gei1: Zachary
Taylor. and participated in nearly all tho ongage-
monts Of TINT eorps terminating ut tho batt1e OF
Buona Vista whore ho so
GREATLY DISTINGUISHED u1MBELF
that lle WIS recommended for q commission in
the regular army. To WAS duly appointed q
Second Iioutenant In tho Eirat Regiment OF
United statos Artillery,-hln commission bear
ing dato Juno II, 1913.
Dayis' first duty III tho regular army yns por-
formed ut Oincinnatl whore no ron1aincd several
months OIL recruiting service. uis company re-
turning from Mexico, 10 joined it at Baltimore.
Among Tho eaears thon norvin in TIM First ar
tilery were john D. lfagruder, stonewall Jaols-
son, Hill, Windor, Slaughter. French, Drannan,
ty-ono Of Davis mosHmates afterwards became
denorola; and it is safe to eay tet with tho sin
gle exception Of Stonowa1 Jackson,
NOT ONE OF THEM
was q better goldior tllnn Jeff g. Davis
For two years, Davis WaB Btntioncd ut Fort
Washington, on the Potomac, opposite Mt. YER
non, and, il is said, applied himself diligently to
Of 4 knowledge Of lia profession. In July, 1850,
4o WIS preaent nH aBcort, aud commanded Sec
tion,. at tho funeral Of GER. Taylor, tho dead
President. In the summer of 1861, we ind lin
with TwiggB at Now Orleans, and, in tho fall Of
that year, on tho Rio Grande, engaged III tic OK
pedtion sent out to enforce tho Neutrality laws,
On the 29th Of February, 1852, First Lieut..
stonewall Jackson rosigning, Second Liout.
1efferaDn G. DariH
to fill tho vacancy thus created. That aame
yoar Davis returned to New Orleans, and was
Hent with his company to pagcagoo1n, Miss,
whore tho yollow foyer attacked tile command,
and many OF tho soldiora diod Davis himsoIf
WAS victim to tho horrible diBoaso and camo
neer dying.
His nort aervico was on the CarlowAatchio
River, Tia., whoro llo made several reconnois-
aanccs againat the Indians. In juno, 1858, Ae
SDfn9a SDa sons bis se1s nt eSns ssS in a s liz YSa5
IN the West; He was at the Artillery
School at Fortress Monroe from 1858
to 1885, md IN the fall of tho latter year, Joined
French'H Light Dattery at Fort Horny, where
he renlalnod for two years in practice, and be-
camo ono Of tho
MOST al1LIru1 An11LLEn1sTg
in the servico.
In September, 1867, his tour of duty being
completed ut Fort 1fcHenry, lie wna oriierod to
stallion on Indian River, oast coast Of Florida,
For nearly a Year 10 acoutod tho Everglades;
and, In 1868, whom the Indians, under o Bpooial
treaty, wore removed Wcat, Dawn proceeded
with his command to Charleston l1arbor. Aug.
% 19E3 In TvDH aasrrAd Tn fhn rnr,t,, cfT
Sumter,
BEING 1rs FIRST COMMANDER,
He found thero tho ship.Ioad OF Africans CAP
tured in tho Echo BY tho Dolphin, undor Liont.
Charleston about these negroes WINS worry great,
and tho people threatened to take them from the
United statoH authorities by forco. Several
writB Of habcGs CORPUS wore aorvcd upon Davis,
Of South Carolina, and consequently not cuti-
tod to tho benefit of tho habcaa corpus act,"
ThlB opinion Was aftorward sustained by tho
hgloat legal authority in tho country, aud gayo
md knowledge OF law. Tho yellow fever broke
out in tho fort, md, whilo tho controversy was
pending, most Of tho unhappy 1,ogrooa died.
Those loft wore sent to tho Colonization Society.
DAy1B wAB IN FonT BuMrEn
at tic breaking out Of tho War Of tho Rebellion
by tho side Of Maj. Anderson when he cut dow,
tic flagstaff Of Fort Mouitrie, spiked tho guns,
and took refuge III Sumter. 1Io was one OF An
q r.
saw tho noiola build their forts, and watcllod
thoir work Of trcaaon with indignant impat!cnco.
At length, OH the morning Of tho 12th OF April,
1861, when tho little garrison wero almost on.
Yironod, ct four o'clock, while Liout. Davia was
Following Tho hsntines. aholl thrown from Fort
johnson burst almost directly over Lia hond.
Thia waB the rHt shot Of tho 1iobolliou. and tho
War waB actually begun.
It's unnecessary to ropoat 1oro tho story Of
Bumtor; nll readers Of history arc familiar With
It, md those who are not can turn to any book
Of tho War and 1lnd 1t. Lieut.. Davis ;,
COMMANDED ONE OF THE nArrEn1Es
s, on tie northwest M faso Of tho fort during tho
floating buttory, aud ollliroly sloncod It.
TO auuenloroa with Maj. ANDERSON, and wont
with him to Now York. uero lo wns detailed ~
nluBtornK officer for tho State Of 1ntlialla, aud
promoted to 10
CAPTAIN or ARTILLERY,
lis commission Bearing dHto Alay II, 1861. He
ut onco proceeded to lndianapolls, wIlero ho not
only acted u Mnstoring Otllcor, but alao aa Quur-
ternlaBtor and CoMiniBanry.
Not liking duty IN tho roar wlion tl1ero was
fighting 10 bo done ut tho 'front.' Davis asked for