Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-08
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The Dead Statesman's Life
and Public Services.
A RECORD OF GREAT DEEDS.
Events Before, During and After the
Late War Briefly Sketched for
HERALD Readers.

Jefferson Davis, who died at New
Orleans Friday morning at IL :45, was
born in that part OF Christian county,
Kentucky, which now constitutes Todd
county in that State. His father, Sam.
uel Davie, served during the Revolution
ary War in the Georgia cavalry. While
jefferson was still in his infancy, the
family removed from Kentucky to a
place near Woodville, in Wilkinson
county, Mississippi. The young man
had entered Transylvanis College, Ken
tucky, when in 1924 President Monroe
appointed him to the United States Mill
tary Academy at West Point. When he
graduated in 1928 he was appointed to
the First Infantry, and took part in the
Black Hawk Indian war of 1892. He
resigned from the army in 1885, and soon
after married the daughter of Zachary
Taylor, who was then Colonel in the
army.
Young Davis, meeting with some op-
position in his suit, romantically eloped
with Miss Taylor. The young couple
settled near Vicksburg, and Davis be-
came cotton planter. He pursued this
quiet sort of life until 1S43, when he was
drawn into politics in the Polk campaign.
He made reputation in Mississippi as q
public speaker, and was an elector on
the Polk and Dallas ticket. In 1S45 he
was elected to Congress, and at once
took an active part in the debates of the
House.
When the Mexican war broke out
Davis resigned his seat in Congress to
take command of the First Mississippi
Volunteers, and joining his regiment at
New Orleans he led it to the front to re-
inforce General Taylor on the Rio
Grande. At the battle of Monterey, ond
also at that of Buena Vista, he dis
played great courage and much military
skill. In the latter battle he was Sc
verely wounded, but kept his saddle
until the fight was ended. The Com.
mander-in-C Chief complimented him for
his coolnees and gallantry in a dispatch
Of March 8, 1847.
On his return at the close Of the war,
in August 1S47, the Governor of Mississ-
ippi appointed him to fill vacancy in
the United States Senate. The next
spring he was elected to the place, and
reelected in 1850 for full term. The
next year he resigned his seat in the
Senate and returned home to be the
States Rights candidate for Governor of
Mississippi. He was defeated by small
msjority. In 1852 he WAS very active in
his support of Franklin Pierce, the Demo.
cratic candidate for the Presidency. In
Mr.. Pierce's Cabinet Mr.. Davis was Eec-
retsry of War. He introduced many
changes in the army, all of great advan.
tage. and did much to promote harbor
dafenses. In the Senate Mr.. Davis had
advocated the construction of q railroad
to the Pacific. AS Secretary Of War he
had charge of the surveying parties sent
out to locate the most feasible route for
this great public work.
At the close of Pierce's term Davis
again entered the Senate. The great
questions dividing the North and South
were already being earnestly discussed
in the Senate, and Davis and Stephen
A. Douglas often met in debate.
In 1858 he made tour
Of the Eastern States speaking in public
in many of the large cities. When the
Democratic Convention met in 1860 Mr..
Davis had a number of votes for the
Presidency, although his friends an.
nounced that he did not desire to be the
candidate of the party.
Before Congress met in this memor-
able year President Buchanan invited
Mr.. Davis to Washington to make sug-
gestions as to the forthcoming message.
On the 10th OF January, 1861, Mr.. Davis
made speech in Congress in which he
asserted the right Of secession, denying
the right of coercion and urging that the
garrison be withdrawn from Fort Sumter.
His own State, Mississippi, had passed
the Secession bill the day before. Davis
was officially informed OF this on Janu.
ary Oath, and at once resigned his seat
and went South.
He had already been appointed to the
command of the army of the State with
the rank Of Major-General, which Office
he held less than q month, for on the
18th of February, 1861, he became Preei-
dent of the Confederate States. The at
tack on Fort Sumter ON the 18th of April
following began the war. The Confeder-
ate capital was soon removed from Mont
gomery, Alabama, to Richmond, Vir-
ginia. Prior to this an army of 1000
had been raised in the Old Dominion,
and the President of the Confsderacy
spent his time in drilling the men. On
the LIST of July Davis left the capital for
Manassas, where he arrived just in time
to witness the closing of the battle of
Bull Run, when victory perched so
proudly on the banners of the South.
For some months little was done in the
way of active hostilities. Both armies
had discovered the need of organization
and discipline. Meantime the southern
privateer ships, the Savannah and the
Jefferson Davis, bad been taken by the
vessels of the United States, and the
crews tried for piracy. This raised the
question of the treatment of pris-
oners on both sides, and Davis
ordered measures of retaliation to
be resorted to. Fourteen Union prison
ers were selected by lot to be held as
hostages for the safety of the crews of the
captured ships. This was the cause of
the formation of a cartel for the exchange
OF prisoners. In November 1861 an cleo
ton for President was held in the Con-
federate States, Mr.. Davis having
been chosen before by the Provisional
Congress. He was elected by the popu.
lar vote, no one opposing him. The first
Congress met on the 18Th of February,
1862, and Davis was inaugurated on the
22d of February. The Confederacy had
just met its first reverses in the fall of
Forts Henry and Donaldson. In the fall
of the year the Union forces captured
New Orleans, and then began murmers
of discomfort in the South with Mr..