Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-12-20
JEFFERSON DAvIsDEAD
rHE CONFEDERATE LEADER Ex-
PIREs AT NEW ORLEANS.

Unable to Rally from His Illness, He
Passes Quietly Away, Surrounded by
Relatives and Fricnds-Sketch of His
Strange and Busy Career.
A New Orleans dispatch of the 9Th,
says: Jefferson Davis died this Friday)
morning.
His disease took turn for the worse
Thursday night, and all hope Of his
recovery was abandoned some hours be-
fore his death. During his illness he has
been almost constantly attended by his
devoted wife, and at times it seemed as
though careful nursing would bring him
through, but his advanced age has been
all along bar to his recovery.
Shortly before 6 clock Thursday even
ing Mr.. Davis was attacked by severe
congestiye chill, followed by high fever.
The attack was very sudden, and up to
almost that moment Mr.. Davis condition
was no worse than it has been at any
time during the last week or ton
days. In the height or his fever
Mr. Davis passed into an unconscious
condition, and though Mrs. Davis, who
watched him with the greatest soljcitude,
fancied at times that he responded to her
words by faint pressure of the hand;
not word passed his lips. Justice and
Mrs. Fenner, the Payne family. Drs
Charlier and Bickham and a number of
the relatives and connections of Mr. and
Mrs. Davis were present in the chamber of
death when the end came.
jefferson Davis was born in Kentucky,
JcnQ x 1S02 HE d.
Mississippi while he was child. He en-
tered the West Point military academy,
graduating in 1923, and served against the
Indians until 1885. when he resigned his
commission and returned to Mississippi,
where he married the daughter of Gen.
Taylor, afterwards President of the United
States. He become a cotton planter and
took great interest in politics, taking a
prominent part in the election of President
Polk in l843. He entered Congress IN
1945, but upon the breaking out
of the Mexican war he resigned
his seat and Joined The army as colonel of
a regiment of Mississippi volunteers, TAX
ing part in the storming of Monterey and
the battle of Buena Vista. In 1847 lie was
elected United States Senator from Missis.
sippi, and distinguished himself by the
energy with which he defended slavery and
advanced the doctrine of State rights He
resigned his seat in the Senate in 1851 to
assist FranklihlP in his canvass for the
Presidency, and on Mr.. Pierce's election
was appointed Secretary of War. He was
again elected Senator from Mississippi in
1853. but the election Of Mr.. Lincoln in
1860 and the secession move
ment led =. to his withdrawal.
He was elected President of the
Confederate States in 1869 for six years.
having been chosen provisional president
1865, Mr.. Davis, while trying to escape,
was captured at irwinsvilie, Ga, and i'm.
prisoned at Fortress Monroe for two years
while awaiting trial. He was released on
bail in 1867, Horace Greeley being one
of his bondsmen, and all proceedings
against him were subsequently dis
continued. After his release he
visited Europe, and on his return
to this country engaged in the life insur-
ance business at Memphis, Tenn. Some
years ago wealthy lady of Mississippi
left him the estate of Reauvoir in her will,
and the latter years of Mr.. Davis life
have been passed there. He has lived a
very retired life. his time being chiefly oc-
cupied by literary work, his Rise and
Fall of the Confederate Government, !"
which was published in 1881, being the
best known of his works.
In person Mr.. Davis was man Of lofty
dignity. well-poised manners, and distin-
guished air. But these gifts concealed
from the superficial view defects of char
acter which were the most serious-indeed,
almost vital in their consequences-and
which rapidly developed when he was at
the head of the Confederate government
His dignity was the mask of peculiar
obstinacy, which, stimulated by an intel
lectual conceit, spurned the counsels
his advisers and rejected their
plans. Curiously enough, he was
subservient to favorites, and unworthy
men often secured his aid to their pet pro-
jects to the neglect of higher matters not
thus tremendously backed. Though OF
broad scholarship and luminous intelli-
gence he had little practical Judgment,
his intercourse with men was too distant
and constrained, and often his judgment
of particular men was grotesque and alb
surd. The quick apprehension,
the strong and active common sense,
the great knowledge of men that dis
tinguished President Lincoln and is the
birthright of all great leaders, did
not belong to Mr.. Davis. but rather the
elegant and brilliant accom- plishments
which dazzled the multitude and confused
the world. Admiration of the man, ever
among his followers, was strangely
mingled with censure, and one party
was extravagant in his praise, and
| the other unlimited in his condemnation