Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-12-11
LEEE. DAVIS DEAD

1889. He had been sick for several
weeks, being attacked with a congestiye
chill while On boat, going to New Or
leans. For several days his life was
dispalred Of, and the announcement of
his death was no surprise.
He was born in Todd county, Ken
lucky, June 8, 1893; moved to Wilkin-
son county, Mississippi, when quite
young; attended school at Transyl-
Vania, college, KY; was appointed to
the military academy at West Point,
and graduated in 1928; was assigned to
the frontier, and served in the Black
Hawk war. While a first lieutenant,
he elOped with, and married the daugh-
ter of Gen. Zachary Taylor; resigned
from the army, and engaged in raising
cotton, near Vicksburg. In IS43 he
entered politics, being an active advo-
cate of the Calhoun idea of state SOW
sreignty; was an elector on the Polk
and Dallas ticket. The next year he
was sent to congress. He at once took
prominent position, and was an ad-
vocate of the low tariff adopted in 1916.
and he was enthusiastic for the aggres-
sive measures adopted to secure the
annexation Of Texas.
He went as colonel to the Mexican
war, taking the Mississippi volunteer
rifles. Before doing this he resigned
his seat in congress, on the ground that
he was not entitled to the salary when
tin congress. He was prominent in
the battles of Monterey and Buena
Vista, and in the latter engagement he
was severely wounded. He returned to
Mississippi in 1847, and again entered
public life. President Polk conferred
on him the rank of brigadier- general of
militia, but Mr.. Davis declined the
honor, claiming that the president had
no constitu tional authority to confer
such title or rank on an officer of state
militia. Here his idea of states rights
again showed itself.
In 1847 he was selected as United
States senator to fill anNanexpired term.
and in 1850 he was elected to a full
term. He was a recognized leader, as
he was in the house but he resigned
his seat to run for governor of Missis-
sippi, against Union" party that did
not believe much in states rights. He
was defeated. He worked for Pierce's
election, and in 1858 was rendered the
war portfolio by Mr.. Pierce He served
four years.
In 1857 ne was again elected to the
senate, and engaged in the great Kan
sas-Nebraska debate. In 1860 he sup
ported the Breckenridge ticket. In De-
cember Of that year he made the great
speech il which he declared that while
the independence Of the states had cost
blood and treasure, their union had
cost nothing. This was accepted as the
keynote of the southern position.
January 8. 1861, Mississippi seeded.
The next day Mr.. Davis spoke in favor
of the right of secession. On the oath
of the same month he made farewell
address, and resigned from the senate.
He went back to Mississippi, and at
once assumed the position OF com =: nd
erin -chief0f the army of that state, to
which position he had been appointed;
but on February 18th he accepted the
position of president of the confederate
states, to which position he had been
elected by the provisional congress, at
Montgomery. He had the capital re-
moved to Richmond, and remained
there the greater part of the war. His
war record need not be mentioned here.
He was loved by many, but his admin
istration was not satisfactory to all.
He was severely criticized for many of
his orders; and even yet he is censured
by many southern people for being the
cause of the failure of the rebellion. AT
the close of the war he had lost much
OF his popularity, and had the federal
government treated him as it treated
other contederates, he would never have
regained that popularity. All the abuse
that was heaped on him was accepted
by the people Of the south as being in
tended for them, and 1t drew them back
to him in bonds of love stronger than
they ia aver been.
In May, 1865, he was captured, AID
for nearly two years was confined at
Fortress Monroe. He was finally ad-
mItted to bail in the SUM OF 500, 900,
Horace Greeley being his first surety.
For seven years afterward he was
connected with an insurance company,
at Memphis, but he lost much money
in the venture, and in 1878 he took DOS
session of Beauvoir, a plantation be-
queathed to him by Mrs. Dorsey, an
aged and wealthy southern widow.
Here he spent his declining years in
contentment.
His first wife died within year after
marriage. His second wife was Miss
Howell, of Georgia. He was the father
of two children, jefferson, who died of
yellow fever, in 1873, and Miss Winnie,
who is now on her way homo from
France, where she has been on account
Of her health.
When the general amnesty bill was
before congress, in 1876, an amendment
excepting JEFF. Davis from its opera
lions, was offered by Mr.. Blaine. 1t
was then that Mr.. Blame and Ben. Hill
had their famous debate. and in that
discussion it was that Mr.. Hill referred
to Mr. Blaine as belonging to large
class who were invisible In war and
inyincible in peace