The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1889-12-12

On Thursday evening at six o'clocks
hc was .eizcd with cOngestive chill!
and every one knew as we'll us M-. Davis:
himself that thc end was near. Thee
last words he spoke were at ! o'cloc+.
MIS- Davis Offering him some medicine,
he whispered, with The gcntlcst gesture: :!
Pray. excuse me-" He gradually grew!
weaker, and for hours lay silently clasp
ing aud trndcrly caressing the hand of
his wife aud with .ndaunted Christiani
spirit awaited the end, which came at
l2.45 Friday morning. The Llow fell
with crushing force upon the afflicted
widow. Miss Winnie Davis, his favor
itc daughter, whose health was impaired
by her great labors in assisting her faith
er on his regent work, is abroad for her
health. The shock, caused by the sad
news which reached her in Paris on Fri
day, was terrible. but she bore up braYe-
ly and Immediately prepared to sail for
America.
Nearly every Southern city was drap-
cd in mourning Immediately upon the
receipt Of the intelligence that ihe great
cx-Presldent of the Southern Confedera-
cy was no more. Meetings W. re held
and resolutions expressive of sorrow and
the great love and admiration for the
dead chieftain, were adopted. On yes
terday while the mortal remains were
being inferred the whole South from the
Pacili' to the Gulf joined by holding
memorial funeral services and tOlling
Il c bells i'll nearly every town aud city.
We i've below sketch Of his remark
able aid eventual life. without parable
in history:
More than eighty years ago two Kentucky
boys, born in widely different social spheres,
entered upon still more widely diverse careers:
Abraham Lincoln, In Hardin NOW Larue)
county, and Jefferson Davis, in Christian
now Todd county; Lincoln born February
l2, 1900, and Davis on the Sd Of June pre-
ceding.
No dark sibyl hailed them at their birth a.
the coming exponents of an awful struggle
No prophet would have dared predict in the
days of their prominence that the rugged
Lincoln was soon to fall, while the defeated
an invalid during third of his life, would
survive his great antagonist for quarter Of
century, OUTLYING oil the actors of his age
in the great struggle, yet such was to be the
irony of fate. History presents many para
doxes, but none greater than this, that the
victor should fall in the very hour of victory
and the defeated live till almost every trace
of the conflict had vanished, to die Of mere
old age.
The ancestors of jefferson Davis were OF
pure English stock, but SO dong resident In
America that the type had become thorough
ly southern American. On both sides they
served in the war for American independ-
ence, his father, Samuel Davis, winning
some distinction In the moupted troops OF
Georgia. OF his two Sons, jefferson early be-
came soldier, while Joseph, q man of talent,
scarcely, If at all, inferior, gained a local
success as lawyer and planter in Mississippi.
The brothers were notably affectionate in
childhood, and remained through Inc devoted
to each other.
Soon after the birth OF jefferson, Samuel
Davis removed to Mississippi, locating near
Woodville, in Wilkinsol county. The sons
there acquired IN unusually good English
education for the time, and at an early age
Jefferson entered Transylvania college, Ken
lucky. In 1924, however, President Monroe
appointed kila a cadet at West Point, whence
u a