Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-02

| dered TO report 10 Jefferson Barracks.
near ST. Louis. His course az West Point
! had been exemplary and successful. Yet.
in one Of his forbidden larks he suffered
a fall OF some sixty feet down the river
bank. from which he was ill for several
months and expected TO die. He had.
apart from the battlefield, other narrow
and proyidential escapes. Chief among
his friends at the Military Academy were
A. Sidney Johnston. Leonidas Polk. A.
| ID. Bache. and William c. Bartlett.
One of the professors conceived a pre-
| JUDGE against him, and even said that ia
an emergency he would have no presenca
| OF mind one day In a room containing
! combustbles the professor ignited accl-
| dentally a fire-ball. When he saw the
danger he cried out the cadets 20 run
and set them the example. Davis calmly
seized the flaming ball and threw Il out
OF the window. thereby saving much pro-
perty and probably several lives; besides
gaining a decided victory over his pre-
JUDGED instructor.
EXPERIENCES AS A LITTLE CHIEF.
He had an arduous but valuable series
OF experiences at Fort Crawford, where
he was elected "a little chief" by the
Indians; at Fort Winnebago, Lexington,
Galena, Dubuque. Fort Gibson. and other
posts. and learned to endure hardness
as a good soldier" He bore himself well
in the Black Hawk war. 1t is probable
the he. at Dixon, H., administered the
oath Of allegiance 10 the United States
to Abraham Lincoln. who brought thither
az their captain some Illinois troops
and that his associate on the occasion was
Lieutenant Anderson, afterwards 50 con-
spicuous I'm connection with Fort Sumter.
At Fort Crawford he first met Colonel
Zach. Taylor and his family. fell in love
with his daughter Sarah Knox, and after
two years OF devoted waiting mar
red her at the house OF her aunt in
kentucky. because OF the opposition OF
1e' father SO that the romantic elope-
ment, so often narrated, never occurred.
The cause assigned for the opposition OF
he father Is unworthy OF that honest
and generous old soldier. Mr.. Davis was
promoted TO a regiment Of dragons,
but on June 30. 1886 resigned his COM
mission In the army and took his bride
refined, intelligent sincere and very
engaging In her manners'-to visit his
family in Mississippi. There his brother,
Joseph. had reduced his large plantation,
the Hurricane" 10 order and produce
tiyeness. BY an arrangement with him,
the resolute eX-lleutenant undertook the
same tcsk with "A portion OF IL appro-
prately styled "Brierheld" But chill and
fever soon forced him to take re-
fuge In Louisiana. Shortly after his ar
rival at his sisters. on Bayou sara. he
and his wife were both Frustrated. and
she breathed her last. September IS. -
whilst singing her favorite. Fairy Bells"
Thus this part Of his married NE was
hardly a honeymoon.
ENTRANCE INTO POLITICAL LIFE.
As soon as he became able. he went TO
Habana, and when he got back 10 tho
United States. sojourned In the national
capital long enough 10 become somewhat
acquainted with a theatre upon the stage
of which he was 10 be so important an
actor.
He remained at home about eight years.
his briers, engaged In serious
study, discussing constitutional and other
political questions with his brother and
others watching the affairs Of his State,
and taking humane care OF his slaves.