The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-06-03

y. - l-,. .. - y. ~. ~
tEEFEBso ON pAvle . ENTErsssiai..
AsHINGr Jdns q cphfed
ate yeterars and sons and laughtetsl
Of COME dsrates ii Tie! natl nai eapitalE
are toda ceieb ding the cent nnhf
anniSetsary az the the South'sl
treat :1eader Jefferson Davis: IL was
Just one hundred years ago today on
June q: is. Sthat The ifrstf ana SIast|
president OF the South ern confedracyl
was born in Christian county. !: KEN
lucky. and his admirers throughout the
reunited nation are today paying HON.
age Ito his memory. In Washing ton
the exercises were simple hut impress
sive. and were participated in by many
men who wore the blue in the warfare
between the North and the South.
Many statesmen or the Old school
remember Davis asa United States
senator and recall his career IN the
national capital prior to tho war-a
career that ended on January q. 1861,
when Davis announced the secession
OF his state. Mississippi, from the!
Union and his consequent withdrawal
from the senate. The speech Is de.
clared, by those who heard IL ono OF
the most noteworthy ever delivered In
the senate chamber. ana after its close
every member gathered about the Miss
issippi senator. and babe him an affect.
Ing and affectionate farewell.
The leader OF the Lost Cause was a
son OF Samuel Davis. a Welshman by
descent, a Baptist in religion and a
Democratic In politics. AS most of the
first families Of Kentucky wre Epis.
copalians and Federalists this shows
that Sam Davis, like Abraham Lin.
coins father. Tom Lincoln, was not
pound by any rules OF caste. and was
not to be reconed an arfstocrat. The
year inter Jefferson's bfrth-June 3.
lSos-samuel Davis emigrated to Mis-.
sissippi territory. where he settled on
plantation in Wilkinson county,
about a mile from WoolviIle. where
the boyhood OF Jefferson Davis! Was
passed.. DR.
Ills schooling appears to haves been
carefully looked after. When but :
he was sent to the academy of the
Dominican Friars in Kentucky. and
remained there three years. Then re-
turning to Mississippi he matriculate1
at Jefferson College, which he appears
to have left ut the close Of the ven,
Tor the purpose OF going to The new
!: Wilkinson County Academy, where he
mad for a teacher John A. Shaw, oil
Boston. under whose tntelase lie mad,
much progress. In 1921. when entering
on his 18th year. he went to Transyl
: wanna University at Lexington. XIV.
then considered the best institution o.
learning west of the Alleghanies. Ir
July, 1924. Samuel Davis died. and the
following September Jefferson was an
pointed a cadet at West 'Point. Here
he came into intimate relationship will
Robert p. Lee. Albert Sidney johnson
and Joseph E. Johnson-three lead
ers OF the Lost Cause whom he did
much to recognize and promote while
serving as President OF the confetl
eracy.
We are told that the President VA.
!. faithful to personal friends. Some
times the devotion was to tie iniur,
Of the public service: but it was there
always: and it was not the least low
able trait OF his character. At the
end OF his four years at West Point
In which he displayed no remarkable
aptitude for his studies, he was gra.lu
, ated No. 90 in class of 2:-whict
shows that as a cadet he ranked jus,
one point above Gen. Grant. But the
!, effect Of his schooling at the military
academy was yisable in the man down
to the last day OF his life. H. was al
ways precise in his attitude, some
thing of martinez, and decidedly
military In his bearing. Moreover. in
very many ways he evidenced mis- great
love for his alma mater.
, In 1859 he resigned his commission
In the United States army and eloped
with a daughter Of Col. afterwards
Presldent) Zachary Taylor. In 1896
Betty Taylor Davis died. and Davis
, after remaining widower for eight
years. married for his second wife Miss
Varinn Howell. of vicksburg, the
granddaughter Of Gov. Howell OF New
Jersey-who had been governor OF that
state from 1894 to 1901, through the
concluding years OF Washlngton's al
. ministration and through the whole oil
John Adams. Gov. Howell was n
staunch old Fcdcralist. and Miss Var
ina Mt first found it difficult to under
: stand how gentleman and Demo