The Republican journal., 1914-01-29
WHEN Jeff DAVIS WAS IN BELFAST.

Phillip Hale conducts an interesting
department in the Boston Herald, LAS
The World Ways" from which we quote
the following:
WHO SAW THIS?
Place, Belfast, Me- Time, fall of 1860
and during the winter. In front OF the
American House in crowd OF people
was young man. the writer. A dis
tinguished looking gentleman on horse,
back rode up to the walk, dlsmounted
and asked the young man to hold his
horse. The rider fastened to the hotel
entrance and disappeared within. Sew
eral moments elapsed when the gentle
man appeared, walked to the young
mans side, mounted his horse and With
out as much as "thank you" rode away.
Not. however, before the young man had
given the horse vigorous slap on the
rump that came near landing the rider
on the pavement. The rider was max
ing a tour through the northern and New
England States, estimating the arms,
equipment and ammunition of the coun-
try. What a change in the history OF
the country it would have made had ne
been thrown from his horse and killed!
The rider was secretary of war under
President Pierce from 1858 to 1857, had
been celebrated soldier in the Mexican
War and was after this circumstance
President of the southern confederacy-
jefferson Davis.
Who saw it?
DR.. W. E CROCKETT.
We wonder if DR.. Crockett has not
made mistake in the time of this incl
dent. We find no mention in William
sons History of visit from Jefferson
Davis in 1860 In his chapter on ''Visit-
ors, Distinguished and Notorious" he
says:
Colonel Jefferson Davis visited Belfast
in 1858, by invitation of the officers who
had charge of the muster here. Accom-
panied by Colonel George F. Shepley,
United States District Attorney, he ar
rived on the morning Of Sept. End by
steamer Daniel Webster. During the
forenoon, at the review of the troops, he
made an eloquent address; and, at
banquet given on the field the following
day he responded to toast. In the
evening he attended a levee at the resi-
dence of DR.. N. P Monroe, on Main
street. During his stay, he was the
guest of the Hon H. H. Johnson, on
Church street.
Williamson gives very full account of
this muster, in prose and verse, in his
second chapter on Military History,
Col. James W. Webster was then Adju
tant General of Maine, and Belfast had
two military companies-an artillery
company, commanded by Capt. Thomas
H. Marshall, who succeeded the first
captain, Salathiel C. Nickerson, who had
removed from the State, and an infantry
company, the City Greys, commanded by
Capt. F. W. Cunningham. A brigade
muster was held in East Belfast begin
ming Aug. 31st ami continuing for three
days, and Sept. End Mr.. Davis reviewed
the troops and made an address. He
closed by saying "thar with such troops
as see before me, we may defy the
world and chant the song of freedom
forever"
In view of what followed but a few
years later this declaration will be read
with interest.
Mr.. Davis had been the Secretary of
War during the administration Of Presi-
dent Pierce G853-O and at the time of
his visit to Belfast was a member of the
United States Senate from Mississippi
and chairman of the committee on Mill
tary Affairs. He resigned in 1861 to
become President of the Confederate
States.