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cated at Transylvania College and West Point Academy. with his intellectual gifts, won him the esteem of all From the latter lie graduated in July 1828, with the rank of parties. While believing in Secession as a last resort, he second lieutenant of infantry. He was assigned for duty earnestly sought to avoid the necessity, and when his State to Jefferson Barracks at St Louis, and later to Fort Craw- passed the ordinance he resigned his seat with the saddest ford, now Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Here he met forebodings of the impending conflict. His parting speech Sarah Knox, the daughter of the commanding officer, whom was a clear and able statement of the position taken by he married two years later. During the Black Hawk war his State, and a most pathetic expression of his feelings in he was under General Winfield Scott at Fort Snelling, and saying farewell to his associates. was sent to Dixon, Illinois, to muster into service some On 25th January 1861 Mr Davis was commissioned volunteers from that State. Their captain was Abraham Major-General of the forces Mississippi was raising in view Lincoln, and Lieutenant Davis is said to have adminis- of the threatened conflict. On the 9th of February he tered to him his first oath of allegiance. After his received the unanimous vote of the Congress of the seceded marriage, he resigned from the army and settled in Missis- States as President of the “ Confederate States of America.” sippi, where Mrs Davis died of fever, and Jefferson Davis This office he had not sought, preferring service in the field. afterwards married Miss Yarina Howell of Mississippi. In His brilliant career, both as a civilian and a soldier, drew 1843 Mr Davis entered the field of politics as a Democrat, all eyes to him as best fitted to guide the fortunes of the and exhibited great power as a public speaker. In 1844 new Confederacy, and with a deep sense of the responsihe was chosen as Presidential bility he obeyed the call. Elector, and in 1845 was He heartily approved of the elected to Congress. From “ Peace Conference,” which the beginning of his political attempted to draw up a plan career he advocated a strict of reconciliation between the construction of the United two sections, but whose failure States Constitution. He was made war inevitable. The an ardent admirer of John disparity between the hostile C. Calhoun and his political sections wras very great. In opinions. In his speeches in white population the North Congress, which were few, he had four times that of the clearly defined his position in South, and her manufacturregard to State Bights, which ing resources were nearly five he consistently held ever afterhundred times as great; she wards. During his first seshad uninterrupted commerce sion, war with Mexico was with the outside world, and declared, and he left his seat out of her population and the to take command of the First great stream of immigrants Kegiment of Mississippi Volshe had an unlimited supply of unteers. He was greatly dissoldiery. She had the army tinguished for gallantry and and navy, with the munisoldierly conduct at Monterey tions of war belonging to the and Buena Yista. In this Federal Government. On the last battle he was severely other hand, the South had to wounded early in the engagecreate everything needed for ment, but continued in comwar. Never having been a mand until victory crowned manufacturing people, and the American arms. having her ports soon blockUpon his return to his aded, she was greatly at a home, he was made a United disadvantage. It was, indeed, States Senator. After a servastonishing that she was able ice of nearly six years, he to maintain the unequal conresigned his seat to accept test for four years. MontJEFFERSON DAVIS. the nomination for Governor gomery, Alabama, was the (From a photograph by Sarony, New York.) of his State, but was defirst Confederate capital, but feated. In 1853 he accepted the position of Secretary of after Virginia joined her sister States, the seat of governWar in the Cabinet of President Pierce, and for four ment was removed to Kichmond. How Mr Davis— years performed the duties of the office with great distinc- of whom Mr Gladstone, in the early days of English tion and with lasting benefit to the nation. He organized sympathy with the South, said that he had “made a the engineer companies which explored and reported on nation ”—bore himself in his most responsible position the several proposed routes for a railway connecting the during the gigantic conflict which ensued, cannot here be Mississippi Valley with the Pacific Ocean. He effected the related in detail. It is sufficient to say that it was with enlargement of the army, and made material changes in its great ability and an unblemished character. In a wonderequipment of arms and ammunition, utilizing the latest fully short time he organized and put into the field one of improvements. He made his appointments of subordinates the finest bodies of soldiers' of which history has record. on their merits, regardless of party considerations. He Factories sprung up in the South in a few months, supplyrevised the system of tactics, perfected the signal corps ing the army with arms and munitions of war, and the service, and enlarged the coast and frontier defences of the energy of the President was everywhere apparent. That country. At the end of his service in the Cabinet, he was he committed serious errors, his warmest admirers will returned to the Senate, and continued as a member until hardly deny. Unfortunately his firmness developed into the secession of his State in 1861. As a senator he stood obstinacy, and exhibited itself in continued confidence in in the front rank in a body distinguished for its ability; officers who had proved to be failures, and in dislike of some and his purity of character and courteous manner, together of his ablest generals. He committed the great mistake, too,
