Jefferson Davis: The Man and His Hour

It's not always easy to write a compelling 700 page biography of a man who is viewed negatively by most people today and many in his own day. But William C. Davis managed to do it in Jefferson Davis: The Man & His Hour. The author Davis, a longtime historian, takes up the subject of Confederate president Davis (no relation) in an extremely well-researched and readable narrative that covers Davis' life from birth to death. As the author points out, the main reason that Davis is known today was because of his role in the American Civil War, and therefore much of the book is dedicated to that enthralling four-year period from 1861-1865. But Davis's life involved much more than that period alone. The youngest child in a large family, Jefferson Finis Davis was born in 1808 to parents who aptly named their child, hoping (rightly so) that he would be their last child. Born in Kentucky, Davis was ultimately raised in Mississippi. After a brief stint at Transylvania University, he accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Always fiery and opinionated, Davis was a less than stellar, albeit popular student who made friends and enemies that would last a lifetime. After graduating, he continued his military career and eventually became a war in hero in the brief Mexican War of 1846-1848. As a young man, Davis married the daughter of Zachary Taylor, his commanding officer and future U.S. President. Although Taylor initially did not want his daughter Sarah to marry a soldier, he eventually reluctantly consented when Davis resigned the service and moved back to his native Mississippi. But early summer was not a good time for the newlyweds to move to the tropical climate and both soon came down with malaria. Davis almost died. Sarah did. A mere two months into their marriage. Young Jefferson Davis was utterly devastated. For the next ten years, Davis became a reclusive farmer. His older brother Joseph, more than twenty years his senior, served as a father -figure to Jefferson and gave him a portion of his land to manage. For the next decade he worked with his brother managing the plantation and he largely kept to himself. But eventually he became involved in local politics, and he found romance once again. At the age of 35, Davis met the young Varina Howell and married the 17 year old girl who would eventually become the First Lady of the Confederacy. Around this same time, Davis was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At times, the marriage was strained as the firm and opinionated Jefferson learned to live with the much younger and equally opinionated Varina. But eventually their union became a blissful one, producing several children. Davis never finished his term in Congress because of the outbreak of the Mexican War. He resigned so he could serve as Colonel in the 1st Mississippi volunteers. After he came home a hero, he attempted a run for governor, but was defeated. From 1853-1857,

Davis presents casual readers and historians with an excellent bio of Davis and his tenure as president of the short-lived Confederate nation. His meticulous research is evident in this interesting account of the man AND his motivations. I had the privilege of hearing Mr. Davis address a Civil War Round Table shortly after the publication of this book. His other works, especially "The Deep Waters of the Proud" are also highly recommended

WC Davis writes a thorough bio on one of the most unique icons in our history. Jeff Davis is shown from his youth, painful first marriage, through his political and military rise, to the senate and to the Chief Executive position in the Confederacy. WC's bio helps explain why Davis was so unwilling to give up to the point of unrealistic dreams during the final month of the war particularly when Lee's army collapsed. WC notes the sad loss of Jeff Davis' first wife that left him a social cripple for several years to his slow rebirth. His success in the Mexican war seemed to lead him to conclude that he was a superior military man and his role as the Secretary of Defense perhaps encouraged his perspective. More a man of criticism than bright ideas in the senate, he seemed to hold his perception of honor above all else. WC does a great job describing Jeff's relations with his generals particularly Lee who seems to placate Davis' need for detail unlike Johnson and Beauregard. At the end, Jeff Davis seems to hold the Confederacy by himself and his only last political hurrah may have been allowing Alexander Stephens to make his futile effort at peace in March 65. In the end, WC notes that Jeff Davis seems to rebound with the southern public aided by his cruel treatment at Fort Monroe by his captors; however, his two-volume book seems a disaster of disorganization. One has to respect Davis for holding the Confederacy together in spite of his true desire to be a general and particularly because of his ill health and fractured political support. The book answers the question of how Davis could ever imagine that the Confederacy could survive as he was riding with a small protective band through Georgia in his last hours acting more like a fugitive than the President of a country that could still rally.

Once more, William C. Davis have provided us Civil War readers with another pure winner. Of all the biographies I have read on Jefferson Davis, this book definitely proves to be the best. It highly readable, interesting as well as entertaining and after you finished with the last page, you actually feel like you know something about Jefferson Davis, his talents which was outweighted by his weaknesses. The biography paint a rather tragic figure of man who was so devoted to his cause but yet, did so much to defeat it. The irony will proves to be unforgettable to anyone who read the book. I would considered this book to be one of these so called "must read" book by anyone who have a slightest interest in the Civil War.

Wlliam Davis has written a well researched and skillful biography of a major player in American history. He was not only the first and last President of the ill-fated Confederate States of America but, as well detailed in the book, he was the south's leading defender in Congress in the mid-1800s' of "states-rights" and the rightfulness of slavery (He was a major slave "owner" himself). His was not a minor role in the events that that resulted in secession nor in the terrible bloodbath that followed. An excellent book.