The Papers of Jefferson Davis

January–September 1863

Jefferson Davis

• Publisher: LSU Press
• Year: 1997
• ISBN:
  9780807158869
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: American Civil War History
• Index: History

"The New Year... comes in auspiciously for us, " Jefferson Davis proclaimed in January, 1863, and indeed there were grounds for optimism within the Confederacy. By September, however, various hopes for ending the conflict with the North had given way to the harsh realities of a prolonged war, increasingly confined to southern soil. Although Davis suffered poor health during much of the nine-month period, he remained an active and vital leader. Volume 9 of The Papers of Jefferson Davis gives a vivid picture of the tasks he faced.Military matters consumed most of Davis' time. Already strained relations with Joseph E. Johnston worsened in the spring, and he was eventually relieved of his overall command of the western armies. Surrenders at Vicksburg and Port Hudson ended Confederate access to the Mississippi River, and in the East, Robert E. Lee's stunning victory at Chancellorsville was blotted out by bloody repulse south of Gettysburg. Correspondence from Europe reveals what Davis knew of the Erlanger loan and the diminishing chances of French and British intervention.As problems for the Confederacy mounted, discontent grew. Davis received complaints from across the young country, the conscription system being of particular concern. In April he saw firsthand the unhappiness over limited resources as he took to the streets to help calm the Richmond bread riot.Over 2, 000 documents, many never before published, are included in Volume 9. Eighty-one are printed with annotation, 242 more in full text, and about 1, 750 others are calendared in summary form. They show Davis fighting to maintain morale and military cohesion during one of the Confederacy's most difficult periods.

INDEX

Adams, Daniel W., 402

Adams, John, 103

Adams, Robert, 370

Adams, William Wirt (sketch, 8:15), 298

Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, 63, 70, 120, 214, 293, 360. See also Cooper, Samuel

Advance (blockade-runner), 263

African Americans. See blacks

Alabama: cannon foundry, 66

conditions, 46, 54, 122, 416

and CSA debt, 41

conscription, 20, 60, 183, 206, 252, 273, 368, 414

disaffection, 29, 128, 183, 315, 353, 371

martial law, 27

munitions, 206, 305, 416

patronage, 214

slave control, 359

speculation, 121–22, 183

U.S. raids, 206, 273

Ls from citizens, 53, 359,

officials, 206, 349–50

Alabama, CSS, 62, 66, 257, 259

Alabama & Florida Railroad, 145

Alabama River defenses, 74

Alabama troops: 2d Cavalry, 159, 225

4th Cavalry, 5

Fowler’s Battery, 231

Hilliard’s Legion, 64

cavalry, 416

furloughed, 310

generals, 246

militia, 206, 274, 367, 383

strength, 383

Alexander, Almerine M.: L from, 89

Alexander, Edward Porter (sketch, 400), 238, 267, 399

Alexander, Peter W., 328

Alexander, W. C., 105

Alexandria, La., 159

Alfred (servant), 300

Alfriend, Frank H.: L from, 283

Allan, Mary C.: L from, 284–85

Allen, Henry W., 158

American Peace Society, 133

American Revolution: Davis on, 11

Anderson, Ellen Mary Davis (niece) (sketch, 1:282), 216

Anderson, James P., 120

Anderson, Richard H. (sketch, 8:341): assignments, 380, 381

Chancellorsville, 164, 171

operations, 385

recommended, 185

Anderson, Robert H., 150, 194

Anderson, Robert N. (sketch, 8:353): Davis on, 355

J. E. Davis and, 325, 378, 393

Ls from, 354–55, 395

Anderson, Samuel R. (sketch, 3:38): Ls from, 38, 64

mentioned, 64, 71

Anderson, W. B., 364

Anna (river steamer), 64

Antietam, Md., Battle of, 258

Apache, 117

Apalachicola, Fla., 360, 404

Aquia Creek, Va., 149

Arabian (blockade-runner), 239

Archer (river steamer), 64

Archer, Abram, 117

Archer, James J. (sketch, 193), 192, 295, 296

Archer, Richard T. (sketch, 6:133), 117

Arcole plantation, 326

Arizona Territory, 117, 211

Arkansas: commanders, 55, 77

conditions, 22, 38, 42, 46, 58, 63, 70, 90, 91, 100, 104, 126, 132, 223, 229

congressmen meet with Davis, 46, 47, 100, 115

conscription, 38, 58

disaffection, 42, 58, 77, 91, 131, 132, 221, 229, 239

habeas corpus, 38, 75

martial law, 36, 38, 64, 100, (Davis), 43

munitions, 47, (Davis), 117, 125, 281

operations (Davis), 75, 117, 276

resources, 230, 278

support for CSA, 10

U.S. troops in, 42, 183, 372, 412

E by congressmen, 103

L to congressmen, 117

Ls from citizens, 70, 126,

congressmen, 47, 64

Arkansas, District of, 77

Arkansas Post, Ark.: captured, 43, 371; Davis on, 43, 75

defenses, 22

prisoners, 107, 168, 174, 181

U.S. operations, 75

Arkansas troops: 2d Cavalry, 278

4th Infantry, 108

16th Infantry, 407

Davis on, 281

organization, 246

recruiting, 172, 333

strength, 10, 112, 117, 125, 246

Armijo, Manuel, 205

Armijo, Rafael, 113, 134, 205

Armistead, Lewis A. (sketch, 262), 260

Armstrong, Frank C., 25, 33

army: casualties in Army of N. Va., 170, 260, 295, 296,

at Battery Wagner, 289,

Chancellorsville, 171,

Chickamauga, 398, 402,

Gettysburg, 260, 262, 264, 270, 289, 294, 295, 313,

Stones River, 18, 30,

Vicksburg, 197, 198, 275, 284

chaplains, 99

clothing, 69, 181, 222, 280

conditions, 41, 42, 123, 141, 182; “Confederate Legion,” 408

courts of inquiry, 65, 109, 148, 211, 246, 297, 312, 319, 334, 343, 347, 377, 378, 380, 407, 408

courts-martial, 38, 54, 85, 92, 157–58, 225, 289, 323, 343, 408

criticized, 205, 213, 320, 374

Davis addresses, 317,

praises, 15

deserters, 23, 26, 35, 38, 46, 48, 54, 89, 90, 132, 179, 182, 184, 212, 217, 271, 284, 286, 298, 306, 308, 312, 317, 319, 320, 324, 341, 349, 370, 376, 380, 401–2, 412, (Davis), 366, 402

discharges, 111, 117, 177

discipline, 117, 341, 342, 360, 370, 381, 382, (Davis), 246

flags of truce, 32

food supplies, 39, 69, 72, 99, 124, 141, 222

foreigners in, 408

furloughs, 71, 97, 103, 104, 131, 133, 139, 176, 182, 218, 347, 350, (Pemberton’s army), 275, 279, 281–86, 288, 293–94, 308, 319–20; general officers’ appointments, 71, 350, (Davis), 56, 58, 72–73, 403,

criticized, 342,

praised (Davis), 229

general staff, 109

horses and mules, 89, 136, 141, 359

Indian troops, 133, 183–84, 186, 207, 239, 347

mail to soldiers, 160–61; military courts, 38, 50, 53, 153, 278, 349, 364, 402

minors in, 147, 216

morale, 212, 280, 307, 380

navy and, 74

nominations for valor, 112

officers’ appointments, 7, 109, (Davis), 26, 56, 149, 377,

criticized, 51, 360

officers elected (Davis), 136,

executed, 254,

of northern birth, 212, 213,

promoted, 101, 158

organization, 7, 19, 86, 129, 294, 296, 368, 409, (Davis), 190, 226, 294, 316, 333, 342, 381, 409

pay, 141

prosthetics, 325

rations, 34, 39, 91, 361, 404, (Davis), 136

recruiting, 186, 229, (Davis), 392, 394

relief for families, 10, 353, 355

slaves in, xii, 34, 41–42, 47, 52, 54, 55, 58, 61, 73–74, 89, 90, 100, 103, 104, 105, 114, 275, 283, 315, 339–40, 349, 364, 393, 395,

as soldiers, 293, 304, 312–13, 333, 340, 374, 407

stragglers, 30, 72, 151, 217, 275, 313, 317, 349, 381

strength in Ark., 90, 91, 221,

at Ark. Post, 45,

Chancellorsville, 167,

Charleston, 112, 175, 360,

in E. Tenn., 369, 370, 376,

at Grenada, 4,

in La., 224,

Miss., 188, 197, 199, 203, 204, 216,

at Mobile, 116,

Murfreesboro, 33,

in N.C., 25,

at New Bern, 206,

Pocotaligo, 112,

Savannah, 112,

Stones River, 30, 33,

in Tenn., 106, 204,

Trans-Miss., 173, 221, 371, 412,

at Vicksburg, 6, 101, 190, 196, 204, 249, 318

substitutes, 22, 26, 55, 65, 67, 188–89, 222, 252, 315, 319, 333, 343, 353, 378, 384, 393, 397, 414, (Davis), 290

training, 323

transfers, 54

to navy, 304, 350. See also specific armies, commanders, and locales; War Department

Army of Northern Virginia: artillery, 37, 83, 88, 92, 105, 132, 160, 194, 203, 248, 255, 269, 312, 318, 384, 390, 400

casualties, 170, 260, 295, 296

cavalry, 63, 73, 79–80, 84, 85, 126, 147, 150, 154–55, 159, 160, 169–70, 200, 204–5, 218, 230–31, 232, 248, 252, 254, 260, 263, 268, 289, 306, 307, 316–17, 384, 385

communications, 244

conditions, 63, 147, 270, 272, 284, 304, 313, 354

confidence in Lee, 327, 337–38; furlough policy, 347

health, 170, 209, 237

horses, 154, 307, 320, 390, 399

inspectors, 214

Johnston and, 88

major generals for, 129

morale, 267, 328

organization, 72, 164, 194, 214, (Davis), 139, 192, 294, 318, (Lee), 185, 191, 192, 204, 212, 313, 320, 336, 342, 394

praised, 256, 327, (Davis), 165, 337, 399

reinforcements for (Davis), 160, 162, 167, 201–2, 230, 312, 317–18, 391–92, 398–99, (Lee), 155, 159–60, 162, 169, 210–11, 236–37, 243–44, 266, 317, 396,

from, 4, 52, (Long street), 379–80, 381, 384–85, 385–86, 387, 390–91; scouts, 329, 354

spies for, 24, 211, 261

stragglers and deserters, 313, 328, 347, 381, 402, (Davis), 317

strength, 24, 170, 185, 250

supplies, 34, 98, 124, 154, 157, 160, 231, 238...