The Papers of Jefferson Davis

1861

Jefferson Davis

• Publisher: LSU Press
• Year: 1992
• ISBN:
  9780807158807
• Topic: Storia
• Subtopic: Storia della guerra civile americana

Lynda Lasswell Crist, Editor
Mary Seaton Dix, Coeditor
Introduction by Frank E. VandiverVolume 7 of The Papers of Jefferson Davis offers a unique view of 1861, the first year of the Confederacy, Davis' presidency, and the Civil War.On January 21 Davis made his affecting farewell speech before a hushed Senate, then left for Mississippi. His uncertainty over a military or political course vanished when he received news of his unanimous election as president of the Confederate States of America. Inaugurated at Montgomery, Alabama, on February 18, Davis quickly set to work to forge a government, in a race with events to select a cabinet, establish departments, and plan for the common defense.Hopes for a peaceful separation from the North ended with the firing on Fort Sumter; subsequent documents reveal a president absorbed by the problems of waging a war that soon stretched from the Atlantic Coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Victory at Manassas produced euphoria among southerners but plunged the president into the first of several unfortunate controversies with his generals, this one over the failure to pursue the enemy and capitalize on success.Throughout 1861 the Confederate commissioners in Europe reported to Davis on their expectations of recognition, convinced that the demand for cotton would induce Great Britain and France to break the North's blockade of southern ports and help supply arms for the defense of the fledgling nation.Volume 7 provides a rare opportunity to assess anew Davis' strengths and weaknesses as executive, to reexamine his relationship with generals, governors, congressmen, cabinet officers, the press, and the public. Davis ended the year as he begun, aware of the difficulties of the course the South had adopted and confident that its cause would ultimately triumph. Containing illustrations, maps, and more than 2, 500 documents drawn from numerous printed sources and more than seventy repositories and private collections, Volume 7 covers a year of paramount importance in our country's history.

INDEX

Abbot, Henry L., 91

Abingdon Democrat, 352

Abingdon Virginian, 278

abolitionism: Davis on, 42, 44-45

Great Britain and, 75, 110, 375

mentioned, 107, 141

A. B. Thompson (U. S.), 73

Adairsville, Ga.: Davis speaks at, xl

Adams, Charles Francis (sketch, 377), 375, 449

Adams, Henry A. (sketch, 97), 95, 97, 98

Adams, John: Davis praises, 8

Adams, John Quincy (sketch, 2:397), 377

Adams, Quintus Sertorius, 143, 156, 285

Adams, Spencer: Ls from, 143, 155-56, 285

Adams, William Wirt: appointment, 56, 63-64

Ls from, 63-64, 98

Adams Express Co., 51, 455-56

Addison, Charles G., 443

Addison, Edmund B., 443

Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office: criticized, 202, 436

Davis on, 247

estimate, 169

mentioned, 355, 360. See also Cooper, Samuel

Africa (British), 451, 452

Aiken, Frederick A.: L from, 91

Alabama: Davis addresses convention, 68

defenses, 252, 370-71

delegation visits Davis, xl

disaffection in, 164

munitions needed, 221, 371, 438

railroads, 354, 430, 436, 439, 442

saltpeter, 362

secession, 13, 166

slave insurrection feared, 148, 175

L from congressmen, 313

mentioned, 336, 381

Alabama, Department of, 72

Alabama, University of, 228, 378, 457

Alabama & Florida Railroad, 144, 436

Alabama Military Institute, 194

Alabama troops: Border Rangers, 197

2d Infantry, 284

4th Infantry, 166

8th Infantry, 166, 220

10th Infantry, 232

11th Infantry, 166

20th Infantry, 166

Jeff Davis Artillery, 166

command of, 313, 341

at Manassas, 249

at Pensacola, 97, 171

requested for Tenn., 191, 343

in Va., 182, 197, 208, 220

volunteers, 164-65, 175, 201, 210, 220

Alcorn, James L.: appointment, 107, 277

L from, 107

Alexander, —, 84

Alexander, Edward P.: Ls from, 355, 356

mentioned, 365

Alexander II, 102

Alexandria, Va.: Davis on recapture, 199, 263

U. S. defenses, 197, 239, 407, 426

mentioned, 179, 321, 326, 392

Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad, 208, 390

Alexandria Sentinel, 159

Algiers, La., 332

Allatoona, Ga., Battle of, 424

Allen, John J., 152

Allen, William, 115

Alonzo Child (CSA), 178

Alvord, A. B.:Lfrom, 260

American Revolution: Davis on, 9

mentioned, 184, 245

American State Papers: Davis orders, 80

Ames, James T., 67

Ampudia, Pedro (sketch, 3:23), 87

Anaconda plan, 135

Anacostia River, 133

Anderson, A.: L from, 388

Anderson, Ben: L from, 186

Anderson, Edward (ident., 42), 261, 263, 266

Anderson, Edward C: Davis meets with, xlii

L from, 103

Anderson, Edward H.: L to, 266

Anderson, Ellen Mary Davis (niece) (sketch, 1:282): L from, 263

mentioned, 41

Anderson, Flora L., 42

Anderson, Joseph R.: L from, 351

mentioned, 433

Anderson, Larz, 43

Anderson, Richard H., 357

Anderson, Robert (sketch, 1:252): Davis on, 8, 101, 102

Fort Sumter, 7, 11, 12, 24, 99-100, 103

politics of, 43

Anderson, Robert N.: L from, 178

Anderson, Robert P. (sketch, 4:230): L to, 455-56

Anderson, Samuel R. (sketch, 3:38): appointment, 240, 241, 245

L to, 196

Ls from, 104, 191, 211, 212, 218

mentioned, 411

Anderson, Samuel S., 107

Anderson, Thomas S. (sketch, 42), 41

Anderson, William: L from, 9-10

Andrews, George T. (ident., 26): Davis recommends, 15, 16

mentioned, 23

Andrews, R. Snowden, 227

Annandale, Va., 338

Annapolis, Md., 133, 150, 437

Antietam, Md., Battle of, 213

Apalachicola, Fla., 349, 382-83

Appomattox Court House, Va., 312

Aquia Creek, Va., 180, 322, 326

Aquia District: Davis on, 364

Aransas, Texas, 198

Archer, John: L from, 38

Arizona: conditions, 188

expeditions in, 218, 439

support for CSA, 218

Arkansas: CSA jurisdiction, 330

Davis’ land in, 425

defenses, 200, 318

invasion of, 179-80, 219, 223

military board, xxxix, 179-80, 200, 211

Miss, troops sent to, 276

munitions needed, 180, 200, 211

operations, 290, 441

relations with CSA, 51, 136, 253, 308

repudiation 112-secession 50 52 101 144-support for CSA’ 79 101 104 211-telegraph construction 431-unionism 81 101 432-L from military board, 179-80

Arkansas, District of (U. S.), 403

Arkansas troops: 1st Cavalry Battalion, 447

2d Infantry, 447

3 d Infantry, 270

13th Infantry, 402

arms, 224

command of, 180, 200, 211

militia, 144, 319

in Mo., 208, 308

regiments organized, 200, 442

in Va., 346

volunteers, 67, 308

Arlington Heights, Va.: defenses, 131, 239, 365, 407

recapture proposed, 197, 199, 430

Armstrong, Francis C, 307

Armstrong, Francis W., 307

army: acts concerning, 68, 156, 165-66, 247, 287-88

alcohol use, 83, 252, 313, 334, 357, 366, 436

blacks as laborers, 243, 252-53, 269, 278, 355, 358

bounties, 230, 444

cadets, 133, 432, 448

cavalry increase, 274, 280

chaplains, 136, 142

clothing, 145, 201, 202, 244, 250, 272, 279, 329, 348-49, 351, 363, 444

colportage, 211

conditions, 96, 281-82, 311, 329, 358-59, 404, 430-31, 453

conscription urged, 231, 237, 287

cooks, 285, 302

cooperation with navy, 361, 432

court of inquiry, 387

criticized, 382, 431

Department No. 1, 332, No. 2, 330

desertion, 166

discharges, 281, 285, 309, 397, 440

female volunteers, 121, 142, 143

food supply, 270, 274, 280, 295, 296-302, 304-305, 320, 323, 351, 372, 404, 407

foreign volunteers, 81, 84, 98, 179, 195, 210, 280

furloughs, 270, 307308, 440

general officers, 142, 305, (Davis), 373

health, 207, 213, 214, 230, 274, 280, 281-82, 286,”297, 302, 305 309 312 316 320 323, 338, 358, 359, 365

horses for volunteers, 219

Indian troops, 81, 218, 230, 267, 436

instruction, 121, 271, 272, 288, 313

intelligence operations, 212

investigative boards, 274

laundresses, 432

medical staff, 287-88

military academy, 133, 142

military treatises recommended, 172-minors 133 144 443-morale, 229, 243, 358-59, 368, 381

musicians, 432-nonslaveholders in 165

nurses, 285

officers criticized, 224, 320, 444, 453, (Davis), 295, needed, 237, 350

officers’ appointments, 70, 98, 224, 274, 279, 303-304, 347-49, 351, 410, 432, (Davis), 247, 432, 433-34, election, 272, 274, 387, (Davis), 431, promotions, 432, (Davis), 367, rank and pay, 367, 432, transfer to CSA, 186, 193

organization, 48, 60, 84, 202, 231, 286, 307, 367, 381, 383, (Davis), 272, 274, 326, 353, 355, 358-59, 364-65, 443, (J. E. Johnston), 274, 289, 305, 321, (G. W. Smith), 355, 357, by state, 313, 357, 360, (P. G. T. Beauregard), 338, 357, 368-69, (Davis), 355

pay, 169, 269, 382, 436, department recommended, 136

pony express, 244, 269

praised, 278, 303, 442, (Davis), 259, 260, 262, 263

railroads and, 319

tank of generals, 136, 254, 314, 335-37, 340, of militia officers, 355

recruiting, 51, 60, 144, 352, 444

reenlistments, 347-48

religious needs, 211, 277, 351, 361

sappers and miners, 166

signal system, 355

spies in, 371

staff officers, 355

state troops transferred to, 70, 73, 206, 224, 2...