Jefferson Davis

This fascinating collection of intimate letters from and to Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) illuminates the character and personality of the President of the Confederacy. These letters (the majority appearing fully in print for the first time) range widely over one of the most turbulent periods in American history, from his fifteenth year to his death at eighty-one. Here is Jefferson Davis in all aspects: in love and in house slippers as wounded war hero at dramatic heights of statesmanship in grief over four dead sons refusing Lee’s resignation after Gettysburg and expressing unwavering confidence as shackled prisoner, stoic survivor, generous friend, adoring father and husband. Equally revealing are the letters written to him by such notable figures as Franklin Pierce, Zachary Taylor, Judah P. Benjamin, General and Mrs. Robert E. Lee, Davis’s children, and of course his spirited wife, Varina. From this rich, varied correspondence there emerges a unique biography in letters, adding new dimensions and highlights to one of the most exalted, maligned, and remarkable men in American history.