Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 285
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3
Very Early Jefferson Davis Letter Just After Graduation from West Point; Writes to Future Foe General Winfield Scott
Very Early Jefferson Davis Letter Just After Graduation from West Point; Writes to Future Foe General Winfield Scott
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3
Description:

Very Early Jefferson Davis Letter Just After Graduation from West Point; Writes to Future Foe General Winfield Scott

In this letter to his new commanding officer, Major General Winfield Scott, recent West Point graduate Jefferson Davis asks for a two-month extension of his furlough before attending the "Infantry School of Practice" at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri. Because the peacetime United States Army was tiny and Congress strictly limited the number of officers, new graduates held a brevet rank of 2d lieutenant until a vacancy opened in their branch of the service. Davis had to wait nearly three years.

Davis originally sent the letter to Scott in Cincinnati, Ohio, but it was redirected to Yellow Springs, Ohio, where Scott was likely relaxing at the resort that had been established there.

JEFFERSON DAVIS, Autograph Letter Signed, to Winfield Scott, August 26, 1828, Lexington, Kentucky. 1 p., 7.875" x 9.875". Expected folds; very good.

Complete Transcript
Lexington August 26th 1828
Sir
I was unavoidably detained in the north until the commencement of the sickly season rendered it imprudent for me to return home (Mississippi).
After an absence of nearly six years, I feel desirous of remaining some time with my relations, and as the furlough I received on leaving the Point expires in Oct. next before which month it would be unsafe for me to visit Missi. I would respectfully ask from you an extension of my furlough until the 31st of December next
Yours respectfly,
J. F. Davis
Brvt 2d Lieut Inft.
To / Maj Genl W. Scott
Comdg. Western Dept.

[Endorsement on verso:]
Under the peculiar circumstances of this case, known to Maj. Genl Scott, he recommends to the Dpt of War that the indulgence asked, be given to Mr Davis.
[H H Gault?]
Act Ast Adj-genl.
Adj-gl's Office, W.D.
Aug 31, 1828.

Historical Background
Jefferson Davis's father died in 1824, while Davis was attending Transylvania University. His father had fallen into debt and sold his plantation and most of his slaves to his eldest son Joseph E. Davis, who already owned a large estate in Davis Bend, Mississippi, fifteen miles south of Vicksburg. As the youngest of ten children, Jefferson Davis looked to his eldest brother, who was twenty-three years older, as a surrogate father. Joseph got his brother Jefferson appointed to West Point in 1824. Jefferson Davis graduated twenty-third in his class of thirty-three cadets from the United States Military Academy in June 1828. It was traditional to give young officers a furlough after four years of discipline and to give the army time to decide what to do with them. Davis initially received a sixty-day leave, and the War Department soon extended it until October 30. Instead of returning to Mississippi, where the annual fever season made life dangerous, he went to Lexington, Kentucky. There, he sent this letter to Scott, and the War Department, at Scott's recommendation, granted Davis's request early in September. He visited his mother and surviving siblings in Mississippi late in the year and reported to Jefferson Barracks early in January. After his training there was complete, Davis joined the 1st Infantry Regiment at Fort Crawford, on the upper Mississippi River in the Michigan Territory (modern Wisconsin), by late March.

In a reorganization after the War of 1812, the Army's only major generals were Andrew Jackson and Jacob J. Brown, and Alexander Macomb, Edmund P. Gaines, Winfield Scott, and Eleazer W. Ripley were the only brigadier generals. Jackson commanded the Army's Southern Division, while Brown commanded the Northern Division. After a year of studying warfare in Europe, Scott was assigned to command army forces in the northeastern United States and established his headquarters in New York City.

An 1821 reduction and reorganization of the Army left Brown as the only major general and Scott and Gaines as the only brigadier general; Jackson and Ripley both left the army, and Macomb accepted a demotion to colonel and an appointment as chief of engineers. Scott remained in New York City and Gaines went to St. Louis to command the Western Department. In 1823, they switched commands, and Scott went to St. Louis. When Brown died in February 1828, President John Quincy Adams passed over both Scott and Gaines and appointed Macomb as the senior general in the army. Scott threatened to resign his commission but after a furlough in Europe from May to November 1829, he withdrew his offer of resignation and returned to his post in St. Louis.

Jefferson F. Davis (1808-1889) was born in Kentucky and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1828. After service under Zachary Taylor in the Black Hawk War, Davis married the future president's daughter, Sarah Knox Taylor, in 1835, but she died three months after their wedding. Davis established a plantation in Mississippi and became a Democratic politician. In 1844, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and a year later, married Varina Howell. Davis resigned his seat in Congress and raised a volunteer regiment for the Mexican War. He returned to politics after the war and served as a U.S. Senator (1845-1852, 1857-1860), and as Secretary of War (1853-1857). A moderate, he initially opposed secession, but when Mississippi seceded in January 1861, Davis resigned from the Senate and returned to Mississippi to raise troops. A month later, the Montgomery Convention named him as provisional president of the Confederacy, until he was elected to a six-year term as president in November 1861, and inaugurated on February 22, 1862. Davis took a direct role in the management of military affairs and worked with the Confederate Congress to expand the powers of the Confederate government, including conscription, impressment, and suspension of habeas corpus, which prompted some states' rights opposition to his administration. After the fall of Richmond, Union troops captured a fleeing Davis in Georgia. He was charged with treason and imprisoned for two years at Fort Monroe, Virginia. He was never brought to trial and was eventually released. After living for several years in Canada and Europe, he settled in Memphis in November 1870. He served as the president of a life insurance company from 1869 to 1873. He published his two-volume memoir, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, in 1881.

Winfield Scott (1786-1866) was born in Virginia and attended the College of William & Mary but left to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1806 and served as a corporal of cavalry in the Virginia militia in 1807. In 1808, he received a commission as captain in the newly expanded U.S. Army. He raised a regiment from the Petersburg and Richmond area and traveled with them to New Orleans to join their regiment. He soon clashed with General James Wilkinson and was court-martialed for disrespectful comments and poor record-keeping. His commission was suspended for one year, and he returned to Virginia, where he practiced law and studied military strategy and tactics. He rejoined the army after his suspension and led forces in three invasions of Canada, receiving a battlefield wound, a promotion to brevet major general, and a Congressional Gold Medal. He was one of four brigadier generals in the demobilized U.S. Army after the War of 1812. He led forces in a variety of minor wars and near-wars over the next two decades. By the late 1830s, he was discussed as a possible presidential candidate for the Whig Party. In 1841, he became the Commanding General of the United States Army. During the Mexican War, Scott presided over the expansion and equipping of the army, while Zachary Taylor led troops into northern Mexico. In 1847, Scott led the army in the successful siege of Veracruz, in cooperation with Commodore David Conner of the U.S. Navy. Scott then marched his army to Mexico City, winning victories at the Battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and Churubusco, and culminating with the capture of Mexico City in September. This victory forced Mexican leaders to negotiate the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war in February 1848. As the army's senior general, Scott supported the Compromise of 1850, and the Whigs nominated him for president in 1852. Scott suffered the worst defeat of any Whig candidate for president, winning only four states and losing the election to Democrat Franklin Pierce. In 1855, Scott was promoted to brevet lieutenant general, the first to hold the title since George Washington. During the Civil War, Scott strongly supported the Lincoln administration and developed the Anaconda Plan strategy for capturing the Mississippi River and blockading southern ports to end the rebellion without major loss of life. Frustrated by Lincoln's failure to seek his counsel, Scott resigned in October 1861. After a trip to Europe, he retired to New York and wrote his memoirs.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

September 6, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000