THE LIFE OF JEFFERSON DAVIS [Illustration: Jefferson Davis] THE LIFE OF JEFFERSON DAVIS. _BY FRANK H. ALFRIEND, Late Editor of The Southern Literary Messenger._ CINCINNATI AND CHICAGO: CAXTON PUBLISHING HOUSE. PHILADELPHIA, RICHMOND, ATLANTA AND ST. LOUIS: NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO. BALDWYN, MISS.: P. M. SAVERY & COMPANY. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.: J. LAWS & CO. 1868. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by FRANK H. ALFRIEND, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the District of Virginia. PREFACE. In offering this volume to the public, the occasion is embraced to avow, with unfeigned candor, a painful sense of the inadequate manner in which the design has been executed. Emboldened rather by his own earnest convictions, than by confidence in his capacity, the author has undertaken to contribute to American History, an extended narration of the more prominent incidents in the life of JEFFERSON DAVIS. Whatever may be the decision of the reader upon the merits of the performance, the author has the satisfaction arising from a conscientious endeavor to subserve the ends of truth. In pursuit of the purpose to write _facts_ only, to the aid of familiar acquaintance with many of the topics discussed, and to information derived from the most accurate sources, has been brought laborious investigation of numerous interesting papers, which his avocation made accessible. It is therefore claimed that no statement is to be found in this volume, which is not generally conceded to be true, or which is not a conclusion amply justified by indisputable evidence. Nor is it to be fairly alleged that the work exhibits undue sectional bias. As a Southern man, who, in common with his countrymen of the South, was taught to believe the principles underlying the movement for Southern independence, the only possible basis of Republicanism, the author has regarded, as a worthy incentive, the desire to vindicate, as best he might, the motives and conduct of the South and its late leader. Disclaiming the purpose of promoting sectional bitterness, or of a wholesale indictment of the Northern people, he deems it needless to dwell upon the obvious propriety of discrimination. Holding in utter abhorrence the authors of those outrages, wanton barbarities and petty persecutions, of which her people were the victims, the South yet feels the respect of an honorable enemy for those distinguished soldiers, Buell, Hancock, McClellan and others, who served efficiently the cause in which they were employed, and still illustrated the practices of Christian warfare. To fitly characterize the remorseless faction in antagonism to the sentiments of these honorable men, it is only necessary to recall the malice which assails a "lost cause" with every form of detraction, and aspires to crown a triumph of arms with the degradation and despair of a conquered people.