Back to Top
Home » The Society’s Southern Life Recommended Reading » 07 IMPORTANT BIOGRAPHIES OF SOUTHERN PEOPLE » 07.01 IMPORTANT BIOGRAPHIES, Political Leaders » 07.01.15 Jefferson Davis, Constitutionalist, His Letters, Papers, and Speeches, collected and edited by Dunbar Rowland, published as 10 volumes in 1923

07.01.15 Jefferson Davis, Constitutionalist, His Letters, Papers, and Speeches, collected and edited by Dunbar Rowland, published as 10 volumes in 1923

Notes Concerning the Author

Dunbar Rowland (1864 − 1937) was a noted Southern attorney, archivist and historian, who was also Director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History from its beginning in 1902 until he passed away in 1937.

Our Review

Dunbar Rowland’s 10-volume set of David letters, papers and speeches is clearly the best resource document for detailed study of the President of the Confederate States of America.  The Society calls out the 3-volume Hudson Strode biography of Davis as the best and notes as worthy Strode’s book of Davis private letters.  For the full record of documents, the serious student needs to go to the collection compiled by Rowland.

Availability of these Volumes

Rice University has the best Davis library in America.  If that is not handy, we suggest an on-line search for the volumes.  The most practical approach is to seek electronic images via the internet.

HRW