Note Concerning the Author
Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) of Mississippi was trained at the U. S. Military Academy, raised cotton on a large farm alongside the Mississippi River, represented his state in the Federal House and Senate, served as Secretary of War throughout the Franklin Pierce Administration, served as President of the Confederate States of America throughout its existence, endured two years of punitive imprisonment at Fortress Monroe, and, late in his long and productive life, wrote important histories of the Confederacy, including his comprehensive two volume work, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (see 02.07.01 for our review of Rise and Fall).
Abstract
This history of 505 pages should belong in all libraries, because, unlike any other, it was written by the man who oversaw the Confederate Government, during its 4-year struggle to defend the independence of the 11 states that had legally seceded in late 1860 and early 1861. And Davis’s political leadership and experience in Washington during the 1850’s afforded him a superior understanding of the history of which he wrote. Consider this as a companion high school text for student study. There is an index in the back.
Availability of this Book
No problem finding this book, originally published by Belford Company. It was reprinted in a fine hardback edition by Sprinkle Publications in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 2002. You can also get it as a digital e-book at the site below:
http://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofco00davi
To view this book on amazon.com, click on the link below:
HRW