The Papers of Jefferson Davis: September 1864–May 1865During the last nine months of the Civil War, virtually all of the news reports and President Jefferson Davis’s correspondence confirmed the imminent demise of the Confederate States, the nation Davis had striven to uphold since 1861. But despite defeat after defeat on the battlefield, a recalcitrant Congress, nay-sayers in the press, disastrous financial conditions, failures in foreign policy and peace efforts, and plummeting national morale, Davis remained in office and tried to maintain the government—even after the fall of Richmond on April 2—until his capture by Union forces on May 10, 1865. |
Contents
Chronology September 1864May 1865 | xli |
From James A Seddon September 3 | 6 |
From John Bell Hood September 6 | 14 |
From Joseph R Davis September 10 | 21 |
From John S Preston September 14 | 37 |
From Nathan Bedford Forrest September 16 | 43 |
To Herschel V Johnson September 18 | 50 |
Speech at Macon September 23 | 60 |
From David W Lewis December 30 | 262 |
From George A Trenholm January 3 | 269 |
From Judah P Benjamin January 5 | 278 |
To Hugh R Davis January 8 | 286 |
From Birkett D Fry January 8 | 293 |
From Robert E Lee January 10 | 302 |
Conversation with Francis Preston Blair January 12 | 328 |
To James F Johnson and Hugh W Sheffey January 18 | 335 |
Conversation with William J Hardee September 26 | 67 |
Speech at Columbia October 4 | 81 |
From William Preston Johnston October 8 | 95 |
To Virginia Tunstall Clay October 12 | 101 |
From Robert W Johnson October 15 | 106 |
From Robert E Lee October 25 | 118 |
From David L Yulee October 27 | 124 |
From Robert E Lee November 2 | 132 |
From John Bankhead Magruder November 5 | 138 |
To John Bell Hood November 7 | 145 |
From Braxton Bragg November 12 | 153 |
To Georgia Senators November 17 | 161 |
To Alexander H Stephens November 21 | 173 |
From William J Hardee November 24 | 185 |
From Christopher G Memminger December 4 | 199 |
From P G T Beauregard December 6 | 206 |
From P G T Beauregard December 13 | 218 |
To Robert E Lee December 14 | 225 |
To P G T Beauregard December 20 | 240 |
From Isham G Harris December 25 | 248 |
From William J Hardee January 29 | 359 |
To Robert E Lee January 31 | 365 |
To P G T Beauregard February 4 | 372 |
To John C Breckinridge February 8 | 393 |
From John C Breckinridge February 18 | 408 |
From Robert E Lee February 23 | 421 |
From Robert E Lee March 14 | 439 |
To Robert E Lee March 22 | 453 |
From Braxton Bragg March 26 | 469 |
From Robert E Lee March 29 | 482 |
From Robert E Lee April 2 | 496 |
From Varina Howell Davis April 7 | 513 |
To Robert E Lee April 9 | 526 |
To Varina Howell Davis April 14 | 541 |
To Braxton Bragg April 20 | 551 |
To Varina Howell Davis April 26 | 566 |
To Burton N Harrison May 2 | 580 |
Sources | 605 |
651 | |