Book Review – Jefferson Davis – The Man And His Hour

Jefferson Davis – The Man And His Hour by William C. Davis (1991) – A detailed biography of the man who was “the face” of the Confederate States of America.  The author follows Davis from birth to his final breath and examines the events that shaped the man who became the center of the Civil War for the South.

Having moved to Richmond, VA in 2014 I am surrounded with an enormous portion of American History.  From the early English settlement at Jamestown, Williamsburg, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 to the Civil War, all are within just a few hours drive for me now.  But Richmond holds a special place in our history, as the capital of those states who either seceded or rebelled depending on your historical point of view.  There are some great historical sites in the city that brought a new, deeper understanding of this great conflict.  When I saw a copy of this biography at a recent rummage sale I grabbed it.

Growing up in the north there is very little attention paid to Jefferson Davis.  There is the inevitable photograph of him, thin and dour looking, a man easy to cast in the role of the villain.  A more mature understanding of history teaches you that the truth is more complex.

Complex is a great word to describe Jefferson Finis Davis.  His middle name showed his parents hope that he would be their final child.  His father was an emotionally distant father who would establish Davis’s relationship with most people for the rest of his life.  A hero in the Mexican War. Plantation owner.  United States Senator.  Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce.  Only President of the Confederate States of America.  The story of Jefferson Davis is a fascinating one and William C. Davis does a remarkable job of detailing that life.

In the end it is clear that President Davis would play a pivotal role in the eventual loss by the South in the Civil War.  Only the most devout partisan believes that the Confederacy had any chance to win its independence.  Their greatest chance was the one that many believed most devoutly in, King Cotton.  When the great European powers (England and France) did not respond to that appeal the outcome of the war was sealed.  It was no longer a matter of what the outcome would be but of when that outcome would arrive.  In retrospect it becomes clear that the greatest obstacle to southern independence was the dedication to the concept of the individual state over the nation.  The South was simply not able to create a cohesive “national” concept at the moment when it was most desperately needed.  Jefferson Davis was not the man for that moment.

Davis was burdened with some of the same challenges as his opponent, a man he despised, Abraham Lincoln.  Both were harassed by Congressional critics.  Both had to deal with incompetent generals in the Army.  Both had contentious and turbulent Cabinets.  The difference was that Lincoln was more gifted in interpersonal relations, working to find compromises that allowed the Union to move forward.  He was also willing to replace generals when they failed to perform.  Davis failed at both these tasks.

Emotionally reserved, he was seen as aloof and never showed any talent for “winning friends and influencing people”.  Once Davis made up his mind on an issue that was it.  He had a certitude that bordered on a siege mentality.  To disagree with him was to fall almost instantly out of favor.  Once out of favor, again, his mind could not be changed.  That certitude, when combined with his enormous loyalty to his friends, created huge problems when naming commanders of the Army.  Friends like Leonidas Polk were retained in commands long after proving their incompetence to lead.  Davis the author notes that while Davis the President had a great ability to judge his opponents he was virtually tone deaf when it came time to do likewise with those close to him.  Jefferson Davis’s attention to detail resulted all too often with “paralysis by analysis”.

In the end, you wind up with a nuanced understanding of the man who went from being the leading voice for states rights prior to the war to being the voice of southern nationalism.  As he did with all things, Jefferson Davis gave his every ounce of energy and intellect to those jobs.

The only President of the Confederate States of America is buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, just a 20 minute drive from my home.  I’ll be stopping by to pay my respects when the weather warms.

Rating : **** Recommended