Jefferson Davis

A Short History of the Confederate States of America

By Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America (CSA).  Written by the man who was at the very center of the CSA and who held its highest office, this remarkable history tells the story of the rebel republic right from its very beginning to its bitter end. It is not an exhaustive story of the “War between the States,” but rather the events of those times as experienced by the CSA President.

The author deals with the fundamental questions which caused the rupture: the issue of states’ rights, slavery, and the usurpation of the U.S. Constitution. Although he denies that slavery was the real cause of the way, he does readily admit that the constitutionally guaranteed right of individual states to practice slavery was the fundamental constitutional issue over which the division came.

$25.95

Description

By Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America (CSA).  Written by the man who was at the very center of the CSA and who held its highest office, this remarkable history tells the story of the rebel republic right from its very beginning to its bitter end. It is not an exhaustive story of the “War between the States,” but rather the events of those times as experienced by the CSA President.

The author deals with the fundamental questions which caused the rupture: the issue of states’ rights, slavery, and the usurpation of the U.S. Constitution.

Although he denies that slavery was the real cause of the way, he does readily admit that the constitutionally guaranteed right of individual states to practice slavery was the fundamental constitutional issue over which the division came.

The author shows that in fact the Confederacy was adhering to the actual letter of the original U.S. Constitution, and this was doubtless an important reason why he was never brought to trial—as opponents feared he would prove this in court.

The majority of the book then describes the tumultuous events from 1861 to 1865 as he experienced them: the decision to open hostilities, the total unpreparedness of the South for a war of any sort, the reports from the front lines of the decisive turning point battles, and much more.

Along the way he deals with many of the long-mythologized aspects of the Confederacy: the truth around the alleged use of black slaves to fight for the CSA, the truth behind the “Fort Pillow Massacre,” and much more.

An extremely valuable historical document for anyone interested in a first-hand account of the CSA from the most senior source possible. Although titled a “short” history, it is anything but that.

Now completely reset with 203 brand new footnotes and annotations explaining personalities and events to the present-day reader, and 67 new and ultra-rare illustrations and photographs.

552 pages. Paperback.

Contents

Introduction

Part I. Before Secession

Chapter I: Causes of the War between the States

Chapter II: Negro Slavery and the Slave-Trade

Chapter III: The Extension of Slavery

Chapter IV: The Missouri Compromise

Chapter V: The Compromise Measures

Chapter VI: Politics in Mississippi

Chapter VII: The Kansas-Nebraska Troubles

Chapter VIII: The Abolition Movement

Chapter IX: The John Brown Raid

Chapter X: A Retrospect

Chapter XI: Preliminary Preparations for Defence

Chapter XII: The Close of 1860

Chapter XIII: Secession of South Carolina

Chapter XIV: General Principles

Chapter XV: The Right of Secession

Part II: Secession and Confederation

Chapter I: Early Days of Secession

Chapter II: Fort Sumter

Chapter III: Progress of Secession

Chapter IV: The Confederate Cabinet and Congress

Chapter V: Some Northern Protests

Chapter VI: The Confederate Constitution

Chapter VII: Negotiations with the Federal Government

Chapter VIII: Bombardment of Fort Sumter

Part III: The War

Chapter I: South Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia

Chapter II: Confederate Preparations for Defence

Chapter III: Organization of Our Resources

Chapter IV: Federal Oppressions in Maryland

Chapter V: The Battle of Manassas

Chapter VI: Neutrality of Kentucky

Chapter VII: The Contest in Missouri

Chapter VIII: General Albert Sidney Johnston

Chapter IX: Federal Outrages in Missouri

Chapter X: Missouri Disarmed

Chapter XI: Military Operations in Missouri

Chapter XII: Confederate Aid to Missouri

Chapter XIII: Operations of Generals Wise, Floyd, and Lee

Chapter XIV: Arrest of Mason and Slidell

Chapter XV: Our Deficient Ordnance Supplies

Chapter XVI: The Confederate Financial System

Chapter XVII: Reforms in the Military Legislation

Chapter XVIII: Federal Hostilities and Usurpations

Chapter XIX: Forts Henry and Donelson Surrendered

Chapter XX: Trans-Mississippi Military Operations

Chapter XXI: The Battle of Shiloh

Chapter XXII: Further Military Events in the West

Chapter XXIII: Naval Operations in the East

Chapter XXIV: Opening of the Peninsular Campaign

Chapter XXV: Jackson’s Shenandoah Campaign

Chapter XXVI: The Battle of Seven Pines

Chapter XXVII: The Battle of New Cold Harbor

Chapter XXVIII: The Battles of Frazier’s Farm and Malvern Hill

Chapter XXIX: Federal Legislative Usurpations

Chapter XXX: Federal Executive Usurpations

Chapter XXXI: Confederate Naval Operations

Chapter XXXII: Confederate Naval Operations in the West

Chapter XXXIII: Naval Affairs in the West

Chapter XXXIV: The Confederate Navy on the High Seas

Chapter XXXV: Federal Appeals to Europe Not to Aid “Pirates.”

Chapter XXXVI: The Military Government of States

Chapter XXXVII: Progress of Centralization

Chapter XXXVIII: Military Operations in Virginia

Chapter XXXIX: War Transferred to the Frontier

Chapter XL: The Battle of Antietam

Chapter XLI: Treasury Regulations and the Cotton Famine

Chapter XLII: Military Operations in Virginia

Chapter XLIII: Our foreign Relations

Chapter XLIV: Military Operations in the West

Chapter XLV: Naval and Military Operations on the Mississippi

Chapter XLVI: The Campaign Against Vicksburg

Chapter XLVII: The Defence of Vicksburg

Chapter XLVIII: Surrender of Port Hudson

Chapter XLIX: Battle of Chickamauga

Chapter L: Missionary Ridge

Chapter LI: The Battle of Gettysburg

Chapter LII: After Gettysburg

Chapter LIII: The Subjugation of Tennessee and Louisiana

Chapter LIV: The Subjugation of Maryland

Chapter LV: The Subjugation of Kentucky

Chapter LVI: The Subjugation of Missouri

Chapter LVII: The Subjugation of the State of New York

Chapter LVIII: The Military Commission at Washington

Chapter LIX: Free Speech Suppressed in the North

Chapter LX: Military Operations in Virginia

Chapter LXI: Butler Bottled Up

Chapter LXII: Battles of the Wilderness

Chapter LXIII: Early’s Advance on Washington and Chambersburg

Chapter LXIV: Battle of Winchester

Chapter LXV: Military Operations After Winchester

Chapter LXVI: The Red River Campaign

Chapter LXVII: Fort Pillow

Chapter LXVIII: Johnston’s Retrogressive Campaign

Chapter LXIX: Fall of Atlanta

Chapter LXX: Hood’s Campaign from Atlanta to Nashville

Chapter LXXI: Sherman’s March to the Sea

Chapter LXXII: The Battle of Nashville

Chapter LXXIII: Exchange of Prisoners

Chapter LXXIV: Federal Barbarities, and Threatened Retaliation

Chapter LXXV: Mission of Vice-President Stephens

Chapter LXXVI: War Prisons, Northern and Southern

Chapter LXXVII: Abortive Negotiations

Chapter LXXVIII: Sherman’s March Northward

Chapter LXXIX: Siege of Petersburg

Chapter LXXX: Fort Fisher

Chapter LXXXI: Evacuation of Petersburg

Chapter LXXXII: Evacuation of Richmond

Chapter LXXXIII: The Surrender at Appomattox

Chapter LXXXIV: Evacuation of Richmond

Chapter LXXXV: Surrender of General Johnston

Chapter LXXXVI: Capture of President Davis

Chapter LXXXVII: The Cost of the War; and the Northern Methods of Warfare

Chapter LXXXVIII: Re-Establishment of the Union by Force

Index

Additional information

Weight 26.1 oz
Dimensions 6 × 1.303 × 9 in
Writer

Jefferson Davis

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