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An extremely valuable historical document for anyone interested in a first-hand account of the CSA from the most senior source possible.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
