Jefferson Davis, Cadet at West Point, From Kentucky Cabin to the Capitol

By: Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.

The public is well aware that Jefferson F. Davis was President
of the Confederate States of America. This article is one of a
series of articles from Jefferson Davis A Memoir by his Great
Great Grandson and From Kentucky Cabin to the Capitol which will
share the rest of the story of who Jefferson Davis was and what
he stood for and his wide range of accomplishments.

Just after a month Jefferson's 16th birthday, in 1824, his father
Samuel died. Jeff's oldest brother, Joseph Davis (who was twenty
years older than Jefferson) became a surrogate father and mentor
to his younger brother Jeff. Joseph Davis in spite of the fact
he was a successful attorney, discouraged Jeff from transferring
to the University of Virginia Law School. Joseph strongly
suggested that his brother Jeff pursue a military career and
attend West Point.

Joseph Davis, an attorney, a successful planter and political
leader in Mississippi, arranged for an appointment for Jeff to
the United States Military Academy [West Point]. Joseph was able
to secure Jeff’s appoint through his political connections,
from the office of United States Secretary of State John C.
Calhoun.

Jefferson Davis attended West Point along with notable Academy
members of his Class and others Classes who would play a major
part during the War of Northern Aggression, aka the Civil War.
Those cadets included: Class of 1825 Robert Anderson ( defender
of Fort Sumter on April 1, 1861), A. H. Brown (an engineering
officer who help in the building and construction of Fort
Sumter), Benjamin Hunger ( major general of the Confederate
Army), Class of 1826 Samuel P. Heintzelman (later a Union Army
General), and Albert Sidney Johnson (Stonewall Jackson the
Confederate Army general and close personal friend of Jefferson
Davis), Class 1827 the legendary Robert E. Lee (Confederate Army
Commanding General), Philip St. George Cooke (Union Army
general), Joseph E. Johnson ( Confederate Army general who
openly who fought with President Jefferson Davis), and the
interesting Leonidas Polk (Episcopal bishop and Confederate Army
general).

Jefferson Davis had a deep and abiding love of the Constitution
of the United States, which really began before he
became a United States Military Academy Cadet. At West Point,
Jefferson Davis eagerly studied the US Constitution and
Constitutional Law. Two of the West Point textbooks of the time
were, Kents Commentaries on American Law and Rawles A view of
the Constitution of the United States of American. Both these
two textbooks clearly share the position that the U.S.
Constitution clearly articulates that all states all powers
which were not delegated to the federal government would remain
with the States. Jeff graduated from West Point after four years
in a small class of 33 cadets. The long gray line, as they call
the cadre of West Point Cadets, was much shorter back in 1828.

After graduating, Jeff received a Commission as a Second
Lieutenant initially to the Sixth Regiment of Infantry and then
the 20 years old Lt. was subsequently assigned to the First
Regiment of Infantry. Young US Army Lieutenant Jeff Davis was
sent to what is now Wisconsin, to Fort Crawford in only slightly
inhabited portion of the Northwest Territories and a much colder
climate. Jeff was then sent to Fort Winnebago also in the
Northwest Territories.

While in the US Army, Jeff caught pneumonia and became very ill
while he was stationed in the freezing cold, the dampness, and
snowy frontier of Wisconsin. He was so ill that his very
faithful and loyal personal servant, James Pemberton, had to
literally carry Jeff from the bed and the window. Pemberton had
to carry the very ill Lieutenant Jeff Davis around like he was a
little child.

Jeff soon recovered from his bad case of pneumonia. As part of
the First Regiment of Infantry Jeff had to perform a number of
risky tasks on his patrol in the sparsely inhabited Northwest
Territories. Jeff found many of his military duties were both
mundane and boring. Lieutenant Jefferson Davis job for his first
three years in the US Army was to assist in the effort by the
Army in protecting US Citizens from attacks from both the local
Indians and the British.

Historical Note: This one of series of well-documented and
informative articles will explore an number of the facets of
Jefferson Davis life as a West Point graduate, a US Military
career officer, an industrious young man who carved out a
plantation from a brier covered swamp land, a Mississippi
Militia Colonel (later Militia Major General), served in US
Congress (both as a multiple term Senator and Congressman), as
the outstanding US Secretary of War for President Franklin
Pierce, in addition to having been President of the Confederate
States of America. Jefferson Davis was a truly renaissance man
with deep values as a caring and compassionate man. Jeff Davis
had passionate opinions of the strict interpretation of the US
Constitution in which the Founding Fathers of United States
clearly limited the power of the Federal Government. Jefferson
Davis was named after Thomas Jefferson, by his parents.
Jefferson Davis father, Samuel, was a hero in the American army
during Revolutionary War.

The successful effort to restore Jefferson Davis’s United
States citizenship was led by United States Senators Eastland,
Thurmond, Hatfield and Hatch on the US Senate Judiciary
Committee to Jefferson Davis’s citizenship (the author’s
Great Great Grandfather). Jefferson F. Davis was a West Point
graduate at the age of 20, a US Military career officer, created
a successful plantation from swamp land, was a Mississippi
Militia Colonel (later Militia Major General), served in the US
Congress (as Congressman and twice as Senator), as the US
Secretary of War for President Franklin Pierce, all this in
addition to having been President of the Confederate States of
America. Dr. Haller actively lobbied on both sides of the aisle
of the US Congress, along with the significant efforts by
Senator’s Eastland, Thurmond, Hatfield and Hatch, to
successfully finally restore Jefferson Davis’s citizenship.
Haller worked with President Jimmy Carter and his senior White
House staff, including White House Chief of Staff. President
Carter signed the unanimously passed US Senate Joint Resolution
16, on October 17, 1978.

Copyright 2008 (c) Dr Howard Edward Haller

Article Source: https://www.collectibles-articles.com

Dr. Howard Edward Haller is a well respected academic scholar, University Professor, University Trustee, former President of University Board of Trustees, award winning author, and professional speaker. He is also an accomplished senior business executive. Dr. Haller is the Great Great Grandson of Jefferson Davis and respected scholar.

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