| Show S Second cond Bride Was South's Louth's First Lady f 77 s l t A v vrr rr n VARINA HOWELL DOWELL DAVIS After a long struggle Jefferson Davis recovered from the fever that had taken his bride and sadly sadly sadly sad sad- ly returned to Mississippi where he became a studious recluse devoting devoting devoting de de- de- de voting his attention to the interpretation interpretation interpretation inter inter- of the Constitution and the matter of state rights Undoubtedly Undoubtedly Un Un- it was during this time that he acquired the convictions which would make it possible for him during the next two decades to subscribe to the doctrine of secession secession secession se se- se- se cession and consent to become president of the new Confederate States of America Another Romance But in the meantime romance had again entered his life life life-in in the form of another year seventeen old girl Varina Howell Hov the dark- dark eyed haired dark daughter of W. W B B. B Howell a wealthy cotton planter plant plant- er who lived at The Briers near Natchez and who was a friend of Joseph Emory Davis Jefferson Jefferson Jeffer Jeffer- son Davis first met her when she came to visit Diamond Place the plantation of his sister Mrs David McCaleb Concerning that meeting Varina Howell wrote to her mother Today Uncle Joe sent by his younger brother did you know he had one an urgent invitation to tome tome tome me to go at once to The Hurri Hurri- cane I do not know whether this Mr Jefferson Davis is young or old He looks both at times but butI I believe he is old for from what I hear he is only two years younger young young- er than you He is most agreeable agreeable agreeable agree agree- able and has a peculiarly sweet voice and a winning manner of asserting himself The fact is he heis heis heis is the kind of person I should expect expect expect ex ex- ex- ex to rescue me from a mad dog at any risk but to insist upon a stoical indifference to the fright afterwards I do not think I shall ever like him as I do his brother Joe But young Varina Howell proved to be a poor prophetess For she did come to like him him him- enough to marry him That event took place a little more than two years later on February 26 1845 In the meantime Jefferson Davis stirred to ambition no doubt by his love for her had come out of his seclusion to etHer enter the arena of politics In 1844 while Davis was courting young Miss Howell he stumped the state as an elector for James K Polk and in 1845 a few months after his marriage he was elected to congress as rep- rep at His career in the national legislature was cut short by the outbreak of the War with Mexico He resigned from the house and raised a volunteer regiment the Mississippi Rifles of which he was made colonel This regiment became the crack volunteer organization in Gen Zachary Taylors Taylor's army which it joined in September 1845 1846 The be Hero of Buena Vista The Rifles distinguished shed themselves themselves themselves them them- selves at the battle of Monterey but even more at the battle of Buena Vista where Davis did more than any other of Taylors Taylor's to win a victory Tate says Colonel Davis wounded wound wound- ed in the foot wet wept home on crutches the hero of t the hour The mob cheered him him n in n New Orleans Orleans Orleans Or Or- leans and he was eulogized by the great Prentiss He had always thought of himself as a soldier in a sense he had reached the zenith of his career He seems to have believed the applause In fact that was one of the tragedies of Jefferson Davis his Davis his belief in his own military genius When he became president of the Confederacy that belief contributed ed to his downfall and to the downfall of the cause to which he had pledged himself If he had listened to the advice of other men who more nearly resembled military genius than he ever did the result of the struggle from 1801 1861 to 1865 5 might have been different As a sort of corollary to that is another interesting if If the malaria had not carried away Sarah Knox Taylor Davis in hi 1835 and she instead of f Varina Howell Davis had been the helpmate and closest companion of J Jefferson Jeffer Jeffer- efferson son Davis would his career have been different Would her aversion aversion aversion aver aver- sion to army life learned from her father father Old Rough and Ready have prevented his return return re re- turn to it in 1346 thereby winning the honors which contributed to hi his political advancement and eventually the climax of his career ca ca- reer his reer-his his election to the presidency presidency dency of the Confederacy 8 |
