Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy
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Jefferson Finis "Jeff" Davis (1808-1889) was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its brief history. Davis graduated from West Point and fought in the Mexican-American War as a colonel of a volunteer regiment. He was Secretary of War under Democratic President Franklin Pierce and a senator representing Mississippi. He argued against secession, but did agree that each state was sovereign and had the right to secede from the Union. After resigning from the Senate, he was selected as provisional President of the Confederate States of America and was elected without opposition to a six-year term. Davis took charge of the Confederate war plans but was unable to find a strategy to stop the larger, powerful and better organized Union. His diplomatic efforts failed to gain recognition from any foreign country, and he paid little attention to the collapsing Confederate economy, printing more and more paper money to cover the war's expenses. In 1865, Davis was captured, imprisoned and placed in irons for three days. Davis was indicted for treason a year later. After two years of imprisonment, he was released on bail of $100, 000 which was posted by prominent citizens of both Northern and Southern states. He died at age 81 on December 6, 1889, in the presence of several friends and and holding the hand of his second wife, and most beloved, Varina.