The Jefferson Davis Funeral Train Story

Sierra Times ^ | 06-03-2003 | Calvin E. Johnson, Jr

[stainlessbanner]

June 3, 2003, is the 195th Birthday of Jefferson Davis.

There is a highway that begins in Washington, D.C. and runs through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California and Oregon.

Some call it the largest monument to an American.

That (It) is the Jefferson Davis Highway in memorial to a man who graduated from West Point Military Academy, served in the United States Army, was elected as United States Senator and the Confederate States of America's first and only President-1861-1865.

This story is about a man who served his God, his family and his country. This is about the strong love the people of the South had for a man who never asked anything for himself, but was always ready to help his fellow man.

Jefferson Davis was born on June 3, 1808, in Christian County now (Todd) Kentucky. He died at the home of a friend in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 6, 1889, from severe bronchitis, complicated by malaria.

The funeral of Jefferson Davis was no simple affair. Two hundred thousand attended the services at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans. He was laid to rest in a temporary tomb of the Army of Northern Virginia.

The events of May 29, 1893, would overshadow all other news events covered by Dixie's Newspapers. It was the day the mortal remains of Jefferson Davis were removed from Metairie Cemetery, placed in a new casket and taken to Confederate Memorial Hall to again lay in state.

On the evening of May 29, 1893, Davis' funeral procession started toward the New Orleans railroad station where train Engineer Frank Coffin and his locomotive would start the 1,200 mile trip to Richmond, Virginia. Davis would be re-interred at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Mrs. Jefferson (Varina) Davis began three years previous to secure a special funeral train and military escort.

The train was No. 69 of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Conductor was George Crammer.

Davis' body was placed on a catafalque inside a converted observation car. The windows of the car were removed so the people could view the casket.

The crowd was so huge that the funeral procession had a difficult time getting to the train station.

The L and N train 69 pulled of New Orleans at midnight.

Uncle Bob Brown, a former Servant of the Davis family and a passenger on the train, saw the many flowers that children had laid on the side of the railroad tracks. Brown was so moved by this beautiful gesture that he wept uncontrollably.

The train stopped near Gulfport, Mississippi at Beauvoir which was the last home of Jefferson Davis.

In Mobile, Alabama the train was met by a thousand mourners and the Alabama Artillery fired a 21-gun salute. Locomotive No. 25 was also added with C.C. Dewinney as Engineer and Warren Robinson as Fireman.

In Montgomery church bells rang as a caisson carried Davis to the Alabama Capitol. A procession carried the casket through the portico where Jefferson Davis had taken the oath of office as President of the Confederacy.

The casket was placed in front of the bench of the Alabama Supreme Court room. Above the right exit of the room was a banner with the word 'Monterey' and above the left exit was a banner with the words 'Buena Vista.'

The significance of these words were that Jefferson Davis was a hero at Monterey and wounded at Buena Vista in the War with Mexico.

The train continued to the Georgia State line going through West Point, LaGrange and finally pulling into Union Station in Atlanta. A caisson carried the Southern Leaders body to the Georgia Capitol and there laid in state.

The Jefferson Davis Funeral Train continued through South Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina and in Danville, Virginia a large throng gathered around the train and the people sang," Nearer My God To Thee" as city church bells tolled.

Finally the train reached Richmond, Virginia. On Wednesday, May 31, 1893, in the morning, and Mrs. Alberta Lee Thompson described it best as follows:

"On Arriving in Richmond on Wednesday morning, May 31, the body lay in state in the Virginia capitol building until final rites in the cemetery in the afternoon. With Mrs. Davis were her two daughters, Winnie and Margaret (Mrs. J. Addison Hayes) and Mr. Hayes. Six state governors acted as pallbearers. Thousands attended the service in Hollywood Cemetery, including Confederate military leaders and privates, where with the Presidential twenty-one gun salute the beloved leader was laid to final rest."

Lest we forget those who helped make America great!

[KantianBurke]

This is part of the Constitution he protected and defended?

"In all such territory the institution of negro slavery, as it now exists in the Confederate States, shall be recognized and protected by Congress and by the Territorial government." - Article IV - Section III

http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/csa.constitution.html

Sorry. This guy's in hell right now.

[southland]

RE post 10: General Grant didn't release his slaves until after the war.

[bigeasy_70118]

I have a couple of black clients from northern states who a deal with on a semi regular basis. I can always hear them cringe when I give my address.

[DPB101]

Primary sources are fun to read. Often come to a conclusion at odds with conventional wisdom:

Journal of the Congress of the Confederate States of America, 1861-1865

To search the above, go here. Select "Journal of the Confederate Congress" at the "All Titles (or select a title)" menu above the search field.

The Virginia Military Institute has wonderful archives here

Thousands of primary documents are at this University of Virginia site:

The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War

[The KG9 Kid]

"...Let's see if I can help you with this.

You said, "...Davis didn't free the slaves before he fired on Fort Sumter." No, he didn't, because that would be akin to the yankees shutting down the power to all those mechanical marvels they held "in slavery" in the factories only the yankees had."

You've just admitted that you agree that some men were made by your Creator to serve you as machines.

God made men. Men made slaves.

I can't help you with that, Pharoah.

[NovemberCharlie]

What is that highway?

[proudofthesouth]

Correction. As the liberals in our country want us to believe.

[proudofthesouth]

Can anyone recommend some good biographies on Jefferson Davis?

[Old Professer]

Uncle Bob Brown, a former Servant of the Davis family and a passenger on the train, saw the many flowers that children had laid on the side of the railroad tracks. Brown was so moved by this beautiful gesture that he wept uncontrollably.

Johnson sure has a way with words:
The mental image of a work-stooped-down Darkie weeping over a fallen hero almost made my own worn eyes water.

[Old Professer]

Forgot to close my tag: </sarcasm>

[Old Professer]

Forgot to close my tag: < /i>

[stainlessbanner]

Additional Reading:

Jefferson Davis: Private Letters, 1823-1889
by Jefferson Davis, Hudson Strode (Editor)

Jefferson Davis, American
by William J., Jr. Cooper

The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government
by Jefferson Davis

Thanks for the excellent posts, Budge. Good to see you on the thread : )

[stainlessbanner]

The third-grade teacher in Arkansas asked her class, "Now, who can tell me who our president was during the Civil War?"

A little boy raised his hand. "Yes, Johnny?" said the teacher.

"Jefferson Davis," the boy said proudly. And no one could argue with that.

[billbears]

Ditto that. Thanks for the links DPB and the fine posts Budge. Jefferson Davis was indeed an admired man. I've never heard of the two hundred thousand attending his funeral, that is amazing

And thanks for the quotes stainless. I have one by General Lee on my desk at work about doing all one can and I'll be adding one from Davis out of these

Deo Vindice

[stainlessbanner]

Excellent. What a tremendous honor bestowed upon Col. King and yourself as his decendant.

[Colt .45]

I would suggest that you read the book titled 'A Constitutional History of Secession' by John Remington Graham. Graham, by the way, is a Minnesota lawyer but does a laudable job of lining up and explaining the reasons for the Southern States' secession from the Union. Read it and become informed as to what truly caused the war.

[Moose4]

I've visited Davis' grave in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, and not to sound flip about it, but it's "the best view in the house"--his gravesite overlooks the James River, and is rather spectacular.

Also buried in Hollywood--two US Presidents (James Monroe and John Tyler), Confederate Generals JEB Stuart and George Pickett, and several Virginia governors. There's also a monument to Pickett's Charge listing the units involved, and an area of hundreds of anonymous Confederate graves. Sadly, these graves are NOT kept up well by the cemetary, and are sometimes vandalized and desecrated with drug paraphernalia and litter by residents of the local neighborhood.

My wife and I had our first date in Hollywood Cemetery. I kid you not, she drove up from South Carolina to meet me in Richmond and the next day I took her there because of her interest in history. It didn't scare her off, so I guess I did something right! :)

}:-)4

[varina davis]

Please read Crowns of Thorns and Glory by Gerry Van Der Huevel. Deep insight into the honorable and courageous lives of President Jefferson Davis and his heroic wife, Varina Howell Davis -- as well as that of Mary Todd Lincoln, who was, because of her Southern heritage, probably one of the most villified first ladies in history.

[Non-Sequitur]

General Grant didn't release his slaves until after the war.

Sorry, that's flat out false. Grant didn't have any slaves to free when the war broke out. His in-laws freed their's in January or February of 1863.

[stainlessbanner]

KG9 - why did the North did not free it's slaves prior to the war? It took Lincoln two years to issue the EP - even then it didn't free yankee slaves. Davis is not the real target you want.