Description:

Jefferson Davis ALS, "the negroes are humble and generally inclined to cling to their old masters...neither crop or stock could be protected from their thieving" Incredible

4p, 6.5" x 7.75", Lennoxville, Canada, April 7, 1868. Davis writes to John Taylor Wood, a fellow Confederate who had escaped to Canada after the Civil war about his recent visit to the South and his pending court case. Flattened folds from mailing, slight tears not affecting the quality of the document, scattered toning and foxing not affecting the bold signature.

In part:

"The desolation and despondence of the people I found even greater than I had imagined. The failure of last year's crop rendered the planters generally unable to repay the advances which their merchants had made, and the latter unable to get further Bank accomodations [sic], were unable to make even the small advances to the planters which they required to buy food for their laborers and teams. The negroes have to a great extent become vagrant and the common complaint was that neither crop or stock could be protected from their thieving. The poor creatures are however much to be pitied for their destitution and we who knew their utter inability to govern themselves may well question whether they or those who forced them into their present condition are most responsible for the crimes they commit. So far as my observation went, the negroes are humble and generally inclined to cling to their old masters, ever recurring to the last fleshpot...

...On the 25th of March I was required for the third time to appear at Richmond to answer to the pending prosecution, but a short time before that date I was notified that the hearing of the case was postponed to the 14th of April, and afterwards that the case was further postponed to the May term. Whether anything will then be done beyond a renewal of the bond and the naming of another day is very doubtful. It is also expected by some having better opportunity than myself to form an opinion that my attendance may be dispensed with. This embarrasses me in the formation of any plans for the future, so that I am still quite adrift. Several advantageous propositions have been made to me, but all contingent as rather [unintelligible word] postponed until I am free from the restraints of this government prosecution..." Signed, "Jeffer Davis." 

Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) was a 19th-century U.S. senator who served as Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce before becoming President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.

John Taylor Wood (1830-1904) was an officer in the United States Navy and the Confederate Navy. He resigned from the U.S. Navy at the beginning of the American Civil War and became a "leading Confederate naval hero" as a captain in the Confederate Navy.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

August 17, 2022 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000