I ran across an interesting paragraph about Jefferson Davis in our files this week that I want to share with you. Davis was born in Fairview Ky in 1808, interestingly not far from where Abraham Lincoln was born (Hardin County, Ky in 1809). Jefferson's parents were Jane Cook Davis and Samuel Davis.
He graduated from West Point in 1828 (23rd in the class). He was a 1st Lieut. at Fort Crawford Wisconsin, where he fell in love with Sara Knox Taylor. Sara Knox died in 1835, 3 months after they were married. She is buried at St. Francisville, La where Davis' sister Ann lived.
In 1845 Davis married Varina Banks Howell at The Briars in Natchez, Ms. They had a home, Briarfield, between Natchez and Vicksburg. This home burned in 1931. The Davis' had six children. Samuel, born 1852 - died 1854; Margaret born 1855; Jefferson, died from yellow fever; Billy, died from diphtheria; Joe, from a fall off the balcony at 2nd White House in Richmond; Winnie, died in 1899 in New York City from pneumonia.
Winnie wrote 2 novels "Romance of Summer Seas" and "The Veiled Doctor". Varina was an author as well but I will have to find out the name of her books. I know we have one or two at the First Whites House in our library.
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