A Frustrated Jefferson Davis Wants Fewer Officers on Staff and More in the Field

Sherman had just taken Atlanta, Petersburg was under siege, the war was going badly, and manpower was a major problem for the Confederacy. President Davis wanted as many men as possible to be transferred to the field, particularly officers, who after the Virginia Campaign in May 1864 were in short supply.

At this moment he received a large folio document from Gen. Lucius B. Northrop, his Commissary General, listing 29 majors and lieutenants in his department and asking for their reappointments. One was at Chimborazo Hospital, another he wrote intriguingly was “operating in enemy’s lines most successfully,” and yet another was “Operating with Genl. Imboden being intimately acquainted with the country.”

Of Major A. E. Love, he wrote, “This officer was a Major of the State of Miss. Because of his eminent fitness he was solicited to accept a position with that rank in the Confed. service & agreed to do so. It is submitted that it would not be just now to take that rank from him.” The first to see this request was Secretary of War James Seddon who wrote “Respectfully submitted to the President inviting attention to the enclosed letter of the Com. Genl. and recommending the reappointments asked…31 Aug. 64, J. S. Seddon, Sec. of War.”

Next to this the chagrined Davis has written an Jefferson Davis Autograph Endorsement Signed of 21 lines as Confederate President: “Secy. of War. It has been reported to me that Genl. Jones says there is an excess of staff officers at Charleston and Savannah, that Genl. Maury says that there is an excess in Mobile and generally in Mississippi. Some months since Genl. Bragg, by my direction, called for lists of the officers of the several staff depts., their duties, posts &c &c, but they have not been furnished, and it is impossible without such information to act understandingly. Jeffn. Davis, 3 Sept. 64.”

Seddon has then written “To Commy. Genl. with the president’s endorsement, J.S.S. 6 Sep. 64.” Being questioned by Davis apparently irritated Northrop, because he fills two columns with a reply to Seddon, beginning “Respectfully returned to the Secy. of War – who is informed that the records of his Dept. abound with evidence that I have ever been zealous to prevent an excess of officers in the commissariat….” Beneath this Seddon has written a third endorsement, “Resubmitted to the President, with the endorsement by the Com. Gen. solicited by yours, giving the information contemplated. J.S.S.” Davis then passes the issue along to his aide Braxton Bragg, perhaps hoping he will reject the reappointments, writing “Genl. Bragg for attention. See remarks in regard to Genls. Jones and Maury. J. D., 12 Sept. 64.”

President Davis was being told by reliable men like generals Jones and Maury that there were too many officers in staff positions already, yet this document arrives from Gen. Northrup requesting reappointments for officers who with few exceptions would remain as staff. Northrop was his personal appointment, and Davis generally treated his hand-picked men with kid gloves, yet his pique shows through here as he initially refuses to go along, then passes the buck out of exasperation.

This is the kind of situation that shows the burden that the Confederate President labored under in trying to appoint officers who would meet the enemy at the front and not stay behind in cushy commisary jobs. His first endorsement contains more words and more quality content than his average war date letter. In very good condition except for some ink blots in Davis’ first endorsement.