Jefferson Davis letter to J.B. Lindsley, ref. McGavock

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Winter Fine Art and Antiques Auction

By Case Auctions

Jan 21, 2017 - Jan 22, 2017

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• Lot Description
  Jefferson Davis letter to Nashville author, doctor, minister and educator Dr. John Berrien Lindsley with good retrospective content regarding the American Civil War and mention of Nashville war hero Col. Randal McGavock. In this 1 1/2 page letter and enclosed small note dated March 11, 1887 from Davis's home, Beauvoir, the former president of the Confederate States of America writes, "My dear sir, I duly received and acknowledged the beautiful and valuable volume of which you are the author. The work is to me rendered doubly dear as another one of the offerings made by woman to the cause of the south, for such it became when the southern states alone contended for the freedom and independence which the constitution was formed alone to secure and preserve. Please give my cordial thanks to Mrs. Lindsley, the sister of a hero in the war between the states, and daughter of a comrade in arms of the immortal Jackson. I trust the example you have set will be followed by other states for the commemoration of patriots who dared all for States Rights and self government, the priceless heritage which descended to us from our fathers of the Revolution. Respectfully and truly yours, Jefferson Davis." Also included is a small enclosed note marked "Private: It is a ___ solicism to term the resistance of states to coercion "a rebellion". Subjects, not sovereign, may "rebel" and the states won their sovereignty in the war of 1776. It is politically inaccurate to term ours a "civil war" which properly applies to a war between factions of one body politic, whereas ours was a war between the states united by a Federal league for enumerated purposes & therefore it was a war between states which being united by consent separated on the exercise of their reserved sovereignty. JSD." Note: the letter and note, which appear to have been penned and signed by Varina Davis, Jefferson's wife, were likely written upon receipt of Lindsley's book, The Military Annals of Tennessee, published 1886. John Berrien Lindsley's wife was Sarah McGavock, granddaughter of Randal McGavock, owner of Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tennessee and mayor of Nashville from 1824-1825; she was the sister of Randal William McGavock, Nashville mayor (1858-1859) and CSA Colonel, killed in action while leading a counter attack at the Battle of Raymond in Mississippi in 1863. Provenance: formerly from the collection of Miss Margaret Lindsley Warden of Nashville, Tennessee. (Higher-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com)

  Condition

  Overall toning, the beginnings of separations at fold lines, retains original envelope with staining at bottom and around stamp area (corresponding stains to letter, mainly in upper right corner).
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