Jefferson Davis: Before He Wore Confederate Gray

by David Henry Maring

Jefferson Davis Before He Wore Confederate Gray is a novel that stays true to a historical narrative. At the same time, the book examines the intimate life and the personality traits of this famous American political figure. The reader will learn how after Davis graduated from West Point, his service in the Black Hawk War and the Mexican War made him a hero to the nation. Intimate stories of his relationships with Knoxie, the love of his life, and with his second wife, Varina, show both his strengths and weaknesses as a husband. The reader will follow the path of Jefferson Davis' public service as a member of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and as the Secretary of War. The novel explores Davis' philosophy on the Constitution and the relation of the States to Washington. The reader will learn how his education, environment, and personal experiences led him to the views he held on important political matters.

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2014

About the author

Raised on a farm in rural South Carolina, David Maring worked his way through college. At Andrews High, he taught Government and Civics. He served in the Marine Corps and National Guard. After graduating from law school at the University Of South Carolina, he practiced civil and criminal law. He taught courses in Business Law at Coastal Carolina. Later, he served as a Family and Circuit Court trial judge. After his retirement from the bench, he was appointed Department Head Of Criminal Justice at Georgetown-Horry Technical College. Later, he was Of Counsel to Maring Law Firm and served a mediator in circuit court cases. After he left the active practice of law, David wrote four novel. The Serpent's Seed, Carolina Justice, and The Mullahs all received Honorable Mention in literary competition.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting interpretation of actual events in the life of Jeff Davis from his youth until ultimately being appointed Provisional President of the Confederacy, even though it was not something he sought or desired he felt it his duty to accept the position. He never wavered on his position of upholding sovereignty rights according to the constitution, even though he did not agree with the dissolution of the Union. He however saw the overreach of the Federal government at that time, whether he agreed with the secession or not. Most of the parts that were interpretation of his life were enjoyable but the view of Varina didn't resonate with me. This is probably because from first hand accounts of her in other books, I couldn't see her as being quite so insufferable in even her youth...however she very could have been it was just hard for me to picture her behaving the way that she was portrayed in this book. But this was a very enjoyable read and I hope to see the books continue.

[Richard Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting, informative and well written work. David Maring does a nice job of adding color to a black and white historical figure.