ALS, one lightly lined page both sides, 5.5 x 8.5, May 28, 1879. Amazing content in a letter to his dear friend, reminding him of their roles in the Mexican and Civil War. In full, “It gave me so much pleasure to receive your letter of the 19th inst. Few now remain of the gallant band who went forth at the call of the country in 1846 to do battle in a foreign land for their country’s cause. Of that remnant you and I are a part and you have ever been very dear to me. Since the time when our services have been honored by the public applause, we have been united in a holier war, but success in the former and defeat in the latter have borne fruits not in keeping with the merits of the cause. Time which ‘makes all things even’ may do for our memories what had not been and probably will not be accorded to us while living. It is granted to the devotees of truth to possess their soul’s impatience and to wait confidently for its triumph. Annexed please find the translation you requested me to make.” Perhaps the most eloquent and poignant Jefferson Davis letter regarding the Civil War and made all the more important because it suggests Davis’ most personal moral feelings regarding the southern cause. In very good condition, with light overall soiling, heavier along bisecting vertical fold, which also affects a couple letters of signature and some separation along folds. LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
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