Pursuit

by Clint Johnson

While much has been written about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth, much less has been written about the efforts to apprehend Confederate President Jefferson Davis in the days following the dissolution of the Confederacy, and the subsequent attempt to try him for treason. In the only book to tell the definitive story of Davis's chase, capture, imprisonment, and release, journalist and Civil War writer Clint Johnson brings this chapter in our nation's history to vivid life, and paints a fascinating portrait of one of American history's most complex and enduring figures.

In the vulnerable weeks following the end of the War and Abraham Lincoln's assassination, some in President Andrew Johnson's administration burned to exact revenge against Davis. Trumping up charges of conspiracy to murder Lincoln and treason against the Union, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton ordered cavalry after Davis. After a chase through North and South Carolina and Georgia, Davis was captured on May 10, 1865. The former United States Senator and Mexican War hero was imprisoned for two years in Fortress Monroe, Virginia, where he was subjected to torture and humiliation-but never brought to trial. Remarkably, the Johnson administration knew Davis was innocent of all crimes before he was even arrested.

With a keen eye for the period's detail, as well as a Southerner's insight, Johnson sheds new light on Davis's time on the run, his treatment while imprisoned, his surprising release from custody, and his eventual exoneration-exposing the powerful political forces involved, and their lasting impact. Johnson draws on extensive official historical documents as well as countless archived private materials such asdiaries, letters, and private papers. With the 200th anniversary of Davis's birth in 2008, the time has never been better for a compelling account of such a defining episode of the Civil War.

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War, Biography, Nonfiction, American History

320 pages

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

After writing about the American Civil War for 13 books, Clint chose another field of history: Naval History. He was inspired to write about naval destroyers after discovering the coincidences surrounding the sinking of USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) in WW I, and the USS Jacob Jones (DD-130) in WW II. DD-61 was the only U.S. warship sunk by enemy fire in WW I. DD-130 was the only U.S. warship lost in American territorial waters in WW II. TIN CANS & GREYHOUNDS: The Destroyers That Won Two World Wars covers the history of destroyers from 1874 through 1945 with a focus on U.S., Great Britain, Japan and Germany.

Clint lives in the mountains of North Carolina with his wife Barb.

Reviews

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really well done and smart book that looks at the fall of the Confederacy and all of the drama that ensued. The author is extremely well versed in the history of the War Between the States, and his observations are extremely eye opening. This is a book that history buffs will love to read.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the first hundred and fifty pages Mr. Johnson presents a compelling narrative of the days immediately following the dissolution of the Confederate government in Richmond. After the capture of ex-president Davis the book quickly loses momentum. Mr. Johnson embarks on a blistering critique of the US government that is so one-sided it strains the limits of credulity. While missteps were certainly made, Mr. Johnson never acknowledges or completely ignores historical context of a nation reeling from four years of civil war and the assassination of its commander in chief.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but in hind sight, don't know how it ended up on my reading list. The footnotes are nearly non-existent and the author relies heavily on secondary and published primary sources. There isn't any serious engagement with said sources either. He takes Jefferson Davis's memoirs (and those of other Confederates) as truth without critically examining that they were written well after the war. His examination of contemporary sources and quotes is minimal at best. Most of his secondary sources are of an older nature and are outdated in light of more recent scholarship. Based on outdated studies, Johnson exaggerates alleged Union bombardments of civilians. Late in the book, he excessively rails against the government. He seemingly tries to defend, at one brief point, Henry Wirtz, the commandant of Andersonville. His use of quotes is periodically questionable (for example, one in the early chapters by Alexander Stephens about Davis's African Church speech) and sometimes contradict the point Johnson is trying to make.

Then, it turns out, he's a Confederate reenactor (per the acknowledgements) rather than having any credentials on this topic. This is not an objective or serious study of an important and interesting topic.

[Sam Branstner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating true account about a moment in U.S. history that is seldom talked about. They didn’t teach this in school. The author clearly sympathizes with the South, however, and the dialogue leans heavily toward Confederate favoritism. Could have been five stars with clear and fair objectivity.

[John Kilcoyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical Read

Covered areas I hadn’t known and from a different perspective. Enjoyed quite a bit and would recommend as a good Civil war read.

[Sekhar N Banerjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

It was an easy read . I also learnt many new stories, which I did
not come across in any history book on Civil War.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

.......

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fascinating to read. Well worth reading, even if you're not generally interested in the subject of the Civil War. The legal considerations related to how to treat Davis and what to do with him were interesting to consider; the ramifications of Lincoln's murder were also highlighted. The content is presented in an accessible and fast-moving fashion; again, this would be a good one to pick up and read, even if you're not a Civil War history hound. That said, the treatment of the topics is thorough and detailed, so if you are a Civil War history hound, this would polish up your understanding of Davis's capture, imprisonment, pseudo-trial, and release -- and the greater context surrounding those events.

[James Simms · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting story of the Civil War from the side of the Confederacy. Intriguing that Jefferson Davis gave his slaves a certain degree of "rights" which antagonized some of the more conservative slave owners and that he and his wife literally adopted Jim Limber, a young black boy who Mrs. Davis witnessed being abused at the hands of a black man. Interesting views of Lincoln and the supposition that he probably wanted to see Jefferson Davis escape as a way of bringing closure and helping the South begin to heal. Makes me think back to President Ford's pardon of Nixon and whether in some ways that might have been similar to what Lincoln would have done had he lived.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book breathes life into Jefferson Davis, who is so often mentioned lightly in the telling of the Civil War story. His personality, his flight, his treatment after the war were all interesting and unusual stories. But that he was so long imprisoned, and then never convicted of anything is quite a revelation.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the surrender of General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, Confederate President Jefferson Davis fled to escape capture by the Union army. When he surrendered an attempt was made to try him for treason and he was held in a dungeon in Florida.