"Jeff Davis in his Wife's Clothes" Song Sheet
Scope and Content
This collection contains a song sheet for "Jeff Davis in his Wife's Clothes," published by A. W. Auner and Wanamaker & Brown's, Clothing Store, both of Philadelphia. The song depicts a comical representation of Jefferson Davis' defeat by the Union army during the American Civil War in 1865. It reads, in part: "Jefferson Davis took to the woods…by hook or by crook, to [go to] Mexico. The boys of the valiant Fourth Michigan…in the early morning…surround the fugitive traitor's camp…Jefferson D didn't look very neat…the hoops flew up and the bonnet hung down…Mrs. D in a rage cried out, "Don't hit the President…for he'll certainly hit you back…while clad in the feminine clothes of his wife…it didn't do and that is the end of the traitor's fighting…".
Dates
- c. 1865
Creator
- Auner, A. W. (Alfred Witman), 1826-1895 (Person)
- Wanamaker & Brown (Organization)
Language of Materials
The materials in this collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions
may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for
assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or
digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using
our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can
be requested using our publication/exhibition form:
http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Biographical Note
Jefferson Finis Davis was born June 3, 1808 and lived until December 6, 1889. Davis was the first and only President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Prior to the war, Davis was elected to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. During the Mexican-American War, Davis was offered a promotion to Brigadier General but he turned it down. Also prior to the Confederacy, Davis was the United States Secretary of War.
At the end of the Civil War, Davis dissolved the Confederate government while in Georgia on May 5, 1865. Five days later, Union forces captured Davis along with his wife Varina. At the time, he was wearing his wife's shawl, which led to rumors that Davis was wearing his wife's clothes when he was captured.
Sources:
American Battlefield Trust. "Jefferson Davis Biography." https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis. Accessed August 2, 2022.
"Media: Jefferson Davis in the Clothes in Which He Was Captured." In Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/879hpr-c7e7e6d95415e4a/. Accessed September 6, 2022.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
This collection contains a song sheet for "Jeff Davis in his Wife's Clothes," published by A. W. Auner and Wanamaker & Brown's, Clothing Store, both of Philadelphia. The song depicts a comical representation of Jefferson Davis' defeat by the Union army during the American Civil War in 1865.
Source of Acquisition
This collection was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 2015.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the "Jeff Davis in his Wife's Clothes" Song Sheet by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the "Jeff Davis in his Wife's Clothes" Song Sheet was completed in August 2022.
- Title
- "Jeff Davis in his Wife's Clothes" Song Sheet
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Miranda Christy, graduate assistant
- Date
- 2022 (CC0 1.0)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu