Davis, Jefferson, President, Confederate States of America

Autograph letter signed, 2 pages (8 3/8 x 5 3/8 in.; 214 x 137 mm) on a leaf of blue-ruled paper, Beauvoir, Mississippi, 28 May 1879, to Major Francis A. Wolff; lightly foxed and stained, short fold separations.

This letter will be included in volume 13 of The Papers of Jefferson Davis (now in preparation)

Autograph letter signed, 2 pages (8 3/8 x 5 3/8 in.; 214 x 137 mm) on a leaf of blue-ruled paper, Beauvoir, Mississippi, 28 May 1879, to Major Francis A. Wolff; lightly foxed and stained, short fold separations.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Davis reminisces philosophically with a former comrade about their service in the Mexican War and in "a holier war": the War Between the States.

"It gave me 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 were 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 'marked 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 devoted of truth to possess their souls in patience, and to wait confidently for its triumph." Davis concludes with warm inquiries after Wolff's family, particularly the nephew who bears the name Jefferson Davis.

Francis Wolff, a printer by trade, was born in one of the Carolinas in 1823 or 1824. During the Mexican War, he served under Davis in the First Mississippi Regiment, but was discharged after being wounded at the Battle of Monterrey in September 1846. Early in the Civil War, Wolff was a captain in the 3d Mississippi Infantry and saw action at Shiloh. He was discharged soon after that battle because of illness but later served in the Confederate Engineers. Wolff was elected to the Mississippi legislature both before and after the Civil War.