The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government – Jefferson Davis – 1881 | First Edition, Two Volumes, Maps & Plates

First published in 1881, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government by Jefferson Davis appears here as a complete two-volume first edition set in original cloth bindings, with all issued illustrations and thirteen large, folding battle maps intact. Davis presents a combined personal narrative and political justification related to secession, Confederate leadership, military campaigns, and Southern politics. Prominent figures discussed include Lee, Jackson, and Calhoun, alongside detailed engraved maps covering major military operations in Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. All components and pagination align precisely with established references, confirming the set as the correct first issue.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government
• Author: Jefferson Davis
• Publisher: New York: D. Appleton and Company
• Edition: First Edition, 1881.
• Format: Octavo, two volumes
• Binding: Original burgundy cloth with gilt seal and spine titles
• Size: ~ 9.5 in x 6.5 in (24 cm x 16.5 cm)
• Collation:
  • Vol. I – xxi, [3], 707, [5]; 9 engraved plates; 1 fold-out map
  • Vol. II – xvii, [3], 808, [4]; 10 engraved plates; 17 maps (13 folding, 4 in-text)
• Illustrations: 19 engraved plates; 18 maps total
• Contents Include:
  • Davis’s account of the Confederacy’s formation and dissolution
  • Arguments on constitutional law and state rights, including slavery
  • Cabinet structure and key internal decisions
  • Military movements and firsthand reactions to battlefield losses
  • Complete transcripts of speeches and documents
• Reference(s): Howes D 120; Nevins II, 51
  • “…conceals more than it reveals of the inner history of the Confederacy…An argumentative dissertation on secession and states’ rights.” – Nevins

Condition:

Both volumes retain their original burgundy cloth with gilt spine lettering and the Confederate seal stamped on the boards. Though one volume is bound in smooth cloth and the other in textured, the color and sizing match. Bindings remain firm. Light rubbing is visible at the spine ends, but the boards are clean. The pages are crisp, with wide margins and minimal age wear. Plates are clean, and all maps are present and properly folded, with no tears. Tissue guards are intact.

Why Collect This?

• Complete first edition
• All maps and engravings present, including rare fold-outs
• The only extended postwar publication by Jefferson Davis

• Ideal for Civil War collectors and American historical archives