Jefferson Davis' Lost Legacy

Every two years, descendants of Jefferson Davis— the only president of the Confederacy— gather at Rosemont Plantation near Woodville, Miss., to celebrate a person they consider an American hero.

 

"He's one of the most misunderstood figures in this country's history," Davis' great-great grandson Bert Hayes-Davis said.

Hayes-Davis recounts a long list of his great-great grandfather's accomplishments: West Point graduate, war hero, U.S. congressman, senator and Cabinet member.

"He was an American patriot," he said.

As a U.S. senator, Davis was a key proponent of The Smithsonian Institute's creation.

As secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce, he helped design the National Capitol and the Statue of Freedom atop its dome.

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