[Tamaroa]

Mike, I would still have to go with Davis. The more prominent southern politicians of the time were John Bell of the 1860 Presidential election along with Breckenridge, Robert Toombs, Alexander Stephans and Davis. One might also include Virginia governor Letcher or possibly James Kemper a Confederate General with political aspirations.

They all were able politicians but the thing that separates Davis from the crowd was his service as Secretary of War in the 1850's. He was also a West Point graduate and a Mexican war hero. Davis in my opinion was the only logical choice. However, he himself wanted to be a general in the army. He was elected President of the provisional government of the Confederate States without even running for the office. In fact, the election stunned him. He was tending his rose garden at his plantation when a rider approached and gave him the news. there is no question that Lincoln was a better president. In today's terms, Lincoln thought outside the box. Davis while knowledgeable and able was also a bit rigid in his thought.

His service as Secretary of war was one of the reasons why the radical republicans wanted to charge him with treason. they reasoned that while he was secretary of war, he was secretly planning for contingencies such as the placement of arms and armories in strategic areas. Simply put, Davis was the best most qualified man for the job in the Confederacy. He probably could have done a better job if he was not so loyal to some of his friends who also turned out to be crappy generals (Bragg comes to mind here); and if he ironically had a stronger central government, he could have twisted the states arms for more men and material.

Regards,

Bill