CDV of Jefferson Davis in a dress and holding a knife. "Jeff Davis as captured" printed on bottom of skirt. "Your men had better not provoke the President for he might hurt 'em" as caption at bottom of image. Plain mount with no backmark.

This image reflects the widespread rumor that Davis had tried to escape by dressing as a woman. Edwin Stanton actually viewed the clothing Jeff Davis was wearing when captured and realized that the cloak of Mrs. Davis's was not only nearly identical to her husband's, but was similar to the standard raincoat worn by Union soldiers.  A shawl, too, was not unlike that worn by many men of the period, including the late President Abraham Lincoln, to keep warm in the poorly heated buildings of the day. The Secretary of War slightly altered his account of Davis's capture by stating that the former Confederate president tried to flee while wearing a woman's coat and shawl, but not a dress.  The Northern press, however, continued to depict Davis in hoop skirt, petticoat, and other clearly feminine articles of clothing.  Davis was mortified by the false accounts, and it added to his depression during his two-year incarceration.

From the late William Turner collection.  [jet] [ph:L]

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