The “Democratic Watchman” newspaper from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, July 30, 1886 [1] has an interesting tidbit which, if true, unveils what it likely a little known and fascinating twist in American history: “Jefferson Davis, as an officer in the Black Hawk war, administered the oath of allegiance to Abraham Lincoln, entering the service as a lieutenant.” (see below)
[2]
2 Comments To "Is it true?"
#1 Comment By eric fettmann On 01/17/2011 @ 2:55 pm
Highly unlikely. Lincoln served in Reynolds’ Militia, which was an Illinois unit, while Davis was from Mississippi. Also, Lincoln only served from April-June 1832 (and saw no combat), while Davis was on leave for most of the war and didn’t rejoin active service until Sept. 1832.
#2 Comment By Tim Hughes On 01/17/2011 @ 2:59 pm
Eric – Thanks for the research! Another fascinating quirk in history bites the dust.
Tim