Remaining Confederate Cabinent Dissolves

Friday, May 5, 1865

Illustration of Jefferson Davis and his Confederate cabinet, originally printed in Harper's Weekly. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

After being on the run from Union forces, Confederate President Jefferson Davis meets with his cabinent at Washington, Georgia, and the group dissolves, leaving the Confederacy without a government. See a video recording of historian Bud Bowie delivering a talk on Jefferson Davis at the Kansas City Public Library. On May 10, 1865, Davis and his wife are arrested at Irwinville, Georgia, as they attempt to find transport to Egypt. Davis is indicted for treason and kept a prisoner for two years at Fortress Monroe, Virginia, but on December 25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson pardons all members of the rebellion. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution specifically denies Davis the right to hold public office. Finally, on October 17, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signs a Congressional resolution posthumously restoring full citizenship to Davis. Carter cites the resolution as a final reconciliation between the North and South.