The Victim

The Victim

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Victim, by Thomas Dixon,
Illustrated by J. N. Marchand
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Title: The Victim A romance of the Real Jefferson Davis
Author: Thomas Dixon

Release Date: June 30, 2006 [eBook #18721]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE VICTIM
A Romance of the Real Jefferson Davis
by
THOMAS DIXON
Illustrated by J. N. Marchand

BOOKS BY THOMAS DIXON
The Victim The Southerner The Sins of the Father The Leopard's Spots
The Clansman The Traitor The One Woman Comrades The Root of
Evil The Life Worth Living

[Illustration: "The man in front gave a short laugh and advanced on the
girl" [Page 300]]

THE VICTIM

"A majestic soul has passed"--Charles A. Dana
[Illustration: Colophon]

New York and London D. Appleton and Company 1914 Copyright,
1914, by Thomas Dixon All rights reserved, including that of
translation into all foreign languages, including the Scandinavian
Printed in the United States of America

TO THE BRAVE WHO DIED FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVED TO
BE RIGHT

Fold up the banners! Smelt the guns! Love rules. Her gentle purpose
runs. A mighty mother turns in tears The pages of her battle years
Lamenting all her fallen sons!
THOMPSON

TO THE READER
In the historical romance which I have woven of the dramatic events of
the life of Jefferson Davis I have drawn his real character unobscured
by passion or prejudice. Forced by his people to lead their cause, his
genius created an engine of war so terrible in its power that through it
five million Southerners, without money, without a market, without
credit, withstood for four years the shock of twenty million men of their
own blood and of equal daring, backed by boundless resources.
The achievement is without a parallel in history, and adds new glory to

the records of our race.
The scenes have all been drawn from authentic records in my
possession. I have not at any point taken a liberty with an essential
detail of history.
Thomas Dixon.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE
I The Curtain Rises II The Parting III A Midnight Session IV A
Friendly Warning V Boy and Girl VI God's Will VII The Best Man
Wins VIII The Storm Center IX The Old Régime X The Gauge of
Battle XI Jennie's Vision XII A Little Cloud XIII The Closing of the
Ranks XIV Richmond in Gala Dress XV The House on Church Hill
XVI The Flower-Decked Tent XVII The Fatal Victory XVIII The
Aftermath XIX Socola's Problem XX The Anaconda XXI Gathering
Clouds XXII Jennie's Recruit XXIII The Fatal Blunder XXIV The
Sleeping Lioness XXV The Bombardment XXVI The Irreparable Loss
XXVII The Light that Failed XXVIII The Snare of the Fowler XXIX
The Panic in Richmond XXX The Deliverance XXXI Love and War
XXXII The Path of Glory XXXIII The Accusation XXXIV The Turn
of the Tide XXXV Suspicion XXXVI The Fatal Deed XXXVII The
Raiders XXXVIII The Discovery XXXIX The Conspirators XL In
Sight of Victory XLI The Fall of Richmond XLII The Capture XLIII
The Victor XLIV Prison Bars XLV The Master Mind XLVI The
Torture XLVII Vindication

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
"The man in front gave a short laugh and advanced on the girl"

"'You have given me new eyes--'"
"'We have won, sir!' was the short curt answer"
"Dick saluted and sprang into the saddle--'I understand, sir'"
"Jennie thrust her trembling little figure between the two men and
confronted Dick"
"'Do your duty--put them on him!'"

LEADING CHARACTERS OF THE STORY
The Prologue
1814-1853
Lt. Jefferson Davis, Of the U. S. Army. Joseph E. Davis, His Big
Brother. Colonel Zachary Taylor, "Old Rough and Ready." Sarah Knox
Taylor, His Daughter. James Pemberton, A Faithful Slave.
The Story
1860-1867
Hon. Roger Barton, An Original Secessionist. Jennie, His Daughter.
Dick Welford, A Confederate Soldier. Joseph Holt, A Renegade
Southerner. Henrico Socola, A Soldier of Fortune. The President, Of
the Confederacy. Mrs. Davis, His Wife. Burton Harrison, His Secretary.
Joseph E. Johnston, A Master of Retreat. P.