Title:
Jefferson Davis Signed War Department Document as U.S. Secretary of War – Addressing Sick Leave Pay During the Kansas Crisis – Dated May 3, 1855 – PSA/DNA Certified Authentic

Description:
Offered here is a highly significant War Department document signed by Jefferson Davis (1808–1889) in his role as Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce, dated May 3, 1855. Penned in a clerical hand with Davis’s approval written boldly at the conclusion, the endorsement reads:

“The views of the Quartermaster General are approved & concurred in, as applied to the present case. Jefferson Davis, Sec. of War.”

The matter concerns Army officers returning from sick leave and whether they were entitled to mileage pay when reassigned to new posts. On the verso, an additional notation expands the issue:

“Are officers who have been on sick leave, and report themselves fit for duty entitled to mileage on obeying the first order assigning them to duty… Under the regulations, they are not unless they be first placed on duty at the post where they report for duty.”

Though focused on administrative policy, the timing of this document places it squarely in the earliest days of “Bleeding Kansas.”

Historical Context:
In May 1854, just one year prior to this document, Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, championed by Senator Stephen A. Douglas and supported by President Pierce. The Act repealed the Missouri Compromise line of 1820 and introduced popular sovereignty, allowing settlers to determine whether slavery would be permitted in Kansas and Nebraska.

The result was immediate turmoil. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers flooded into Kansas, leading to contested elections, rival governments, and mounting violence. By early 1855—the very month of this Davis-signed ruling—the conflict was already spiraling toward bloodshed. Known as “Bleeding Kansas,” this violence served as a precursor to the Civil War.

As Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis was directly responsible for managing federal troops stationed on the frontier at Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, and other posts. Soldiers from these garrisons were soon dispatched to Kansas to protect federal authority and attempt to quell the growing unrest. Documents such as this—dealing with sick pay, mileage, and officer assignments—reflect the War Department’s intense focus on military readiness at a time when every officer counted. While the case in question does not name Kansas explicitly, its date and subject strongly suggest it pertained to officers stationed in or near the embattled territory.

Davis’s years in Pierce’s cabinet foreshadowed his future role as President of the Confederacy (1861–1865). The Kansas-Nebraska Act, supported by Pierce and his administration, became one of the most divisive moments in antebellum America—an event that both sharpened sectional lines and elevated Davis as a leading Southern statesman.

Authentication & Encapsulation:
This rare Jefferson Davis signed document has been authenticated and encapsulated by PSA/DNA, the industry’s premier third-party authentication service. The PSA label reads:

• "Document – Jefferson Davis – PSA/DNA Certified – Authentic Auto"

• Certification Number: 85585700

It remains preserved in PSA’s secure tamper-evident holder for protection and display.

Closing Appeal:
This Jefferson Davis signed War Department document is far more than a routine piece of military administration. Signed in May 1855, at the dawn of Bleeding Kansas, it captures Davis’s active role in Pierce’s cabinet as the nation fractured over slavery. Later, as Confederate President, Davis would lead the breakaway South in the Civil War—making this endorsement a fascinating link between his Union service and his Confederate destiny. With PSA/DNA certification, it is a cornerstone artifact for collectors of Civil War history, presidential cabinets, and the politics of slavery’s expansion.