The Davis Inauguration – Today In Southern History

Feb 18, 2026

Jefferson Davis took the oath as provisional president of the Confederate States of America at his inauguration in Montgomery, Alabama.

1685 – Fort St. Louis was established by French soldiers at Matagorda Bay forming the basis for a French claim to Texas.
1817 – Confederate General Lewis A. Armistead was born in New Bern, North Carolina.
1861 – General David Twiggs surrendered all federal military posts in Texas to state authorities.
1876 – Twenty-Fifth U.S. Infantry soldiers fought Indians in the Carrizo Mountains of Texas with no casualties recorded on either side.
1878 – Rancher John Tunstall was murdered by outlaw Jessie Evans and others, sparking the Lincoln County War in Lincoln County, New Mexico.
1885 – Mark Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
1915 – Confederate veteran and Western outlaw Frank James died at the age of 72 at his home in Clay County, Missouri.
2001 – “The Intimidator,” NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt died in a crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

Today In Southern History