The elections of 1863 in Mississippi marked a shift towards peace during the American Civil War, as Governor Pettus, a fire-eating secessionist, became ineligible for a consecutive third term. Reuben Davis, an outspoken prowar Democrat and Pettus's political ally, was expected to succeed him but faced opposition from Charles Clark, a Delta Whig-turned-Democrat and war supporter.[2][3] Clark, a veteran of the War with Mexico, had opposed secession in the 1850s but rose to the rank of brigadier general in the state and Confederate armies.[2] Another candidate, Absalom West, a Democrat of "Whiggish bent" who had been a Unionist before the war, represented the peace movement.[1][2][3] While Davis was an initial favorite, he lost his popularity from a failed military campaign in Kentucky in 1861 and criticizing Confederate war policy.[4]
Despite being on crutches due to war wounds, Clark won the gubernatorial election, signaling a victory for conservatives turning away from earlier fire-eater ideologies. The election results were seen as indicative of a growing desire for peace in the midst of the Civil War.[2] However, compared to earlier elections, turnout rates dropped as the 1863 campaign was considered "unlively."[4]
^The official returns totaled 16,737, as several counties were rejected by the secretary of state; however, the legislature listed them without comment.[5]
^ abDublin, Michael J. (2010). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1861-1911: The Official Results by State and County (1st ed.). McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers. p. 322. ISBN9780786456468.
