The 1863 Mississippi gubernatorial election was held on October 5, 1863, to elect the governor of Mississippi. Charles Clark, a Democrat, won against Democrat A. M. West and Fire-Eater Democrat Reuben Davis.
General election 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. 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. Another candidate, Absalom West, a Democrat of "Whiggish bent" who had been a Unionist before the war, represented the peace movement. While Davis was an initial favorite, he lost support following a failed military campaign in Kentucky in 1861 and for criticizing Confederate war policy.Wade, John Coleman Jr., "Charles Clark: Confederate General and Mississippi Governor" (1949). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1973.
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. However, compared to earlier elections, turnout rates dropped as the 1863 campaign was considered "unlively."
Results
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