Judah Benjamin
From Turtledove
| Judah Benjamin | |
| |
| Historical Figure | |
| Timeline: | OTL |
| Nationality: | United States; Confederate States (1861-1865); Died in England |
| Religion: | Judaism |
| Date of Birth: | 1811 |
| Date of Death: | 1884 |
| Cause of Death: | Natural Causes |
| Occupation: | Lawyer, Congressman, Confederate Attorney General, Confederate Secretary of State |
| Spouse: | Natalie St. Martin |
| Children: | Ninette Benjamin |
| Timeline: | Southern Victory |
| Appearance(s): | How Few Remain |
| Affiliations: | Whig Party |
| Timeline: | The Guns of the South |
| Nationality: | Confederate States |
| Affiliations: | Confederate Party |
Judah Benjamin (1811-1884) was a prominent Confederate politician, and lawyer, who served as a representative in the Louisiana state legislature, as United States Senator for Louisiana, in several Cabinet posts in the government of the Confederate States of America, and as a distinguished barrister and Queen's Counsel in England. He was the second Jew to serve as a U.S. Senator, and, arguably, the first in the Cabinet of a North American government (the legitimacy of the Confederate States government is debatable).
Judah Benjamin in Southern Victory
Judah Benjamin was Secretary of State to both Presidents Jefferson Davis and James Longstreet and served in the Cabinets of many others of the Confederacy's first generation of leaders. He led his country's diplomatic efforts in the War of Secession and the Second Mexican War.
During the latter, Benjamin became aware that Senator Wade Hampton III was attempting to recruit support for a coup should Longstreet go through with his plans to end slavery. He also knew that Hampton had unsuccessfully attempted to recruit Thomas Jackson, a fact which surprised Jackson.
Judah Benjamin in The Guns of the South
Judah Benjamin served as Jefferson Davis's Secretary of State and as one of the Confederacy's representatives to the peace conference that resulted in the end of the Second American Revolution and the recognition of the CS. He was a particularly shrewd man, and was one of the few Confederate leaders privy to the truth about the Rivington Men.
Benjamin was wounded during the Rivington Men's attack on Robert E. Lee's inauguration as president. The bullet passed through his calf, but did not damage the bone.
| Office | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None | Secretary of State for the Confederate States (The Guns of the South) 1862-1869 | Succeeded by Unknown |
| Office | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None; Unknown | Secretary of State for the Confederate States (Southern Victory) 1862-1869; 1880-1884 | Succeeded by Unknown; Next Known is George Herbert Walker |
