The office was held by Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia, who served under President Jefferson Davis of Mississippi from February 18, 1861, until the dissolution of the Confederacy on May 5, 1865.

If no candidate won a majority in the Electoral College, the Confederate Senate would elect the vice president from the top two vote-getters.

During his tenure in office, Stephens grew increasingly distant from Davis and spent less and less time in Richmond, the Confederate capital.

He eventually spent much of his time trying, without success, to maintain diplomatic channels with the U.S. and pushed for a negotiated end to the war.

He was sent by Davis to represent the Confederate government at the Hampton Roads peace conference.