Who is Major de Spain from Collected Stories of William Faulkner and what is their importance?

Major de Spain is a minor character in many of Faulkner's short stories. One of the ones in which he stands out in is "Shall Not Perish." It is in this story he depicts the grief of an entire country as he mourns the death of his son. He is the richest man in Jefferson. Although he is called "major" he is not actually in the Army. He makes his living as a banker. He is also a powerful politician. He carries the nickname major because his father was a major in the Confederate War.