The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-10-11
MRS. DORsEY's WILL.

MRS. DORSEY'S WILL.
Further Points Concsrnisg Her Legacy to
Jefferson Davis.
From the New York SUM-
The story of q contemplated contest
of the will of Mrs. Sarah A. Dorsey,
who left her property to Jefferson Davis,
was told in the Sun of yesterday. JEFF
ferson Davis, who is the sole beneficiary
under the will of Mrs. Dorsey, lived in
the mansion on the Beauvoir plantation,
Mississippi, with Mrs. Dorsey, the only
other occupant of the house being
Mortimer Dahlgren, the half brother Of
Mrs. Dorsey, and son Of Gen. Charles
b. Dahlgren, who marrieds tho Widow
Ellis, Mrs. Dorsey's mother. Mr.. Davis,
it is said, was more devoted to Beauvoir
than to any other spot in the South.
The air, moistened by the breezes from
the Gulf, was especially salubrious. and
be commended the place as the most
desirable residence in America. He
frequently said to Mrs. Dorsey. before
he became her permanent guest, that
he should like nothing better than to
own Beauvoir, and spoke to her several
times about becoming bidder for
the plantation, in the event OF its being
put upon the market. When Mrs. Dor
sey was visiting at 1858 Lafayette Ave-
nue., Brooklyn, the residence of Col.
S. Percy Ellis, her brother, two years
ago, she spoke of disposing of Beauvoir
to Jefferson Davis, but her relatives
never dreamed that she was contem
plating making it gift. There is .
large revenue annually from the orange
groves on the place, and the plantation
was exceptionally profitable for that
reason. Mrs. Dorsey had very little
care on account of her home. The
many acres about it were leased for
cultivation, most of the lessees being
the negroes who in Mr.. Dorsey's life
time were slaves. She had her home
richly fitted up, and she spent most Of
her time there and in her library. which
was q rare one Tor that section. Mr..
Ellis's daughter has spent winter with
her since Mrs Dorsey's visit to Brook
Ign, and was the chief companion of
her aunt. The girl was a favorite OF
Mr.. Dorsey, and it was concerning her
and her brother that he had expressed
to his wife wish that incomes for life
should some day be provided for them.
Mrs. Dorsey possessed an affectionate
disposition, and the young lady became
much attached to her.
The natural heirs, who were neglected
in favor of the ex-President of the
Southern Confederacy, were Col. s.
Percy Ellis and his two children, son
and daughter; Mrs. Inez Peckham,
now of Tensss Parish, La; Mrs. Dor
sey's sister, and her two children, who
bear the name of Gordon; Mrs. Peck
HAMS former husband, and the SON Of
Mrs. Dorsey's dead brother Thomas,
who lost his life serving the lost cause,
for which she manifested religious devo.
ton. 1t is regarded as especially sur
prising that she should have neglected
this nephew, as she was warmly at
tached to her brother Thomas, and
seemed to revere his memory because
he lost his life in the Confederate service
He had an attack of pneumonia, ant
while he was yet convalescent he wa
obliged to undergo forced march
which caused a relapse. and he died sool
afterward. His widow and her Sol
live in Philadelphia.
Mrs. Dorsey's relatives hope to fin
in their investigation that her eccentri
bequest of all of her large estate to MI
Davis was purely the result of the her
: worship that she INDUCED in relative t
. her guest, and the feeling she had tbs
he had not been generously treated
return for his sacrifices. The
! were thrown together much
; every day by reason OF the
situation, and because both were Ell
l gagged in literary work. Their CONVEX
sation must have been retrospective,
}. Mrs. Dorsey was familiar with Mr.. d.
vis's history by reason of the long int
macy Of her fathers family with Il
n Davis family. 1t is said that had Mr.
n Dorsey survived Mr.. Davis, she woul
y doubtless have become his Geographic
y and if he had left his pre sent work n
y on the rebellion incomplete she won
: no doubt have finished it. Mrs Dorsey
= relatives are inclined to believe that
; hearing from Mr.. Davis's lips the stol
d of his sacrifices and sufferings, and pc
l. sibly in reading his account of his pa
L in the war, and his own defense OF b
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