The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-08-13
Jefferson Davis Again.
THE STORY OF BEAUvOIR AS RE.
CITED BY A NEGLECTED HEIR.
The Ex.President of the COnfederacy
Receiving Beauyoir as a Gift Before
Mrs. DOrsey's Death - Mortimer
Dahlgren's Testimony in Advance Of
the Legal Contest.
GNcD York SUn.1

A. n-o1 To,,{nef
The Aesai OohIes"
LNcw York Stn.1
So r.u..r. -.
Sr. LOUIS, aug. S.-Mo[tihier DanIsltIn W
this city IS q son OF zen. Charies ". DantSISn
and one OF the perspective contestants OF the
will OF MIS-: Sarah a. dorsey, whose roT IiaIn
was pequeatheu Jeielson LAVE. VI. ,n
gren keeps q cigar shop ut E.,ston ana CARR
son avenues, isS1 years ot agc, oi,t anu q. LII
posing presence, IKE ms naIHef, Ine eA,leuGl
Genera, ana ms uhcie' Inc Gnloh ~ IT. ohHn,
ray anu inventor. VII Uauhbse'In nnoont. ~
witness reiied upon NY Lne snnles."rrs ~
influence upon Mrs. Salan a. dorsey. Will Hn
resulted IN a Siit OF beanHoI; hef sp.e IL" ~
home In Mississippi on the Guit OF Me%, col, 70
th . ex.t ,es ag,ve o and iI TIC bnnnesi to '.Ietiar.
Sun Davis of all her property at her death
The fact that Mr.. Davis obtained Beauvoir
before Mrs. DOrscys' death, although suspect
ed by the otner heirs; Is mace kn9Mmnne Te ilnhi.
grcn. 1t is argued by the heirs That JEFFERSON
Davis apprehendcd q contest OF tne WILL
which was already IN existence Wnen beuI.
the precaution to obtain in fee simple the
beautiful place which he Ind often said would
render him happy n he could call 1t his
| home.
Mr. Mortimer Dahlgren, who was Mrs. Dor
sev's half-bruther, lived at BeauvOir from
March ), 1877, TO March q, 1873. n quit the
place because, as he says. Jefferson Davis be.
came owner and director of the property, ana
exerted a greater Influence over Mrs. Dorsey
than Mr.. DuhIgren could. II have evidence"
| he Say In an interview with n Gt06e-D Democrat
reporter, that will place Jefferson Davis In
mn unenviable light before the world, and
will show that he is by no means the chival-
rous and upright man that he Is by many
supposed To be-" .
MIR. Dnhlgren went to Beauvoir. he says, NJ
Mrs. Dorsey's request to u charge OF her
business affairs. He was then just through
school in Virginia, and he met Mrs Dorsey in
New York. She had always seemed to favor
him most OF all the children her mother pore
begged him to go South with her. She prom.
isci him faithfully, he AYERS, that she would
treat him az her Guild, and that he should
never want for anything. When they reach
Beauvoir they found Jefferson Davis there.
with his son. Jefferson Davis. Jr. Mrs. Davis
was In Europe. Gen. Joe Davis, nephew 81
the ex.Fresident. had n law office In Biloxi.
Studying law Under his instruction, and Mr..
Dohipsen also went into his office. MIR. Dahl
eren Became Mrs. Dorsey's business manager.
He took general charge OF the plantation,
made ali the contracts. and paid all the bills.
Life was then very pleasant ut Beauyoir. Mrs
Dorsey and Mr.. Davis were daily In lntimate
conversation and literary work. In OctoBer
OF 1877 Mr.. DAVIS ana his son Went 10 .ne.n-
phist to meet Mrs. Davis who had Just return
cd from Europe, but Mr.. Davis speedily re-
turned TO Beauvoir, and his son remaining
with his mother, fell a victim TO yellow lever
the next year.
When asked as to Jefferon DaVlss employ
ment at Beauvoir, Mr.. Dahlgren said: he
was almost constantly Wrltilg or 1mr ehlHSnrnte:
with my sister: ne hcipeu her WIN .eF oouh
dictation. She seemed ut this time 70 nave
conceived q great appreciation OF ms IltcrarS
pretensiOns. On Christmas DAY OF iS.I, Mis.
Dorsey gave q dinner TO Gen. Juoai Early NJ
Beauroir, and a roasted peacock was stIseu.
II was stuffed and placed upon the Piatter as
though nboutto ny; me sill'e nIsut = s Err
u party In Gen. Early 3 hon0r; Ine oi9 VI
ginia reel was pT9p0seu, mnaJ eneasSVHIi o 10 IT,
Gen; Early, Dr. ii9iianEswoIII I'M ImW d "i red
4. Wnlnail danced, aitiouSn tmey ucca nnr
:hat nley mum | uhiccu ~ ~ sMS.i.E 1877,
Mrs. Dorsey entertainer nlagn'nGentlS IL w ~, ~
was considered speclai uit,h " W. U..re
invited 10 her sOclai Sntherunes, MulGIi M.Ie
chiefly composed OF either literary ceicorItieh
or politicians OF prominence: Mrs: DtFis WIS
rarely NJ Beaufoir. Sie E!siueu lteie """uS
June !, 1878. una uiu hot puIpoSe W Iininv.
Cd her return 10 Aiempais. G"E I'D hnt her.
Memphis shoTtly peiJlc Jun. ! . r,", i've nm.
nuso',iu leniaanvu N.Y. Lu rnirntinr for him w,,s
ny. MITE. Lofty! ,.rv innnnIsiye woulnm
md md Seemed n monoinuniuc regarding MIR.
innnisi SnS w. ~ and thai since Inc had
cuteu os ms n e,tt1 ~ his fni,n,.r friends
GvaII ,uo oT hin, She seemed To be bound
nm in Ietirr.on Davis. lie ought to have seen
Up IL n -, ,,i.reJ the NATIVES of nm innO-
go WY WI nrcriirnt Indy To- he luiscorstrued in
I ,I,ne,.'." or the world'T
I'm IcLruarv lIsl Jefferson Davis went away
,-an, iSon y hut ho rel urned In the same
iIo,u nmI ,bcn r. wns-so MIR. Umhlyryn
niN ~ u.,Niha Jefferson irl lis. BEGAN to under
Li,n Sr IsnnIrrrm had i'm The nean-
time Graduated in the study OF law, been up
,"nin,1i nSinu,ter nt HpuIyoir. and become
i t law mariner of Gen. Joe Davis, and Il half
tie ,MM p,h ~, Sao wL itn,cvr pubiishcd In
oMntI w ~ 90 ",;I.s I'm RrnuvoIr, His
nc,.n,'mr nI' his iosi lew weeks OF life ut Beau
" u.Jr u.Ih.r he snvs Jefferson uuyis BEGAN to
WI, :, liz H. tnIi ~ inlinws.
unaeriiitnc n,n,, 20 , Wrs i,n,sev md lnyis
,nJ ,nv.,If wert. in the place. excepting, III
~ ~ =, iar"e r,.timue of servants, Mr, Davis
,,ra',n; liz not ottenSivcIy ut first
~, ~ n.Snn,inv ihc management of the place
,,.isS;in ! w. nhs.nt ,t NV office. NV sister
inierni ed IL. She seemed to think thut every
tLinr he did was OF Necessity right. His very
ircoI was thai of one born to c0ntruk lie
stalk ed about the place In Il ~duinineering and
Sa,,nI - , n n. IisiikrI A servant he
hn,f nmIy tn intimate that diSlike and the
servant was discharged. | saw linn on one
n,,,Sinr Kick n rrlpDlcd nero down Il back
stn;r" Tnr SnIn,. f,ncie,I Insult, The darkcy
S.a.ia - y "LI ,n,niiv s,.rxunt' and pcrl.uls pre-
su,n.I on iiic fact. The matter was referred
s 81 io,r o u, uuv si.,.r WHO Iisci,nr.,c,i the serv:
an hrt Subsequently, took him Gick after he
ahi' out 49, H. ax'pro.iI.nt MIR, In-
mhu hp'n's,n1T =, ," h .mL %nnnti,rr mr.,ro for dis.
We tmin"ttne "r,,.r nr his and carving out
n,S"' r. ,,Ine Hv Inns time things came to
.,,,, a ,m.S thuI never knew whether my
' "uIn" rw'n,Ii h. obryrI or non. MIR. Davis
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES tll,:,n. our relations were
nIhrrw;Se still pleasant, for we built and
-, Ok :, h insrihcr' hut sonn saw
i Thai ,"mnIciciy under the control OF Mr.. Da
,is ~ ,nni nnv; wns nv sister. Mrs, dorsey,
was greatly ctiioalasSeu ny ,",.n, and I
would not permit ,,f !" 81 rG wnni ' ShS n;rs,Ic,I
to.d my slster W"u.u i e,i,i t,,,t Ini.ht
Win me 10 .en r -, IT. w"n,a do So. / did
.a'cn iWsI w.. !" in',nr ntI.r and Sin. then said
not accepting iatier oleI, anu Wv tn ~ .. ",I