The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-05-21
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Luther Benson's Visit TO the Elk
President of the Southern
Confederacy.

BcauNOlT, MISS, anu talhs aOOub H'S
interview as follows, in the kokOmo
Dispatch
On the morning of the 10Th inst,
| stopI,d at Bcauvnir station, on
the Louisville aud Nashville Rail
road. and after walk Of about halt
a mile arrived at The home of Jetler-
son Davis, * President OF the
southern ConIcderacy. For quiet
and repose more fitting spot could
not have been chosen than this,
one of the most beautiful on the
Mississippi Sound. The walk from
he depot is along an even. white,
sandy road, lined either side toy
,preading shade trees, the road
leading down To the Gulf Of Mexico.
TO the left Of the road, and partly
hidden bv shcltcring ma2n"lias, l.
the house-a large French cottage
with galleries extending along the
entire front aud sides. Upon thcsr
verandas open Venetian windows.
where are broad, low steps lelding
from the closed rooms, catching
every Whit OF The grateful breeze
blowing from the Sound, whose
waters str, tch away as far as the
eye can reach. NJ. Davis has here
l plantation comprising 500 acres
and leo acres of which is kept In
state ol cultivation. A very large
vim, yard comprises part of 1t, and
he ground on which the house and
rut-buiidings are set occupies about
twenty a, res.
was met at the door by Mrs
Davis, a most stately matron, To
whom / gave nv name and letters
Of introduction that | hoped wonld
secure me an interview with the
most noted character in the civil
rebellion Mrs. Davis showed III"
he parl"r and alter informing me
hat MIR. Davis was sick, excused
herself to learn if he was able To see
ne. In short Time she returned
md informed me that Mr.. Davis
vas waiting On entering the room
WAS cordially greeted by Mr.
DAVIS, whose snowy, intellectual!
face, and digni!ied air proclaimed
Hin at once TO be gentleman Of
great learning and the most polish
ed manners Fer week he has been
confined to his bed with intiImma-
'orv rheumatism. After moment :
pleasant converse ion he asked mt
ii was acquainted in Rushvil'e,
Ind, | informed him that at one
time Nashville was my home and
that | was well acquainted there He
asked me il ! knew man there by
he name of John l.. Robinson. and
who represented a District of which
Ru~hvillc i part In Congress
more than thirty years ago. ! told
him that K ,binson had been dra6
more than TWENTY-FIVE Years, and |
only knew him by his great rrlu'a
llon lie said that Robinson, with
his family. boarded at the same
house on Capitol Hill, Washington,
with him, and that he formed Il
very great attachment for his little
daughter, then child Of live wears
He said he was ut the time suffering
from a wound received in Mexico.
and RubinsOn'S little Girl was great
( company and hcl ped him to PASS the
rlmc most pleasantly. | Informed
him that she was IA widow and lived
in indianapolis. lie requested me
to 90 in person and see her, bearing
! his kinde-t greetings and best
wishes He spoke Of her several
times and each time smile lighted
/ his face and his voice WAS AS tender
as wnman's, or as she had been
his own child. Dear little girl"
| he said, "ohc was so impulsive !.
/ Her mother aftcn tried TO repres.
/ her, but we were such friends She
soon forgot her mothers words and
was prattling to me about Rushville
and her home there" spent the
dav with Mr.. Davis and took din
( ucr with him. was Introduced to
the o'her members of the family,
. Ms. Hayes and Miss Davis, lady
! of very pIcp0ssessing manners, and
! two little girls, daughters of Mrs
Hayes. aged respectively three and
/ five summers. The ladies of the
household are true types of the
/ southern woman and intellectual in
their conversation. A little Incl
dent, which shows the tender heart
of Mr.. Davis, was that when the
two little girls came with flowers for
him, he patted their heads and
spoke to them in such loving tone
That their eyes sparkled with JOY
and they lifted up their faces for a
kiss. which was most lovingly be
slowed. Mr.. Davis talked fire, ly
On all topics Of interest, past, pres
cut and future, but not until he had
positively forbidden the publication
of single word he spoke on public
questions. lie said that men had
visited him and he had given them
The courtesy of his home, thinking
they were gentlemen and would not
report household conversations. He
said l was travelling and reported
just what | saw, and could write
about what / had observed in and
about his home. He is seventy six
years old and very feeble. His face
is deeply wriEkled and shows that
he has suffered much. But his
sutferings and disappoin,ments have
| soltened and melloWed every feature