Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-05-28
MIR. Davis to the Ladies'.

During the ceremonies connected with the
LAYING of the corner stone of the COME
ate monument at Jackson, Miss. Saturday,
the following letter of regret from Mr.. Jefier-
son Davis was read.
BEAUvoIR, Miss, May 81, 1888.
Ladies of the Confederate Monument ASsocia
ton of Mississippi:
duly received your gratifying invitation
to my family and myself to be present OF
the laying OF the corner. stone of the monu.
ment TO commemorate the dead of Mlssissip-
nj, no died for the State. This acknowledge
ment has been delayed under the hope that
my health would go improve as to enable
me to participate in the ceremony. The ear
nest desire to be with yon on that occasion
led me to hope against the better judgmen t
of sothers, that.I might be physically able %
Join in work which is very near my heart.
Tue monument will be the first reared by
Mississippi TO her sons, who at the call Of
their molher forgot all selfish cares aud went
FORTH if need be, TO die for her cause. This
ON ;ssion cannot be ascribed to the absenc 9
of meritorious claims 20 such consideration 4,
for Mississippians have neither been Of Il @
wsr party in peace nor Of the peace party in
war In the territorial infancy OF our State,
when population was mainly confined to a
few river counties, Indisn wsr, with lie chat
ac.eristic ferccity, was ravaging the frontier
settlements. AT the cry ofthe helpless, Mi'-
sssippaus rushed to arma, though few and
lily prepared for war. Among the earliest
Of my memories was the grief of cur peo-
pie because of the massacre at Fort Mimms,
where many of our neighhors died IN the
fulflment of that noblest motive of human action,
which auses ore to give his life that others msy
live No monument for the instruction of the
rising generation commentaries the event, ana
the commonly used school books are not devoted
to Southern history. At Pensacola or Fort Bow
yer and in the battle of New Orleans. Mississippi
bore an honorable part Your monument will
stand in the county of Kinds, the name OF the
leader of the Mississippi Dragons whose conduct
in the battle of New Orleans was commended in
| general orders for the admiration of one army
| and the wonder of he other.
At later day, wtde1 Mississippi! sent requisl-
, tion for troops to serve in the war between the
| United States and Mexico, the difficulty was not
| 30 get the requisite number of companies, but to
discriminate among those offering in excess OF the
| numbers which woald be received An attempt
was made to build monument to these who b ed
and died in foreign land, but it failed if asked
why, the reason is on the surface-it was not
wonans work Daughters Of Mississippi you
| have labOred in cause, the righteousness OF
which on he can deny whose 'ul is so devoid of
| patriotism that in his country's strife he could
| give aid and comfort to the enemy. 1t would
| have been great qualification to me to stand
among the survivors of Missssippi's army, and in
| LAYING the corner stone of monument to their
| deceased comrades to recall their VIRTUES, the
| mingled attributes Of tho hero and the saint un-
| der This defaitinn Please be assn ed that in
spirit shall he with you, and for the zeal with
which you hive faced all discourageme.t and tho
deviation yOu have shown to a purpose which had
only its merits for ts reward pray u to ac-
cent from the Utmost ib-e of his heart thanks OF
an old Mississippian. Faithfully
JEFFERSON DAVIS.