St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-17
TO WE'D DASYRACUSAN.
Winnie Davis, the Daughter
Of the Confederaey, is
BetrOthed.
Her Fianee is the Grandson
of May, the Famous
AbolitiOnist.
He is Alfred Wilkinson, 8
Young Lawyer and So
cial Leader.
Love Unites Two Families
Hitherto the Most Implac-
able Foes.

report of very interesting nature
was verified. 1t is the crowning event
OF the great rebellion. 1t is nothing
more OF less than the announcement
made to very intimate friends here of
the marriage of Miss Winnie DAVIS, the
eldest daughter of Jefferson Davis, the
late president of the Southern Confed-
eracy, to Alfred Wilkinson, of this city,
the grandson of Samuel ]. May, the
great AbolitiOnist leader. Dame Rumor
has for long time past whispered Of
the possibility of such an event coming
to pass, but it was only when Mr.. Will
kinson returned from Europe few
weeks ago that the rumOr began to
assume tangible shape, and it was
only within day or two that
one of Mr.. Mays bosom friends
was apprised of the engagement The
event is of more than ordinary signifi-
cance owing to its bearing on the birth
and fall of the rebellion. This marri-
age, when accomplished, will unite two
families who have been heretofore the
most implacable political foes, and to
whose efforts the iierceneSs and fervor
of the rebellion is largely due. The life
of Miss Davis is too we'll known to be
repeated here, but the story of Mr..
Wilkinson's parentage is comparatively
unknown. He is q son of John Wilkin-
son. a prominent figure i'll local history,
and grandson of the Rev. Samuel j.
May. The name of the Rev. MIR. May
is one of the bright gems in the abO-
litiOn sky, for he was the pioneer, with
Garrison, Emerson, Phillips and Long.
fellow, in the great work for
The Freedom of slavery.
Not only in the United States, but In
Europe also, he fought for the abolition
cause. In Great Britain especially Mr.
diences. After his removal to Syracuse
Mr.. May continued to be very active
and prominent in promoting the anti
slavery reform. He soon became
known far and wide as fearless and
uncompromising abolitionist. Hundreds
of men, women and children, fleeing
from bondage and bouud for Canada,
came to him for protection and help,
and they never came in vain. He as
sisted many to escape, among them
being the celebrated Jerry McHenry,
whose liberation caused such a Sensa-
tiOn. the anniversary of which was
celebrated for several years. AT the
meetings of the AbolitiOnists shortly
before the declaration Of war were vio-
lently assailed in Boston and other
cities, the mayor of Syracuse earnestly
requested Mr.. May to prevent the hold
ing of meeting here, lest it should
provoke riot. Twenty of the most in
fluential men OF Syracuse, nearly half
of whom were his parishiOners, adj
dressed a letter to Mr.. May, telling him
that they were creditably informed that
organized and forcible efforts to prevent
the holding of the abolition convention
would be made. Probably this was one
of the SevereSt tests TO which MIR. Mays
loyalty to his own convictions was ever
subjected. Before the hour appointed
for the convention, rioters took poses-
sion of the hall which Mr.. May had
hired for the convention, and he was
roughly used, the meeting being pre-.
vented, and Mr.. May was
Burned in Efigy
in Hanover square. 1t was not long
afterward that the firing upon Fort
Sumter put an end to such proceedings
i'm the free states. 1t is this mans
grandson who is to wed the Daughter
of the Regiment" The story of the
courtship is most romantic. Miss Win
ME Davis came North some four years
ago to visit DR.. Thomas Emory. of the
firm OF ID. Mccarthy & Co. in this city.
1t was her first visit to this Old AbOli-
ZIONIST stronghold. and she was con-
seuuently quite anxious to meet the
society of Syracuse. AT one of the re-
ceptions given in her honor she was in
trOduced to Alfred Wilkinson. 1t will
be remembered that Miss Winnie re-
ceived cool reception in one or two
houses here, and this treat
ment of the Daughter OF
the Confederacy is said to have
brought her and Mr.. Wilkinson in very
ness shown her and gallantly cham
pioned her cause The friendship thus
engendered between them blOssomed
into love in due time. Miss Winnie
later OH went to Europe with cousin
of hers and is still there. Mr.. Wilkin-
son some two months ago crossed the
ocean to see Miss Davis, and spent sew
eral weeks with her sightseeing on the
continent and pressing his suit. When
he returned they were betrothed. MIR.
Wilkinson is bright and promising
young lawyer, about tWenty-eight years
of age. His law partner is Albert Hay.
Their business is almost :entirely con-
fined to patent cases. Their income
is quite fair. but Mr.. Wilkinson
is not rich man. The young
man, moves in the very best society
here, and stands high in the estimation
of the community. The actual time for
the wedding has not been set, but 1T is
understood that the date will be in the
near future 1t is vaguely limited that
there is no very remote connection be-
tween the European trip and the we'd
ding trousseau. Whether or not Miss
Davis friends have been apprised of
the coming wedding is not klOwn, but it
is believed that some of them at least
are in still blissful ignorance of the
affair. Among the few friends of Mr..
Wilkinson here who know that the we'd
ding is an assured fact there is the
greatest surprise. That the repre-
sentative children of the North and
South should thus come together is to
them like the reputed love of God, sur