, 1890-04-24
WINNIE DAVIS TO WED
How the Daughter of the
Confederacy Was Won.
THE RESULT OF A TRIP NORTH
Tho Grandson of an Abolitionis,
Leader Her Choice, and Two
Opposing Families United.

A Syracuse IN. " correspondents
Of the Chicago Tribune writes, M.
day II report of very interesting
nature was verified. IL IL the crown.
ing event of the great rebellion. n
Is nothing more or less than the mn.
nouncemont made To very intimate
friends here OF the marriage Of Mis-.
Winnie Davis, the eldest dauphio,
Of Jefferson Davis, the late president
of the Southern coniederacy, TO Mr.
Alfred Wilkinson, of this city, the
grandson of Samuel j. NAV. tina
great abolitionlst leader.
Dame Rumor hRs for n long tIme
past whis pored Of the possibility m
such an event coming To pa-s. Inn n
was only when Mr.. Wilkinson m.
turned from Europe few week.
ago aud the rumor began To assume
tangible shape, and II was only
within day or two that one of Mir.
Mays bosom friends was apnrlaad
of the engagement.
The event l. of more than on,lI.
nary significance owing To lis hear.
ing ON the birth aud fall Of the ,e.
belllon. This marriage, when ar.
complished, will unite two amIlie,
who have been heretofore the mnst
implacnblc political foes, aud to
| whose efforts the tlcrccneSs and
ferver Of the rebellion is largely
due.
The life Of Miss Davis Is too we'll
known 10 be repeated here. but the
story Of Mr.. Wilkinson's papntage
Is comparatively unknown lie Is
u sou of John Wilkinson, Very
prominent figure in local history.
anu the grandson of the Rov. sam
uel j. May. The name of the Rey.
Mr. May X one Of the bright poms
in the abolition sky, for hc was the
pioneer with Garrison, Emerson,
Phillips and Longicllnw, in the
great work for the freedom
of slavery. Not only In
the United States Int in
| Europe also he fought for
| tho abolition Cntlse. In CHEAT
Britain especially Mr.. May lectured
upon slavery TO large audiences.
/ After his removal to Symcusc Mr.
/ May continued to Ia very active
and prominent In promoting the
Innti-slaVcry reform. He soon BE-
came known far and wide asa fear.
les and unconlprOini-ing abolition
ist. Hundreds Of men, women and
children, fleeing from bondage aud
bound for Canada, came to him fni
| protection aud help, and thoy neyei
came In vain. lie assisted manyt
escape, among them being the cole.
brnted Jerry Mcllcnry. whose
liberation caused such "A sensation,
the anniversary Of which was cele
brated for several years.
AN INCIDENT or THE WAR.
As the meetings of the n bolitIon.
lists shortly before the dcclnrntionol
war were violently assailcd In Boston
and other cities thc mayor nf SYRACUSE
earnestly requested Mr.. May to pre-
vent the holding Of n meeting here
lest II should provoke riot. Twenty
of the most influential gentlemen 81
Syracuse, nearly half nf whom were
his parlshiOners, addressed letter
To MI May telling him that they
were creditably informed that or.
gnnized and forciblc efforts To prc.
vent the bolding Of the abolition
convention would be made. l'roba-
bly, this was one Of the scverest tests
to which Mr., Mays loyalty 10 hi,
own convictions was ever sub lcctcd.
Beion the hour appointed iuf the
convention rioters look possession
of the hall which Mr.. May had
hlred for the convention aud he was
roughly used, the meeting being
prevented, aud Mr.. May WAS burned
In .oiilgy IN Hanover square.
II was not long afierward that the
hring upon Fort Sumter put an
end TO such proceedings in the free
states, II j. this mai's grandson
who Is to wed the '.Daughtorlof tho
Confedcracy.n
The story of the courtship IL most
romantic. Miss Winnie Davis came
North some four years ago 10 visit
Dr. Thomas Emory, of the iIrru oi
-. Mccarthy ~ Co, In this city.
IL was her first visit to this old
aholitlonist stronghold, and she
was consequently quite anxious 10
meet the society of Syracuse. At
one Of the receptions given In her
honor she was introduced Ia Alfred
Wllklnson. II will be remembered
that Miss Winnie received cool
reception In one or two houses here,
ana this treatment of the "Daughter
OF the Conlcdcracy" IL said to have
brought her and Mr.. Wilkinson Ia
very close relations. Ho resented
the coolness shown her and gallant
~ chNmpionod her cause. The
friendship p thus engcndecd between
them blossonlud into love In due
Time. Miss Winnie lntor ON went TO
Enropo with u cousin Of hers and Is
still there.
rIiE BErROTHAL.
Mr.. Wilkinson some two months
ago crossed the ocean To see Mis-
Davis aud spent several weeks Win
her sightseeing on the continent and
pressing his suit. When he returned
they We're betrothed.
Mr.. Wilkinson II bright and
young lawyer, about ~
years of nge. His law partner |, Mr..
Albert Hay. Their business Is al
most entirely confined 10 patent
eases. Their income h quie
lair, but Mr.. Wilkinson Is
not u rlcn man. The young
man moves In the very best society
mere, and stands high In the esIilii1,
lion of the community. The acttial
time for the wedding has not been
set hut II Is understood that the
uate VIII he In the near future. "
" vaguely hinted that there Ia u 10
very remote connection between lile
European trip and the wedding
troussei,ti. Whether or not Mrs
Davis friends have been appriseu
oi the coming wedding Is not
IL