The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-17
TWO PICTURES
Which Mrs. jefferson Davis is Having
Repaired.


Repaired.
NEW York, Feb. 16.-A few days ago
one Of the expert restorers Of oil paintings
in this city received a letter from the widow
of jefferson Davis, in which she said that
she proposed to send to him two oil paint
ings which mad been for many years treas
ures Of her husband, and which mad hung
upon the walls of his home in Mississippi
before the war. These pictures Mr.. Davis
had often thought TO have treated by re-
storer, but he had neglected it, and now the
widow was taking early steps to carry out
his desires. The pictures arrived here two
or three days ago, and in company with j.
M. Tracy, the artist. a personal friend of
Mr.. Davis, looked at them this afternoon,
and heard a romantic story about them.
One of them is a copy of Raphael's ''An-
gel Of the Annunciation" and very fine
copy it Is. 1t was in state that made the
most delicate handling necessary in order
to preserve it. If the canvas were bent,
even the slightest, it would snap off. The
artist had succeeded in restoring it 80 that
its beauties were evident and Mr.. Tracy
declared that whoever copied Ii from the
original, he was a master copyist. 1t had
hung on the walls in Mr.. Davis home in
Mississippi and was there when he quilted
his mansion to assume the duties
of president of the confederacy. When the
union soldiers took possession of the house
sometime during the war, some worthless
soldier thrust his bayonet through the arm
and left q hole there of the exact conhgura-
tfon of the bayonet. The picture was taken
down and tossed into a corner where it was
found after the war Mr.. Davis subse-
quently regained possession of it and took il
to his new home at Beauvo ir in Mississippi
where it was occasionally shown to visitors,
sometimes to indicate what the famous con-
federate called the ruthless spirit of the
yankee invaders.
In repairing the picture Mrs. Davis in
structed the expert to leave the bayonei
hole exactly as it was and the painting Ii
now restored with that gaping wound in
the arm visible. 1t will be sent to Missis.
sippi In few days where 1t will be again
hung ON the wall of Mrs Davis home
With this came another picture about
which still more romantic story is told.
As / saw it this afternoon it lay il
strips of four pieces upon a table. These
pictures were not torn apart, but had
cracked apart, the canvas having beer
weakened by the folding of the picture
1t W as originally portrait Of a child and
seemed to nave been cut from the body Of a
picture containing possibly another figure.
1t weS cut by the knife Of soldier and
the irregularity Of the line
of cutting shows that II
was do ne in great haste. through one OF
the stri ps there was a round hole which had
been 10 ade by bullet and this bullet had
caused the death of the soldier who had cut
the pic sure from its place. After he had
thus mi ltilated it, he had folded it and
wound it around his body. Thus bearing
it on fis person, he subsequently, entered
battle and had been shot to death. The
pictur was found upon his body by some
confet lerates and was recognized as the
~F NJ. vic mud rafI1rnnd
TO HIM after the war. The expert has not
yet res Itored it, but expects TO do so in q
few dfu IFS when it will also be returned to
Mrs DAVIS with the Raphael copy.