Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1891-07-23
Hon. Jefferson Davis Body.

dennltely decided the mUOted
question as to the permanent rest
ing place Of her distinguished
husband, and dispatched her an.
swer to the citizens of Richmond
Va, announcing her selection o.
the former Capital of the Conted.
eracy as the place. Her letter dis.
cusses all the Questions at issue
and gives her reason for the se.
lection"of Richmond. It is as fol
lows: F..
ITO the Veterans and people o.
The Southern States: After much
anxious thuught Ihavef finally dc
cided to give to Virginia the care
ofmy husbands mortal body,
and feel that my reason should
be made public. as he WAS in ma.
ny senses the property of the
whole country. Immediately af.
ter the death ofex-P President JET.
ferson Davis Louisiana xpressed
her desire ia keep his hallowed re.
mains for all time, but she claim
ed only the right to guard him
until some permanent place could
be selected for his rest. The mil.
itary organization OF New Or.
leans bore him with final grief
and splendid pageantto the tomb
OF the ARMY of Northern Virginia
where they have guarded him by
night and day tor eighteen
months, and the gratitude otmy
children and myself is too great
Tor words. asked a year for con-
sideration and consultation with
my family. Eighteen months
have nearly expired, and l feel
that the mattershould be decided
and set at rest now.
After referring to the claims OF
various other States she says. =
Virginia asked for his honored
remains because the moststrenu-
GUS efforts of his life had been
made upon her soil and in defense
of Richmond at the Capitol ofthe
Confederate States. At short in
tervals through the last eighteen
months she has renewed her ten
der insistence that he should rest
among the heroic dead of ell the
States who fell in defense of the
Confederacy. She urged the fact
that he did not, in the fullness of
his tame, belong exclusively to
any part of the country. Every
hillside about Richmond will rell
OF the valorous resistance which
he initiated and directed with
tireless vigilance as Chief Magis-
trate; and there he received gem
erous and unwavering supportin
the hardest hour of otr nnfortu-
nate country's defeat.
"All these claims have touched
my heart and contended together
for the mastery. lthas been hard
to give up the hope of dwelling
near my husbands resting place
IN Mississippi, where my home
and interests are, but unfortun-
ately, Bea7oir is on the coast of
the Mexican Gulf and on a PENN.
sula very little over a mile wide,
and the half mile Of shallow wa.
ter in front, covered with sub.
merged stumps Of large trees,
shows that the sea has been
steadily encroaching on shore for
many years. I feel therefore that
as the monument is for all time,
it would not be wise to place til
there, and / submit to the person
al sacrifice with the hope that
the States Of the Confederacy will
relinquish their cherished plans
for the sake ofgratifying the ma
jority Of the veterans who have
written countless letters to Inc
rom each of the before mention
ID States to urge Richmond as
The proper place for the grave Of
him who loved them all and la-
bored for their glory with all his
might during the heat AMI bur