Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-28


country. Immediately after the death o.
ex-President Jefferson Davis Louisiana ex
presssd her desire to keep his hallowec
remains for all time. but she claimed only
the right to guard him until some perma
nent place be selected for his resting-place
! Virginia asked for his honored remains
because the most strenuous Efforts or M
! lite had been made upon her soil and II
| defence of Richmond as the capital of the
Confederate States. At short interval:
| throughout the last eighteen months she
| has renewed her tender inslstance that he
| should rest among the heroic dead OF all the
States who fell in defence of the Confede
racy. She urged the fact that IN the full.
ness OF his fame he did not belong exclu.
| slvelv TO any part of the country. Every
| hillside about Richmond would tell of the
yalorous resistance which he initiated and
| directed with tireless vigilance as Chief
Magistrate; that there he received gene
rous and unwavering support IN the dark
est hours of our countrys defeat.
"All these claims have touched my
heart and contended together tor tho mas
! tery. IL has been hard to give up the hope
of dwelling near my husbands resting
place in Mississippi. where my home and
| interests are. but unfortunately Beauvolr
IS on the coast of the Mexican Gulf and on
| a peninsula very little over O mile wide.
and the half mile OF shallow water In
front, covered with submerged stumps of
large trees, shows that the sea has been
gradually encroaching on the shore for
many years. feel, therefore. that as the
monument il for all time il would not be
, we'll to place 1t there and | submit to the
personal sacrifice with the hope that the
States of the Confederacy will also relIn-
quish their cherished plans for the sake of
! gratifying the majority of the veterans
who have written countless letters TO me
| from each of the aforementioned States
30 urge Richmond as the proper place for
| the grave of him who loved them all aud
labored for their glory witt, all his might
| during the heat and burden OF the days
granted TO him here.
Your countrywoman,
"VARISA JEFFERSON DAVIS"
SELECTING THE SITE.
According to her notification to the
Monument Committee Mrs. Davis, accom-
, panied by Miss Winnie. came to Richmond
October 81. 1891. to select site for the
grave and the monument. During their
| sojourn in the city they were the guests OF
| General and Mrs. Joseph X. Anderson and
were the recipients of vast deal of at
| tention. Each day reception was held,
| which was crowded.
On Tuesday, November 4th a committee
| Oh tIlt OtutIsOu DtfiN DOuututub hSSOClft-
ton, consisting of Messrs. J. Taylor Ely
sou. George l.. Christian. p. II. Mayo,
| John s. Elicit, L. Z. Campbell. David C..
Richardson. W. ID. Chesterman. and Cen
eral Peyton Wise. called upon Mrs. Davis.
| and the various sites suggested for the
grave and the monument were discussed.
At this interview Mrs. Davis SAID that she
would prefer that the body be buried IN
Hollywood and that she thought
| q Ln hot hat hn
ment be placed somewhere else.
The day following Mrs. John Purcell, Mrs.
NJ l.. Branch, Mrs. Ann T.. Grant. Mrs.
| w. w. Henry. Mrs. j. b. Pace, and MIS-. f.
| G. Minor called upon Mrs. Davis, and she
assured them that as soon as the burial in
| Hollywood cemetery had taken place she
would turn the entire section over to the
| ladies of the association, who will see that
it is kept in order and that MemorIal-Day
of each year suitable decorations mark
| the grave. She also expressed the de-
sire that the remains of her children
! buried elsewhere be removed to the
section. The result of the various confer
ences Mrs. Davis had with the monument
association and others was the selection OF
| a lot in the new part of Hollywood for the
| place of refinement and Monroe Park for
/ the site of the monument. The lot was
| donated by the Hollywood Cemetery Com
! pany. Mrs. Davis being offered the choice
of any section owned by that corporation.
THE SECTION DESCRIBED.
The spot selected by Mrs. Davis for the
! grave IS secluded yet accessible, and one
/ of the most picturesque III Rich
mond's great city of the dead. The
route to 1t generally followed Is along
! Mestvale avenue TO Midvale. along Mid
vale sklrting the north side Of Presidents
! Hill, and passing the monument of Cover
nor William Smith. thence into New ave-
nue. to the fountain. and from there along
! Riverside avenue 10 the section. IL can
| also be reached by going directly
over Presidents Hill OF taking Water
view avenue. which is being built. from q
point opposite the Old Pump-House along
! the river front, and connects with River
| side avenue near the location. The section
Is a circular plot 10 feet In diameter. 1t Is
/ at the western extremity of a sub plateau
. or amphltheatre IN asOmewhat PERCEPTIONS
! incline overlooking James river. To the
north of this sub plateau rises a swarded
/ slope which describes LONG, sweeping, and
graceful arch between It's eastern and
western points of contact with its base
| line. East OF the circular lot (the Davis
sectIon) Is large elliptical plat in the
centre of which il foundation. and which
Will be laid of on the landscape garden
ing system. and between the ellIpse aud
the circle is u small heart-shaped lot. TO
the north of the two large divisions of the
sub-plateau, and skirting the foot of the
swarded incline. Is Davis avenue and TO
the south Riverside avenue. The heart
shaped plat Is separated from the other
section by wide walkways connecting
Riverside and Davis avenues. From
the diameter-line OF the semi:.amphl-
theatre the ground breaks abruptly
N tho falla of .lanal "a af thar
mos. romantic reaches. Here the river
dashes in hurrying cascades over myriad
boulders and PUSHES between hundreds of
little islands. In the summer these
islands are field of green. through which
the foam sends a silvery CLINT at countless
places and from which sweIls up muffled
Threnody. In the winter. when the foliage
is gone, the waters seem to sweep along
with redoubled force.
"Thcir mighty shocks against the rocks
requiem voiiey hring.'
The Davis section commands a view Of
about half of Richmond as it circles
around from the northeast and finally
loses itself IN the point of crescent IN the
hills on tidewater. On the west IL q beau
tiful river panorama, and on the south
across the James the Chesterfield bluffs
Two oaks stand sentinel IN the DAVIS cir
Gle and between these the Confederate
President will sleep, the grave facing the
Capitol building-the Capitol building
alike of the State and Confederate States =
which stands out majestically in the dis
lance.
The grave will be lined with Confederate
colors and bricked up, Mr.. John X. Red
ford dong the brick work and voluntarily
bearing all the expense himself.
No design has yet been submitted for
the monument, but Monroe Park is regard
ed as o most admirable site. Whatever be
the character of the memorial the topo-
graphy of the park and Its relation to the
streets bounding II are such as to admit Of
most impressive vista effects.
PRESSING THE MONUMENT.
Richm ond,a ClAlme UfEQl HAfora the