The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-05-10
JEFFERSON DAVISS HOME AT
BILOYI

BY the wood road the back of Beau
voir is first reached, and is found to
be tract of ten acres, devoted to the
cultivation of the scuppernong grape.
The vineyard is scene of disorder
and neglect. The rude arbors are rot
ing and falling upon the vines, and
the young persiInmon and pecan trees
that have been set out there are en-
dangered by the weeds that grow riot
ously, to exaggerate the suggestion of
desolation, The mansion is around
bend of the road, commanding the
dark blue Gulf, from behind ample
grounds whose fence separates the
place but does not hide its beauties
from the white beach drive that skirts
the water. The gate was tied up, and
the house was closed. SO that had it
been pointed out to me as haunted
house, abandoned by its owners, the
scene presented there would have been
exactly accounted for.
1t has been a noble place, and could
be made so again with little trouble
and expense. No house that | have
seen in the South is more eloquent of
the full possibilities of the aristocratic
baronial life of the planter before the
war. To look upon it even now is to
recall n thousand tales and anecdotes
of the elegant life, the hospitality,
and the comfort of the old regime.
The main house is a great, square,
low building, with gallery on three
sides, reached by a broad, high flight
of steps. A great and beautiful door
leads to a wide central hallway,
through which one could see, when
the house was open, either the blue
Gulf and the distant islands in front,
or the great oaks with their funereal
drapery of Spanish moss in the rear.
Two other similar but smaller houses
stand, like heralds of the old hospital
ity, a little forward on either side of
the mansion. Both are square, red
rooted, one story miniatures of the
manor-house Each has its roof reach
ing out to form a broad porch in front.
One is the bachelors quarters, for
guests and relatives of that unhappy
persuasion, and the other is Mr..
Davis's library and retreat. There
everything is as he loved to have it
around him when he sat in doors, and
out on the beach is the ruin and wreck
of a seat under some live oaks where
he used to sit and look upon the broad
water and reflect upon his extraordin-
airy and most active life. Behind
piiSSS 10 OiiC array
of outbuildings, such as every South
ern mansion collected in it's shadow
the kitchen, the servants quarters,
the dairy, and the others.
| went into the little library build
ing and saw his books, his pictures,
his easy chair and table, and-behind
the main room-his tiny bedroom and
anteroom, the bedroom being so small
that it could accommodate no larger
bed than the mere cot which is showed
against the window. His books would
indicate that he was Il religious man
with a subordinate interest in history.
In n closet he kept a remarkable col
lection of prayer books, and in an
open case were many volumes of nov
els, which the care taker of the place
called trash" and accounted for with
the explanation that Mr.. Davis main
tanned a sort of circulating library for
the use of his eX-Confederate soldier
friends. The pictures that still hang
upon the walls struck ne as strange
collection. One shows some martyrs,
dead, in IA gladiatorial amphitheatre
one is of drowned girl floating be-
meath halo in a. night darkened
stream ;x.9ne. il a portrait of our Sa-
viour b4sid9 ses lsfafR madennas; and
only on atIs sti lfII III Eth
err camese6tiHtani4tsx isit 6rs fdneftxfwas
1.-The tlaing tgseiss ssiezss1fzsFs too
m much fhe I95aF {af asR g pe
coIIectedFiszs n 81 Sba yiS 6llslfted in
showing his library to an 'wl5saaalled
after twelve o'clock noon. The main
house was seen only by those who had
il claim upon his affections. visited
it and found it made up of noble
rooms and decorated beautifully with
fresco. work. But nearly all the fur
niture and ornaments and pictures
were packed up or covered as if ready
for removal The effect upon my
mind was sad and almost tragic. and
FASTENED from the widespread scene
of havoc and of neglect, which even
l,L,..cL, it..clf LlLliLLll