Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-24
AN UNIQUE EXHIBIT.
PROPERTY OF JEFFERSON DAVIS
PRESENTED TO THE MUSEUM.
DISPLAYED IN The MISSISSIPPI ROOM
Tells the story OF His Joys and sor-
by Mrs. Davis md Her Daughter
Mementos of Winnie Davis.

ntnientOs OF w inDtt Dusls.
The Confederate Museum has just been
enriched by. the addition Of two cases Of
relies. formerly the property Of Jeffer-
federacy.
Some have been given. others lent. by
Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Hayes, and they
form priceless collection which will
be the cynosure OF many an eye
The cases stand as the mute chroniclers
OF the domestic life Of the President, the
fidelity and love Of his own and the
esteem and affection Of his constituents.
They speak also. OF his humillaiions. his
griefs. his persecution. and Of his death.
The contribution was received early
In tho summer. together with n suit
OF furniture from Beauvoir, the Missis-
sippi home Of the Davis family. The Ia
dies Of the Confederate Memorial and
Literary Society were leaving or had lett
for the summer resorts. and It was de-
c'ded TO postpone the placing of the
exhibit until the autumn. In the mean
time, cases were ordered. and these have
IN THE MISSISSIPPI ROOM.
In accordance with wish expressed
by Mrs Davis. the large case containing
the Presidents personal property will be
placed in the Mississippi Room. and a
smaller case, containing letters. testi-
monials, and portraits VIII De exhibited
Ia the Solid-South room. The suit OF
furniture has rot yet been assigned to
any special place. nor will IL be until
the Meter has been considered by the
society. The most interesting relics. in
TACT, have been placed I'm the Mississippi
room. They are contained In n large
square case. six feet or more I'm height
The suit Of clothes which Mr.. Davis
wore when he was captured hangs there
The frock coat IS made Of gray CLOTH
with velvet collar. and the trousers are
OF the same material The suit has been
much worn and bears evidence of long
service by the absence of several but
tons from the coat and the imprint of the
Presidents knees in the trousers.
The old family Bible rests on the bot
tom Of the case lying open at the
registry Of marriages, births. and
deaths. Near it is the small Bible sent
by the President while a prisoner at
Fortress Monroe to his son.
A VALUABLE PRAYER-BOOK.
The prayer-book used by Mr.. Davis.
with his autograph on the fiy-leaf. is a
very rare and valuable one. since it con-
tains a special prayer for the Confederate
States Congress. No less a sum than
5000 has been offered for this particular
book, and refused by Mrs Davis.
a very quaint and rather pathetic SOU
venir is a small silver thimble bequeath-
ed by a Sister of Charity upon her death
bed to Jefferson Davis. Jr. 1t was the
sum total Of the good nuns earthly pos
sessions, and she left It to the boy she
had nursed through a serious illness, 10
whom she was devoted.
Side 10y side with the thimble is the
gold watch which belonged TO Princess
Charlotte. Of England. and was presented
TO Miss Winnie Davis during her visit to
England. The Matchbox used by the
President; a box that he kept at the
head Of his bed for cigars. his cigar
holder. and a dressing-case which he al
ways carried i'm his valise are among the
most interesting features of the exhibit.
A REMINDER or FORT MONROE.
Perhaps the most striking relic, how
ever, is the bandage made by Mrs. Davis
20 screen her husbands eyes from the
glare of light that was kept continually
upon him by order of General Nelson A.
Miles. while he languished in Fort Mon
roe. The screen closely resembles a
headman's mask. without the eye-holes.
The last gloves worn by Mr.. Davis. are
pressed and carefully folded. showing
how small his hand was His keys. upon
a key-ring: a matchbox Of cOrnelan,
presented 10 him by Welshmen; a case
for his scissors, made by his wife; his
eyeglasses and a pOlishor, made by n
little girl for the President; a Mexican
emerald set in a ring Of virgin gold, and
two gold stars made for. and worn by,
Mr.. Davis on his collar all claim the
attention and tell their own story. His
tastes We're simple, and he cherished
most those things which had a heart in
terest FOR him. and came from the bosom
Of his own family or as tributes OF affec-
tion from the people who hon0red him.
y letter sent to Mr.. Davis by Robert
Coster during the imprisonment OF tho
latter, lies side by side with TIE card on
which MIR. Davis wrote his name when he
visited the prisoner a short time after
he had received the communication. An
English railway carriage key, which Mr..
Davis used while in England and nun>--
rous badges presented to him on different
occasions, are also included in the ex-
hibit, together with badges and the re-
mains of flowers that We're placed upon
his coffin when his body was brought to
Richmond for reinterment.
TREASURES OF WINNIE DAVIS.
The case also contains a number Of
interesting relics of Miss Winnie Davis,
the Daughter of the Confederacy. Among
the number are a Georgia button,
a silver badge, cross and chain, a
gold badge. her Bible, the brace
let's she wore i'm her infancy, and part
90 an eastern head-dress worn by her