The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-29
zucY HoLcol1B p1cxENs.


 The sunny South of Sunday contains n Interesting sketch of the beautiful wife of Frank W. Pickens of South Carolina. && eeg
 One of Montgomery's most charming young matrons. Mrs. John Tullis. is a grand-dsughter of Governor Pickens. z The sketch of Lucy Holcomb Pick ems is ss follows:
 When an infant civilization was struggling against the primevai red man on the wind-swept prairies of the great Lone Star State, when the white population of that broad area was less than that of any one of its present day larEpr cities. there was born to a cou pie of pioneers a girl baby who was de9tfned to become one of the most famous of the nineteenth century wo- men.
 This girl was Lucy Holcomb. the peerless Southern beauty who. in 1856, gave hand and heart to the distfn- Colonel Frank W.hPickens. grandson to General Pickens of revolutionary fame. and for whom Fort Pickens was named as a memorial of his heroism.
 About Q year after Colonel Pickens was married to the beautiful Texan, President Buchanan. quick to recog- nixe his qualifications as a diplomat, appointed him minister to Russia. and fl was at the court of St. Petersburg that his stately wife began her social reisn. At the brilliant court of Alex ander II the charming Southron be- came the prime favorite of the impe- rial family and courtiers, and the crowned heads of Europe vied with eAch other in paying tribute to the beauty, dignity and grace of the prai- rie lily that had been transplanted to ; the imperial capital of Russia.
 The late Queen Victoria and Prince Consort Albert entertained this illus tr1ous couple at Buckingham palace, md Emperor Napoleon III and Em- press Eugenie were their royal host and hostess at the Tuilleries; indeed, all friendly nations showered honors on these American representatives.
 When it was known that the United States embassy was to be strengthened the Cxar placed the palace of Roman off at the disposal of the minister and his young wife, and 1t was here that their first and only child, c little girl, was born. The czarina's devotion to the mother was such that she claimed the privilege of standing godmother to the new embassadress and the wee South Carolina-Texas baby had a roy
 
 Homanoff. to which all friendly courts were invited to send envoys extraordi- nary. The czarina named the baby Douschka Olga Nera Francisco Euge- mia Dorothy Pickens, but she was call ed Douschka, which is Russian for darling.
 Tn the meantime the premonitory brewing in the United States reached the Russian court and the minister re- alized that his beloved South needed his presence.
 Fresh from her triumphs in a foreign land this patriotic husband brought his brave young wife home to face the years of disaster, strife and bloodshed the followed in the wake of MT. Sher- mans torchlight procession.
 On departing from the Russian capi- tai. the little Douschka. who, in the two short years of her life. had twined herself around the hearts of all inmates of the court, was loaded down with tes- fimonials of affection, the kindly old Czar placing on her neck an exquisite chain to which was attached a minia- ture of himself and which was ever one of her dearest possessions. But Douschka deserves a chapter to her. self in Southern history.
 Tn i55U Coiopsi Fickens was elected Governor of South Carolina and his lovely wife was as popular in her adopted State as in the foreign courts. Mrs. Piclxsns was conceded to be the most beautiful, most graceful of the South's coterie of stately daughters. and her vignette was placed on the Confederate money issued during the first years of the civil war.
 Before the civil war was over, the gallant soldier, diplomat and statesman died at the old Pickens plantation, Edgewood-still a magnificent relic of the South's past glory-leaving his wife and daughter to the tender care of his slaves. who never deserted them, but who bore to the family burial ground first their beloved master, next their young mistress, Douschka, and a few months ago all that was mortal of the Eouth's cherished daughter, Lucy Hol-