The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1901-07-19
GIFT FROM MRS. DAVIS.
SHE RETURNS THE DORSEY SILVER TO
A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY.

Dultinore sun,
Miss Mamie Dorsey, a member of
the well known Howard county fam.
lily of that name, was surprised a
short time ago to receive a letter
from Mrs. Jefferson Davis stating
that she was sending to Miss Dorsey
a gift of solne family silver formerly
the property of Mr., and Mrs. Samuel
W%orthington Dorsey, of Beauvoir,
Miss, an uncle and aunt of Miss Dor.
Sey.
Soon after Mrs. Davis letter was
received the gift which comprised an
old fashioned tea service and a mum.
Der of odd pieces of silver besides,
reached here.
AS Miss Dorsey has been in i'll
health for the last five or six years
apd consequently is unable to enter.
tain to any extent, she has stored the
silver for the present in the vaults of
the Safe Deposit and Trust COMPANY
in Baltimore.
TO a reporter of The Sun, Miss Dor.
sey said yesterday that until she re.
ceived Mrs. Davis letter she had been
unaware of the existence of the silver.
She said she had never seer and had
no acquaintance either with Mrs.
Davis or Miss Winnie Davis, to whom
the silver would have belonged event.
ualiy il she had lived. The story
though, as Miss Dorsey told it, of the
friendship of her uncle and aunt, Mr..
and Mrs. Dorsey for Mr.. and Mrs.
gives a glimpse backward into
a chapter in the history of the days
both before and after the struggle be.
Tween the North and the South and
the loyal affection and uaselish de.
that was shown by the people
the Southland to one whom they
owed and revered as the president of
u'e Oonieueracy.
Mr.. Samuel W%orthington Dorsey
was a native of Howard county.
some years before the war he removed
Mississippi and there he married
MISS Sarah A. Ellis, of Natchez. Mrs.
and Mrs. Davis, who before
1er marriage was Miss Varina How.
I'll, also OF Natchez, were schoolmates
md close friends. For Mr.. Davis
Mrs. Dorsey had a feeling of profound
Affection and admiration, a feeling
hat was shared by her husband.
Soon after the general amnesty
Vas declared-this was in December
.S6S-Mr. Davis returned to Missis.
'lppi. For Il time he was interested
n the Mississippi Valley Company, a
project for encouraging trade between
New Orleans and South America and
'ther European ports. The under.
proved to be premature and
Davis went to Beauvoir. where
he began the preparation OF his his.
'ory, THE Rise and Fall of the Con.
.ederate States of America" He
made his home in a cottage rented at
1rst and subsequently purchased
Mrs Dorsey.
Mrs. Dorsey died in 1879 leaving M
iIrect heirs. Her husband at his
ieath some time previous had left her
'bsolutely without reservation, his
ntire estate, comprising plantations
n Louisiana and Mississippi and
ther property real and personal.
.fter Mrs. Dorsey's death it was
'und that she had left Mr.. Davis the
llk Of her property. Besides the
ain bequest, there were intact only
few minor legacies which she asked
r. Davis to distribute and one of
lese was the gift Of a portion OF one
the Louisiana plantations to Mr.. $
niece, Miss Mamie Dorsey,
Howard county. TO make it prac.
ally impossible for Mr.. Davis to re. J
to become the legatee of Mrs. u
1rsey's estate. reversi0n was made d
case OF his refusal to his youngest
lighter. q
The fact that she was mentioned
the original will and was known to q
a %favorite OF the Mississippi Dor.
- Is generally understood to be the
ison that Mrs. Davis selected Miss
annie Dorsey to be the recipient Of 81
2 Dorsey silver. In the letter in
inch she informd Miss Dorsey she ',
y sending the silver to her. Mrs :
WIS said that It had been hacked
ray mad not been used f0f MANY s
ars. Miss Dorsey said while snear.
x OF the gift yesterday, that, the
.v'ce and the extra pieces showed v
plainly that they had MOI, hesr
Q a long time. She doubted ~
ey had been used since Mrs. DIR d
ys death. The service. Miss Dorsnv
y was complete and all the pleces
the collection are Of the QUAINT y
ape and elaborate decoration II