The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-19
White House of South Now
Serves as Confederate Museum
Historic Richmond Building of Interest in Itself Aside From Relics
1t Contains. Because of Its AssOcatons-Now Various Southern
States Are Represented in Collections They Have Sent There
Their Nature.
cOrrespona.nee Of IN. ws.hins,on Post.


Richmond. Va. April 16.-An interestnE
feature Of the Confederate Museum 20
Richmond. although foreign to Its design
is the furnishing a point d'appui TO eN-Feu-
eral and Southern soldiers. whose exchange
OF "reminiscences discloses charming DTS OF
unwritten history.
a Northerner entering the Mississippi
room. and pausing before a case contain
ing the suit worn by Jefferson Davis when
captured. said TO the guide:
81 have seen these clothes before. l was
one OF the warders in charge OF Mr.. DAVIS .
cell at Fort Monroe. and. seeing this coat
on a chair near his couch and desiring a
souvenir OF him. / cut on the right-hand
rear button. which ! still retain. As ne
spoke the two men passed around the case
to find the button in question conspicuous
by its absence.
The sentinel who relieved me" the Wis
itor continued. coveted his pipe. Mr.. Ia
vie. however. was an inveterate smoker,
and. knowing the distress its loss would
entail I interceded in his behalf and II was
spared. II was a meerSchaum. stained down
the bowl a half inch as evenly as though
done by measure"
There was no pipe OF the ex-President
on exhibition in the building. Some enc
in charge however, that there
were some Davis relics packed in a draw
or. The key was produced. a search discoN-
cred a worn case. in which was a pipe,
stained just as the stranger had describe
MEMORIES CLUSTER ABOUT 1T.
The museum building is Of interest In it.
self. apart from the relics which 1t en-
shrines and the memories clustering about
it as the White House OF the Confederacy-
Erected by Doctor John B~rockenbrough IN
the early days of Richmond. and situated In
what was then a fashionable quarter. II
Is A type of the city homes of Virginia gem
tlemen in the latter part OF the Eighteenth
- h. NfEAVaanNh INan-
tury. From Doctor BrocAenbrough II passed
by purchase to Mr.. James Morson. who
sold Il to- his cousin. the Honorable jams
Seldom. a Representative from Virginia.
a member of the Peace Commission held IN
Washington, ana later Jefferson Davis :
Secretary Of War. Mr.. Lewis Crenshaw
of the HaxaIl Crenshaw Mills vas Its next
owner. II was bought OF him by the city.
partially furnished and made the executive
mansion Of the Confederscy. During the
five years following the war. when Viz
GINA was under martial law. II was the
Headquarters Of General weitzel If the
Union Army. and when vacated by MIN
served as q public school
The custom. dating from the surrender,
of decorating the graves OF Southern SOL
diers buried in Richmond cemeteries grad
ually crystaliized into an organization
known as the Hollywood Memorial AsSo-
ciation." and when its president. Mrs.
Joseph Bryan. COnCtINeu Nut fufd VI tSNau
fishing a repository for Civil War records
and relics at the Confederate capital. rep
resenting all the seeding States. naturally
suggested itself as its location
The city dedicated the former White
House Cor the purpose: funds we're raised
to make II freprOof. and 10 each Southern
State was assigned a room, bearing Its
name. with its shield and colOrs- A regent.
a resident OF the State represented, and a
vice regent. living in Richmond. were
placed in charge. who collect by loan. gift
or purchase. whatever is OF historic value
bearing upon the period. and that they
have been faithful TO the trust the vast
accumulation since the opening OF the
building. in 1896. attests.
The stone steps leading UP from the
street which the visitor 10 the museum as
cends have been pressed. not only by
warriors and statesmen who won undytng
fame In defense OF the lost cause. but by
the private soldiers and sailors who made
their achievements possible. and. too. by
the fair daughters Of the South, thronging
the weekly receptions. On the east porch
is pointed out the spot from which the
Presidents little son fell and was killed:
and every room II halloved by some sacred
association.