The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-04


court favorite. The Empress delighted
| in her society, and the women of all
| the legations gave way for the capti-
waiting American. Later she was TAX
en- to the imperial palace of the Ro-
manoffs, and there, in May, 1858, was
born the child that was destined to
ngure so strangely in history.
The Tsaritza claimed the privilege
of being godmother to the infant.
When the day came for the christening
all the grandeur of the Russian court
was brought into play, invitations were
sent to the representatives of all the
foreign nations. The company was the
most illustrious that ever assembled
for similar purpose in the history of
the world.
when the officiating dignitary of the
church asked the Tsartza, What shall
be the name of this child?" she replied:
Her name shall be Douschka'
The English for Douschka is sweet
little darling But, as is the Russian
custom, several additional names were
given to the child, and she was chris
tened in full Douschka Olga Neva
Francisco Eugene Dorothy Pickens.
The first of the series of names was
the one by which she was ever known.
Fired First shot of the War.
During the campaign of 1860 Pick
Governor of his state, and on the day
Abraham Lincoln was elected Presi-
dent Pickens was elected the chief ex-
ecutive of South Carolina, of which
his father and grandfather had previ-
ously been Governor. He left the Rus
sion court and brought his wife and
little daughter to America but the Rus
sian royal family never forgot the lit
tie Douschka and upon each birthday
a bewildering array of costly gifts, a
custom which was continued by the
present Tsar until the death of the
beautiful woman a few years ago.
I'm Carolina Douschka, a mere tot,
became as great a favorite as she had
been among the splendid Russians.
Civil and military officers Worshipped
the child, and it was this universal
love for her that made her, historical
ly, the leading young woman of the
state and of the South.
When the days grew darker and
darker, and it was seen that war could
not be prevented, the Confederates at
Charleston prepared for conflict. The
federals occupied Fort Sumter, and
Gen. Beauregard made every prepara-
ton to defend the city. When 1t was
finally decided that he should lombard
the federal fort he invited Gov Pick
the inception of hostilities. The Gov
ernor visited the forts and gunboats.
and took with him his wife and child.
Douschka. All the guns were in read
mess for the first fatal shot which was
to rend the nation in fratricidal strife
when the Governor had visited all
parts of the garrison Gen. Beauregard
picked up the golden haired, blue-eyed
little girl and petted her for a moment
he MI INYtra koI, y
baby fingers and held her until she
touched the fuse of a cannon. Thus,
the child, at the tender age of three
born in the Russian palace, the pet of
the nobility of all the nations and the
daughter of the great war Governor
fired the first gun in the greatest war
of modern times.
After the first shot the artillery
doomed for hours, but the child and
her mother had been taken to a place
of safety 1t is not necessary to deal
further with the conflict itself in tell
ing the story.
"ChiId of South Carolina"
Throughout the war DouschI,a's
name was frequently heard. She be-
came the foster child of the State
legislature and by special engagement
that body named her THE Child of
South Carolina Yet it was not I'M
til the days following the war, those
days which were blacker than war
itself, that Douschka became the idol
of the people.
Governor Pickens died in 1864. On
his plantation at Edgefeld were his
slaves, who had refused to leave him
despite the fact he had told them they
could go if they wished to do so. He
called his negroes about his deathbed
and chose from among the oldest of
them his Pallbearers, and then gave
into their keeping his wife and little
Douschka. These slaves when freed,
were never the source of the least
trouble, but any one who lived in the
South in the day following the war
know how the people suffered at the
hands of the freed negroes.
In the early seventies the former
slaves of Edgewood county. South
Carolina, became threatening. A lot
of unprincipled white scoundrels had
egged them on to deeds. of mischief
and things came to such a pass that
neither life nor property was secure.
AS conditions grew worse the negroes
gathered at Edgefield. They swarmed
through the streets and FRIGHTENED the
whites from their homes. They event
ually formed a drunken mob and
threatened to burn the town.
Just as the town was about to be
ing happened. From the four winds
rode hundreds of strange looking be-
ings, clad in long robes of red that
hung from their heads to their feet.
In all 1,500 of them came, all on horse
| back, all dressed alike. They gather
| ed at the centre of the town and then
formed in long column.
Joan of Are"
"At"the head rode a slight, red-robed
figure. 1t was Douschka- She guided
her great horse through every street
time and time again. The superstitious
negroes fed in terror from the town,
! and hid in the woods. The silent, SOL
emn march was kept up by these red
robed members of the Ku Klux until
every colored person had left the town
! From that day not the word of discon-
tent was ever heard from the freed
slaves of Edgewood county. Douschka
was known from that time as Joan of
| Arc
When it fell to Douschkas lot to
| manage the plantation when she grew
| to young womanhood she performed
her duties with matchless skill. She
was splendid horsewoman, and every
day rode over the estate.
I'm the fox chase, a sport in which
| she delighted, she always rode the
leading horse, and most often got the
brush. AS farmer she learned every
thing that must be done about the old
plantation. To her belongs the honor
of establishing the bonus system of
pay for freed slaves. In additional to
their salary she gave them a percent
age of the proceeds.
when Douschka grew to woman
hood she married DR. DugaS brill