Milford chronicle., 1906-10-19

we're felt from the first Mrs. Davis
onderful vitality, which brought her
sa ely through a similar attack a year
ago gave hope of ultimate recovery
unti Monday night. when a decided
change for the worse was evident and
She attending physicians announced
That the end was near. Rev. Nathan A.
Scagle, rector of st. Stephens Protest.
ant Episcopal church was hurriedly
summoned to give reiieious comfort
70 the nadent in her last moments Of
consciousness. The clergyman re
.mained some time. and an hour later it
was announced that Mrs Davis had
gapsed into a state of coma The period
of uncorscicusness continued to the
end.
At the bedside when death came
were Mrs. J. Addison Hayes, of New
ark. N. j.. the only surviving daughter
OF Mrs. Davis; Jefferson Davis Hayes,
a grandson. who is a student at Prince
ton University; Mrs. Charles e. Bate.
son. a niece; Or. and Mrs. Gustave
Webb. the latter a granddaughter and
Dr. Robert II. Wylie. who with Dr
Webb had cared for Mrs. Davis
throughout her illness.
Mrs. Jefferson Davis was born at
Matches Miss. May z 1926, the daugh
ter of Nj. and Mrs William Burr
Howell. She was educated at Madame
Greland's school in Philadelphia, and
by private teachers at home, and was
married February 25, 1S45, in Warren
county. Miss, to Jefferson Davis.
In November of that year Davis was
elected to. congress, but resigned in
1916 to 80 to the Mexican war, from
which he returned severely wounded
Mr.. and Mrs. Davis lived for some
time on Mr.. Davis plantation in War
ren county. Miss and Mrs. Davis went
with her husband to Washington when
he was elected United States senator
in 1S47. and remained there while he
served as s-ator and secretary Of
war.
In 1861 Davis became an interna
tional figure when he was elected pres
ident of the Confederate states. From
then until 1865 he and Mrs. Davis
maintained the presidential mansion
in Richmond, but the capture of her
husband and the refusal Of the United
States authorities to permit her to be
with him during the first year began
the tragedy of her life During the
second year of his imprisonment, how
ever. she was permitted to remain
with him at Fortress Monroe, and after
MS freedom accompanied him to Eng
land. where they lived from 1867 to
1870. They returned and lived in Mem.
pa $. Tenn, for eight years. when they
fin uy removed to the Davis planta-
ii n. at Beauvoir Station. on the Mis-.
sia asippi coast. Here Mrs. Davis be-
came amcnuensis for her husband
when he wrote his Decline and Fall
Of the Confederate Government" She
herself was decidedly literary in her
tastes, ana after Mr. Davis death, in
1889. eked out her scanty income by
her work with the pen. Besides the nu
merous magazine articles which she
wrote. her most notable work is "Jef
ferson Davis; a Memior by His Wife. j."
Mrs. Davis interest in the Confed-
crate veterans has always been most
marked, and they in their turn long
tried to secure for her a pension which
would permit her to spend her declin-
ing years in comfort. This, however,
was found to be impossible on account
of constitutional impediments in the
southern states. and in 1894 the move
ment had to be abandoned. Mrs. Davis
consented to the sale of her beautiful
estate at Beauvior in order that it
should be converted into a home for
veterans, and in countless
other ways she has shown for them
the solicitude that will make her death |
mou,ned throughout the south.