The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1906-01-27
THE BEAUVOIR HOME
VISITED By A COMMITTEE
Of the Mississippi Legislature - The
Famous Place Inspected by Mem
bers of the House and Senate.

House visited Beauvoir this morning to
investigate the Confederate Home, its
needs and affairs generally. The mem
bers of the committee are: The Hon.
W. a. Boyd, of Tppah, chairman; Hon.
C. H. Firth, of Amite; and Hon. James
A. Gordon, of Chickasaw, of the Sen
ate; and the Hons. Arnold, of Penola;
Denton, of Lauderdale; Gilfoy, of
Chickasaw; Mcleod, of Greene; Kyle,
of Penola; Bell, OF Union; and Black
we'll, of Benton.
By invitation State Auditor Henry,
who is secretary of the Governing
Board of the Home, also accompanied
the committe. Mrs. J. NJ. Arnold,
Mrs. James A. Gordon, and little Miss
Damron, of Jackson, also accompanied
the committee.
There is a bill before the Legislature
asking an appropriation of the unex-
pended balance of S., ,982 for the purpose
of providing better hospital facilities
and other improvements and additions,
also SIS 900 for the year 1905, and S17,-
SO for 1907 for the support and main
tainance of the Home.
The Home is crowded to overflowing,
and additional dormitory room is ne
cessity. Many of the rooms contain
more men than is comfortable. There
are sixty-five inmates all told, and Colo
mel Henry has several applications on
file that can not be considered until
there is additional room.
Captain N. A. Smith is the superin-
tendent of the Home now. Major Kemp
was released from duty at his own re-
quest, because he was not well enough
to perform the duties, but he yet re-
mains in the Home as an inmate. Mrs.
Wallace is the matron and is greatly be-
loved by the veterans. Mrs. M. G. Ans
ley is the trained nurse, and is assisted
by Miss Katie Ingram, of New Orleans.
Dr.. Hyman Folke, of Biloxi, is the
medical attendant, when his services are
needed. At present there are none sick
at the Home All are well, excepting
the infirmiles incident to age, and all
are as happy as it usually falls to the
lot of man to he who has reached the
time when he is no longer young.
The members Of the committee, all of
whom are veterans, save one, mingled
with the members of the Home and
talked with them that they might ascer-
tain whether they were satisfied.
was happy occasion for both the mem
bers of the Home and the visitor
There were no secrets, bu5 heart
heart talks that betoken good-fellow
ship and comrade5hip among men.
The veterans had dinner at their regu-
lar hour, and after they had been serve
the tables were cleared and reset TO
the visitors. There were oysters raw.
steWed and fried; fish and cold meats
salads, fruit and coffee, and after Dime!
the veterans were called in and ther,
was wine. Colonel Henry pre- sided, AM
introduced each of the speakers in hi.
own easy and graceful manner.
Colonel Boyi saiG the visit had been
a substantial pleasure to every one OF
the committee. He expressed himSel
as in hearty sympathy with the move
ment.
81 feel" he said, "that we are stand
ing on holy ground. in the home of one
who died martyr to the cause of the
South,
He told of 1861, how the young mea
Went forth to fight for home an1 fira-
side, and contrasted their present con-
dition. "SacrificeS they made. Did it
ever occur to you what they sacrificed :!
All, my friends, in 1861 l witnessed
scenes, and you witnessed scenes that
are indelibly impressed on memory. |
have seen wives impress the last kiss
upon their husbands. l have seen
mothers say goodbye to their sons and
bid them go, and many of them never
returned. They sacrificed everything.
"There are evidences of prosperity
everywhere, and to whom is this due?
When they returned home penniless
and homeless and friendles5, what did
they do? They faced the difficulties
as they had the dangers, and it is to
them we owe the prosperity.
''Talk of gratitude, do we not owe it
to them that they should have home ?
This is not an almshouse. This is
home. The principles for which these
men fought were the true Democratic
principles"
In closing, Senator Boyd said that
the State of Mississippi had not forgot
ten her veterans, and she never would.
Colonel Gordon, ''Jim" Gordon the
Home veterans called him, spoke of the
pleasure of his visit, for some OF the
veterans were with him in the war. He
made a humorous speech that was
greatly enjoyed by the veterans. He
spoke earnestly of his devotion to the
old soldiers, and declared that they
should have all they wanted if posterity
was taxed for it.
s'If you can find any old soldier who
says slept in the house while he slept
out of doors and covered with the clouds,
I'll set my hat and take to the woods.