Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-27
ALDRlCH VISITED
JEFFERSON DAVIS
IoWAN TELLS OF PERSONAL IN.
TERvIEW WITH THE SOUTH.
ERN coNFEDERAcY LEADER

/
TERvlEW WITH THE SOUTH.
ERN coNFEDERAcY LEADER
Davis Gives Curator Pages Of His
Writing for Collection in Iowa
Copies Pages From His Book, "Rise
and Fall of the confederacy."
| Des Moines.-''I was much interes.
ested in the dispatch pertaining to
Mrs. Jefferson Davis who has Just
died." said Hon. Charles Aldrich of
the state historical department in an
Interview with reporter for the Re-
gister and Leader.
Il had the pleasure Of slight ac-
quaintance with both Mr.. and Mrs.
Davis, a brief account of which may
| be of interest at this time to your
readers. had secured some letters
or Mr.. Davis for our collections. but
desired something further, and
| CHANGING to visit New Orleans two or
three years before Mr.. Davis died, I
secured a letter of Introduction from
Gen. George W. Jones Of Dubuque.
Jones and Davis had been students at
Pennsylvania university In Kentucky,
where they formed a friendship which
lasted to the end Of their lives.
I went out one day from New Or
leans to Beauyoir, little station on
the railroad on Mississippi sound,
which opened into the gulf of Mexico.
! walked from the station to the resi-
dence of Mr. Davis, something like a
quarter of mile. People who visited
the st. Louis exposition Of 1904 no
doubt saw the duplicate Of that resi-
dence, which had been built for the
purpose of the exposition by the state
OF Mississippi. l presented my letter
to Mr.. Davis and was cordially receiv-
ed By him. told him that / had been
a lifelong republican, journalist and
a soldier in the civil war. added,
however, that did not believe in con-
tinuing the fight after the war was
over, which explanation seemed to
please him. We had had too much Of
the waving Of the bloody shirt
throughout the north, until Mckinley
so happily stopped it, and especially
in Iowa.
Made His Own Choice.
II stated my errand to Mr.. Davis,
which was to secure one or more
pages Of his manuscript for our col
lections, which were kept in the
state house at that time. He took UP
copy Of his Rise and Fall of the
Southern Confederacy,' and showed
me the concluding chapter, asking,
Mr.. Aldrich, do you believe the people
OF Iowa would tolerate those pages in
your collection in my handwriting
The people Of Iowa will tolerate
anything in our collection that Mr..
Davis chooses to be represented by I
replied. Without saying anything fur
Their on that point he told me to look
Into the library which opened out
from the living room, which contained
q large collection of books and many
pictures. 1t seemed that he did his
writing and performed his literary
work as did our Governor Kirkwood-
in small building adjoining the
house. He was gone something like
half an hour, when he returned with
two foolscap pages Of manuscript,
which he had copied from the conclu-
sion OF his book, and signed.
II was very glad to obtain this ac-
cession to my collections, and thanked
him heartily for his kindness. Soon I
proposed to take my hat and overcoat
and walk to the station. %, No. said
he, we shall have some dinner very
soon, and want you to stay and dine
with us. was glad to accept the In
vitation for there seemed to be no
other place where could get my din
ner. We sat by the pleasant fireplace.
for the air was chilly, until dinner
was ready. During this interval. how
ever, made some inquiry about the
islands which lay off the coast at a
distance of four or five miles. He said
to me that they could be plainly seen
from the beach and suggested that we
walk thither. He put on broad brim-
med, light brown hat, and provided
himself with staff some five feet in
length, which he used in lieu of a
cane. We walked down to the beach.
but did not stay long because the wind
was blowing and the air was quite
chilly.
Mr.. Davis Scholar.
II found him most intelligent and
entertaining talker. He was a very
learned man. for he could have been
nothing less after his graduation from
West Point, and his long experience
in public life. He spoke of Mr.. Gree.
ley, saying he felt very grateful to Mr..
Greeley for giving a bond for his ap-
pearance at the United States court
and thereby releasing him from prison
though he added that this was a
friendly inspiration on the part of Mr..
Greeley, which had not been solicited
either by himself or his friends. It
seems to me that he stated that he
had never met Mr.. Greeley but once.
and that quite accidentally, since that
time llnQn 1Srhinh laa