The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-06-04
President of the Confederacy
Was Remembered in
Pensacola.
THE BANKS AND PoSTOFFIcE
WERE CLOSED, AND LAST NIGHT
A RECEPTION WAS GIVEN AT
THE HOME OF MRS. D. HALE
WILSON, PRESIDENT OF THE
u. D. c.
u. D. C.

The jefferson Davis centennial was
fittingly observed in Pensacola yester-
day, there being many outward indi-
cations of the manner in which the
day was considered from a public
standpoint. The banks closed their
doors throughout the day, as lid also
the post office, and in many homes,
in which social demonstrations did
not take place. decorations, BETTING
the day, could be seen. Probably the
most noteworthy event of the day took
place at the home of Mrs. ID. Hale
Wilson last evening, when a reCep-
ton was given in honor of the day by
the members of the L. ID. c. and the
Children of the ConfedeTacy. A spe-
cial invitation had been extended the
Confederate Veterans, the sons OF
Confederate Veterans, and to the
Memorial Association. and more than
a hundred guests congregated as re-
suit at the Wilson home. Mrs Wilson
was assisted in receiving the guests
by the following officers of the u
D. c.:
Mrs. S. A. Moreno. 1st vice-presi-
dent: Mrs. ]. A Avant, End vice-pres-
ident; Mrs NJ. A. Mcintyre, recording
secretary: Miss Adele Chaffee, CORE
spending secretary; Mrs. c. Thiesen,
treasurer; Miss Leila Reese, parlia-
mentarian; Mrs. NJ. e. Bats, his
torian
The house has been beautifully deco
rated in the colors of the Confeder-
acy, the refreshments being ices and
cakes. The following program was
rendered to the satisfaction OF every
one present.
SOng-Suwanee River, by the Chill
dren of the Confederacy, led by Miss
Margaret Maclay.
Recitation-Little Gladys Smith.
Instrumental Solo-Christine Cot
trell
Battle of Atlanta''-Mr. C. v.
Thompson, U. c. V.
Vocal Solo-Miss Missouri Cawthon.
Recitation-Miss Margarita Moreno.
instrumental Duet-Mrs. c. ".
| Elizabeth Wilson.
Observation-Disclosures Willie Wood
FinaIe-"Dixie.'' MRS. J. NJ, Flynn.
WE. Anderson Talks.
A pleasing feature of last nights
event occurred when w e. Anderson
| was prevailed upon to talk on the
| life of Jefferson Davis. Mr.. Anderson
| who is a capable speaker, handled his
subject pleasingly, and succeeded IN
making his remarks one OF the salts
| factory features of the evening. In
fact. the Davis centennial could not
have been more satisfactorily observ-
ed than during last evenings event,
when the large representative aSgre-
cation of those who hold the memory
| Of old days dear, gathered at the
| home of one of it's most prominent
| representatives to do honor to the
SOuth's greatest chieftain.
An EVentfuI Career
The career of jefferson Davis was
an extraordinary one from many stand
| points. as shown both by memoirs and
! by able biographerS.
/ In 1853 he resigned his commission
! in the United States army and eloped
with a daughter of Col. afterwards
| president) Zachary Taylor. In 1886
Betty Taylor Davis died, and Davis,
after remaining a widOwer for eight
/ years. married for his second wife
Miss Virina Howell. Of ViC'lsbUrg, the
! granddaughter of Gov. Howell, OF
| New Jersey-who had been governor
/ of that state from 1894 to 1901. through
| the concluding years of Washington S
administration and through the whole
/ of John Adams Gov. Howell was a
/ staunch old F-ederalist, and Miss Var
| ina at first found it difficult to under
stand how a gentleman and a demo
GRAFT could be united in the same per-
son. In the end jefferson proved as
much of an aristOcrat as even How
| ell could desire
| The year 1874 proved noteworthy in
| Davis's life. Besides wedding Miss
Howell he was chosen a presidential
elector on the Polk and Dallas ticket
and elected 10 congress. When he
reached Washington in 1S40 he en-
! q h
erners who acknowledged John c.
Calhoun as their prOphet-and whose
particular representative IN the house
! AT that time were Richard Barnwell
Rhett of South Carolina, and William
! l.. Yancey, of Alabama. In June 1916,
jefferson Davis resigned his seat IN
| congress to accept the commission OF
! colonel O fthe First Mississippi Rifles
enlisted for the Mexican war Here
/ he won distinction and divided with
| Gen. Zachary Taylor the glorles Of his
/ campaign. On the return home Col.
| colonel o. the First Mississippi Rifles
were liOnized from New Orleans 10
! Vicksburg, where they were mustered
| out. He was later chosen United
| States senator. In October. 1858. Mr..
| Davis, who had been spending some
| months in Portland, Maine, set out
! for Washington. He was received all
along his route as a leader in nation
al politics. In Boston he was made
a guest of the city, and was invited
to deliver an address in Faneuil hall.
| Accepting this invitation he was intro
duced by Caleb Gushing, and Robert
c. Winthrop and Edward Everett were
conspicuous among his auditors.
Ben Butler met him for the first
| time and became his admirer and later
fought for his legions in Virginia and
| Louisiana. Ben stuck to him in his
effort to make him the democratic
candidate for president at Charleston