Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-06-10
THE DAVIS MEMORIAL
Centennial of Southern Chief
FittIngly Observed


first and only President of the
Confederacy, was fttingly celebra-
ted in Richmond, the Confederate
capital, last Wednesday, June 3,
1908, when the monument erected
by the whole South to the memo.
~ of Davis, and which was un-
yelled last year during the Confed-
crate reunion, was formally trans
ferred to the keeping of the city.
The centennial services were
held in historic st. Pauls Episco.
pal Church, in which edlfice both
Davis and Lee worshiped and In
which Davis was seated when a
courier brough him the informa-
ton Of the evacuation of Rich
mond. The address of che occasion
was delivered by Rev. DR.. Will.
liam NJ. Dame of Baltimore, him
self a Confederate veteran. A
great civic and military parade fol-
lowed to the monument, which
was accepted on behalf of the city
by Carlton Mccarthy, Mayor of
Richmond, and then the procession
moved to Hollywood Cemetery,
where women scattered roses on
the graves of the Confederate
dead.
The monument to the memory of
President Jefferson Davis is the
browning feature of Ricbmond's
great Monument Avenue. TIE
memorial consists of semi-circu-
lar colonnades, terminating at each
end in square pier, with a large
column or shaft rising from the in
closed space. The stmi-circlc is
about fifty feet across, with a
depth of thirty feet, and stands
sixty-seVen feet in total height.
The monument typifes the vlndi.
cation of MIR. Davis and the cause
of the Confederacy for which he
stood before the world, the lead
ing inscription being "Deo Vim
dice" God will vindicGte).
The colOnnade, composed Of
thirteen DOric columns. besides the
two end piers, rises about eighteen
feet above the walkway, and has
it's frisze decorated with bronze
seals of the eleven States that Sc
coded, and the. three others that
sent representatives, and troops.
In the centre of the space inclosed
by the colonnade stands large
Doric column over five feet in d.
ameter. This column forms
ckground for the bronze figure
of Mr.. Davis and also carries on
it's top an allegOrical bronze figure
whose right hand points to heaven,
and whose title, "Vihdicatrix,"
represents the whole spirit of the
movement.
The large column bears the seal
of the Confederacy in bronze, and
has the insertion, Jefferson Davis,
President OF the Confederate
States of America, lS6l-lS65."
The bronze figure Of Mr.. Davis |
stands on a great block of granite
in front of the column, and about
twelve feet above the roadway.
The President is represented in a
standing position as though ad.
dressing an audience, with his
right hand resting on the open
book Of history,
Around the moulding is traced |
a noteworthy extract from Mr..
Davis's farewell speech when be
resigned from the United States
Senate on the secession Of Missis-
sippi: mot in hostility to others,
not to injure any section of the
country. not even for our own Pc
ccniary benefit; but from the high
End solemn motive of defending
and protecting the rights We in
herited, and which it is our duty
to transmit unshorn to our chill
dren."
On the points of the colonnade
stand bronze tablets, one to the navy
and one to the army ofthe Confed-
eracy. The army tablet is in
scribed: "From Sumrter to Ap-
pomattox, four years of unfinch-
ing struggle against overwhelming
ods." The navy tablet is in
scribed: "Giving new examples
of heroism, teaching new methods
Of warfare, it carried the flag of
the South to The most distant
seas
The monument was designed by
Mr.. William c.. holland of Rich
mond, while the two bronze figures {
are the work Of Soul ptOr Edward
V. Valentine. The work of erect. !
ing this great shaft covered a
Ceriod OF more than ten years, :
The first cornerstone being laid on !
June 2, 1861 Monroe Park, Mrs. 4
Davis, Miss Winnie Davis, Mrs. /
Hayes AID others being present; c
General John b. Gordon of At !
aria being the chief marshal of @
lOtab!e parade, a
In 1899 the Davis Monument 4
Association, having become dis
outraged by it's failure to raise the .
'uads needed, turned over its
;herter and about $4,000 to the
United Daughters Of the Confeder- {
ICY, who appointed a Jefferson b
Davis Monument Association of
aides, with an advisory or build a