Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1916-12-01
DEAREST SHRINE Of
THE CONFEDERACY
Beauvolr, Home of Jefferson Davlf
Now Used as Home for Aged
Confederate Veterans.
fBy Associated rress,,

Gulfport. MISS, Dec. 1.-Beauvoii
once the home of jefferson Davia
now retreat maintained for age
confederate veterans, viii be one
he show places for tourists who Wis
he Mississippi Centennial Expositio
be held here next year.
Beauvoir is maintained by the stat
nd the Mississippi division OF thu
ons Of Confederate Veterans. Nc
innate bears any OF the expense; in.
tead. two dollars per month Is giver
ach old veteran and this sufflces for
is incidental expenses. Tobacco
lothinS, medical attention and three
neals day are furnished free.
Mississippis endeavor to care for
her veterans is typical of the move
ment throughout the South. Without
the aid OF federal pension, the
south-forgetting the bitterness and
travail Of the civil war, but cherish.
Ing the men who fought under Lee
Is caring for her own. The story of
Beauvoir is peculiarly rich in pathos
and sentiment, for It was here that
Davis wrote THE Rise and Fall of
the Confederacy," and here that the
deposed president OF the Confederate
states came when he left prison.
II. Il. Blakeslee, former commits
sioner OF agriculture OF this state and
now director general of the Missis
sippi Centennial Exposition, was the
first Misslssippian to contribute to
the fund being raised to build new
dormitories.
When the exposition Is held next
year each veteran and widow al
Beauvoir will participate in "Confed.
crate Veterans Day" The South will
honor both the fighters who feel want
In their old age and the veteran OF
means who have not been compelled
to go to a soldiers home.
When one enters the grounds at
Beauvoir he inevitably pictures the
South OF before the war. The house
In which Jefferson Davis lived is co
lonial in design and circled by wide
porches topped by square, white pll
lars. A spacious hall runs down the
center OF the home. In this one sees
a small marble top table with crook
ed mahogany legs.
Jefferson Davis sat here anf
wrote his book" an attendant in
forms you. HE came here for re
Election and repose after the war"
There's an old square piano in the
corner OF the reception room. II be
longed to Winnie Davis. "The Daugh.
ter OF the Confederacy." For forty
years II has gone untuned, but rs
tone is soft and sweet. In this room
also one may see the silver commun.
ion service used by the Confederate
chieftain. An old oil painting OF JEFF.
ferson Davis hangs over the mantle
piece and about the place are photo.
graphs Of Mississippi statesmen OF
later days.
In back room there is an old
leather trunk. its cover made dingy
by hard usage and time.
He took this trunk with him 10
Mexico and Europe" explains the at
tendant. as he moves on to the back
porch with its high green blinds and
lattice work To the rear are the III
tie houses where the servants once
lived and a big. rusty bell. rung BY
a clothesline that runs over a pulley
clangs In the back yard and simmons
the veterans TO their meals.
The bedroom that jefferson Davis
occupied still contains the old fash
Toned wooden bed with canopy ton
upon which Davis lay and dreamed Of
battles won and lost. Paintings and
photographs OF Conferedate soldiers
In their gray uniforms are on the
walls and In corner one may see n
divan OF antique design.
Records Of the Confederate states
In book form and histories OF the
eivii war show their dusty cover.
through the glass doors OF the book.
cases. Now and then a veteran
whose eyesight stu is good enters the
reading room and takes down n vol.
ume that recounts the campaigns o,
Lee or stonewall Jackson. or Long
street, or tells OF Picketts famous
charge at Gettysburg. =
As the visitor walks through tho
grounds he finds little groups OF old
men sitting on the benches under the
oak trees They live In the past
most OF ,hom-and they talk OF An.
pomatoS, Antietam. Bull Run. Rich.
mond' Atlanta. the Wilderness. Get.
Vsourg and the valley OF virginia.
Arguments flare up and wane about
mistakes in strategy. charge and
counter charge. hand to hand fighting
and camp scenes. The trench fight.
Ing OF the wars OF today does M, nm