The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-02-21
Editor The Press and Banner:

Editor The Press and Banner:
Dear Sir:-Some time ago in a
communication to The Press and
Banner. referring to the last meet
ing of the Cabinet of the Southern
Confederacy, I stated that it wos
held in the late Thomas 9. Perrln's
house, destroyed by fire forty years
ago; and not in the house then
owned and occupied by Armistead
Burt, which still stands. That be-
lief of mine, as I stated, was found
ed on recollections of conversations
I had many years ago with mr..
Burt. Not that he ever distinctly
asserted that - the meeting took
place in the Perrin's mansion, but
/ thought my memory served me
faithfully when I told how Mr.. Burt
more than once described in my
hearing, how he had escorted Presl-
dent Davis, his friend and guest,
from his house to the Perrin house
just across the street; and how,
when the meeting was over and the
Cabinet dissolved, he had brought
President Davis hack, and had OBJ
served the physical shock which
this sad conclusion had caused JET
ferson Davis-that he seemed to
have aged many years since that
morning. I am writing this. IN
Cashiers Valley, and it was UP, here
in the piazza of his mountain nome
in '79 or 80, that l last heard him
describe the incident to DR.; Frank
Miles of Baltimore, son-in-law OF
Judge Wardlaw. The doctor and 1
were his guests. That conversation
and other previous ones had left on
INV mind a vivid picture of the
scene-especially of Jefferson Da,,
Wis. walking. over in health and
vigor to the meeting which was so
fateful, and coming back leaning
for support on Mr.. Burts' arm, like
a broken, sick man. had, there
fore. no doubt that the Perrin
house was the scene of that historic
last meeting; and that it was
mistake to claim the Burt house rs
the scene. But I was mistaken. l
must have misunderstood Mr.. Burt.
1 am now in possession OF lnf9rma-
ton which cannot be disputed or
gainsaid and which settles forever
the fact that the last meeting OF the
Confederate Cabinet was held, not
= in the Perrin house, but in the Burt
house. This important information
is furnished by a letter l have re-
ceived from Mrs. George Whlte'
Sr., of Abbevilfe, who was MISS
Sarah Perrin, one of Thomas T..
Perrin's daughters. She was a young
lady in 1865. Her letter is his
torical document of great value,
and take the liberty of making 1t
public. marked as it is by that SIN
cerity and truthfulness, and that
delicate courtesy which are the
dover of the thoroughbred South
ern gentlewoman. ~
Abbeville, S. c., Feb. I, 1917.
Judge w. c. Benet. =,
Dear Sir:-You will doubtless be
surprised at receiving a letter
from me, but I write to make a
request of you.
Some months ago you wrote one
of your interesting letters TO Inc
Press and Banner, in which you
stated that Major Burt had told you
that the last meeting of the Con-
federate Cabinet was held in Mr.. T.
q Perrin's house. This was a mis-.
take; and, as the only memper OF
Mr.. Perrin's immediate family now
living in Abbeville, it devolves upon
me to have it corrected.
The last meeting of the Conted-
crate Cabinet was held in Major
Burt's house, in the front room on
the left hand as you enter the front
Ali of the members of the Cabi-
net except President Davis, who was