A delightful story has been sent by SueB, one of our Board members who has forgotten more Southern History than anyone else has ever learned. It is about the "Star". First to give credit, it is by Mrs. Charles Duncan of Montgomery and appeared in the August 1955 United Daughters of the Confederacy Magazine.
The Federal troops occupying Montgomery after the War were very annoying, especially a particular captain. Making his rounds he knocked on a Mrs. Janney's front door. The housekeeper was out and she answered the door, holding a wet plate and drying cloth in her hands. The captain said "so the dainty southern lady has to get down to menial labors of the servants." She retorted, "when you come to look over our premises, go to the back door with all the other Yankees...if you don't go now, I'll break this plate over your head".
Many years later Mr. & Mrs. Janney were visiting a swanky resort in the north and met "the captain" yet again. They remembered each other. He said..."you couldn't possibly be the little fire eating rebel who wanted to break a plate over my head?" She said, "so you are that horrible Yankee" !!! They both laughed.
He asked what she had done to memorialize the dead, and she said "nothing, but since you are so good on making suggestions, what would you do?" He said, "you haven't marked where your illustrious Jefferson Davis walked or stood? Why don't you mark the spot where he took his oath of office as President of the Confederate States of America with a star?"
And that's "the rest of the story"! By the way, Mrs. Janney was the aunt of Mrs. Duncan, who wrote the article from which I have written this abbreviated tale. Thanks, Sue!!!
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