Varina Davis The Perfect Wife for Jefferson

There is a book about Jonathan Edwards titled "Marriage to a Difficult Man:". This might well be said of Jefferson Davis, but as one author put it, Jefferson was married to the "noble and gifted woman who clung to him, not only as a faithful wife, but as his 'guide, philosopher and friend' through all the vicissitudes of his checkered career-who shared and sympathized in all his ambition and triumphs-who, in his hour of calamity...stood heroically by him."

 

I am glad to see Varina receiving the credit due her. An article in the History of the Confederate Memorial Associations of the South pointed out how she clamored for justice and fiercely defied and resisted the torrent of unmerited denunciation and abuse who was poured upon his defenseless head.

 

 The article goes on to say: "true in death as she had been in life, she devoted long and laborious years of her desolate widowhood to the writing of that memoir of her husband which stands as an exhaustive and triumphant vindication of his memory, and will survive as one of the most valuable contributions which has yet been made to the history of a momentous era".

Jefferson Davis and His Brother Joe Were Kindred Spirits

I have been reading an article about Joe Davis and Jefferson. Joe was twenty years older and was himself, a very remarkable man. Some have even said that he was (gasp) superior to Jefferson in his own intellectual powers.

Lets just say they were two congenial spirits, thrown together in rustic seclusion, and that they enjoyed the benefits which the plantation life of that day afforded, in eager and systematic intellect, culture and training. They read everything and they discussed everything.

One writer said: "Their constant exchange of ideas and expressions on every variety of subjects enlarged and precised their knowledge, and the frequent clashes of their minds in debate fixed the clearness and certainty of their convictions".

From this background, Jefferson Davis emerged, a trained intellectual athlete, with the muscles of his mind perfectly developed and thoroughly fit for service to his country. He gave his best both to the United States and to the Confederate States of America. Joe helped make him the man he became.

What's in the Relic Room at the First White House of the Confederacy?

We have written about the Relic Room at the First White House in Montgomery before, but I want to tell you more about it. In it we have eleven cases, ranging from those containing clothes and personal belongings of Jefferson, Varina, and daughter Margaret Davis, to a case containing Billy Davis Hayes' Yacht clock and a historic portable desk which belonged to President Davis.

 

We recently filled case # 11. In it are two albums of Carte de Visite photographs, including most of the important Confederate Generals, as well as Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens and other notable men. Also in this case is a framed check on the Union and Planters Bank in Memphis, signed by Jefferson Davis, Aug 28, 1872, and a Southern Cross of Honor.

 

Boys, young and old, will enjoy seeing an iron Bayonet from the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia as well as a small pistol. There is also a personal Calling card of Jefferson Davis's in post war days, and a stock certificate made out to Winnie Davis - 13 shares of the Davis Land Company.

 

I hope we have whetted your appetite for your next visit to the First White House. Please plan to spend some time in the Relic Room. I think you will be glad you did.

 

 

Things You Need to Know About The First White House of the Confederacy

Did you know the First White House was moved in 1921? It was taken apart in 3 sections and brought to present location by wagon.
Did you know that admission is free and the tours are self-guided?
Did you know we are open on Saturdays?
Did you know everything in the House (with a couple of minor exceptions) either belonged to the Davis family, is original to the House or is of the 1860 period?
Did you know a generous family named Westcott gave us the furniture for one of the rooms upstairs?
Did you know we have a gift shop?
Did you know we are handicap accessible for the downstairs?
Did you know Mrs. Davis gave us the furniture for President Davis's bedroom after he died?
Did you know we have many letters from Varina and the President and also daughter Margaret?
Did you know our first Regent, Mrs. Phelan Beale had a son who was married to Jackie Kennedy's aunt of "Gray Gardens" fame?
Did you know we want you to sign up to be a regular reader of this blog?
Did you also know we want you to visit the First White House whenever you are in Montgomery?
If you said yes to all of these questions, did you know we also  want you to look at our facebook page and our website???!!!

Union General John Pope Suffered Defeat At Second Manassas

I was talking with a friend recently about how close the South came to winning the war in so many instances. One of those important sucesses came at Second Manassas on August 29-30, 1862 (150 years ago next week).

 

The Confederate General was none other than Robert E. Lee, and it was a battle culminating an offensive campaign waged by the Army of Northern Virginia against the Union General Pope's Army of Virginia. It was a battle of much larger scale and numbers than First Manassas, but fought on the same ground.

 

It was also Longstreet and Jackson who were formidable in their effort to devastate Gen. Fitz John Porter's V Corps. The Union left flank was crushed. According to Wikipedia, "only an effective Union rearguard action prevented a replay of the First Manassas disaster. Pope's retreat was nonetheless precipitous". Wish I had been there to see it!

What Happened on August 22, 1862?

I think you will find this article from the Internet very interesting as to what happened on August 22, 1862 (150 years ago today)
Friday Aug. 22 1862
PRESIDENT PREACHES TO PROLIFIC PRESSMAN

Three days ago Horace Greely, writing in his New York Tribune, had published his classic “Prayer of Twenty Million”, imploring Abraham Lincoln to make the abolition of slavery the main aim of the current war. Today Lincoln responded with a statement so clear even a newspaperman should have understood it: “I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution.. ...If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.”
Guess the victors write the history books. How many people know Lincoln said this?

Confederate Flags Conserved at Alabama Archives

There is an article in the summer 2012 edition of the ADAH news abut restoring the Confederate battle flags. Because for years the Civil War battle flags were improperly stored or displayed, Bob Bradley, Chief Curator of Archives knew something must be done to save them.

 Bob says: "Together, these agents of deterioration had done more damage to the flags than four years of war". The flag conservation project was begun in 1989 with a twofold aim. One to properly store and document the flags, and secondly to conserve them.

Amazingly, now, more than 20 years later, each of the 90 flags in housed in a climate-controlled room where they are stored in special cabinets. In addition, all of the flags have been documented. If you are interested, you can view the provenance of each of them on the Archives' web site. Eighteen have been conserved and two more are currently undergoing conservation.

As with our Gunboat Quilt, technological advances in textile conservation have increased greatly in recent years. So has the price tag; some of the flags cost more than $25,000. to restore. For more information, go to www.archives.alabama.gov/referenc/flags and read all about it.