DID YOU KNOW? In Biloxi, Mississippi is the Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library...also known as Beauvoir. A beautiful little raised cottage, built in 1848, stands in the middle of lush oak trees, defying and surviving 18 hurricanes, including Katrina. The roof is built in a way that high winds blow the slate roof down on the house instead of up and away. The original presidential library was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, however, some artifacts survived and are still displayed.
Randall and Dad were the only ones who decided to tour the site, while the rest of us ran some errands and walked on the beach. They found it really interesting and worth the time. Since I didn't take the tour, I don't have much to share - meaning this will be a blog post of mostly pictures and a few random facts :)
This is a statue of Tartar, Jefferson's warhorse. It used to be part of the Mexican-American War exhibit in the original Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ripped the exhibit from the museum and sucked the horse out into the Gulf. Whenever the tide went out, Tartar, peacefully resting on all fours, would arise out of the water. When the tide came back in, he would slowly disappear into the waves once again. Public concern about the "horse drowning in the sea" was finally put to rest when the statue was recovered and safely returned to the Museum's care.
This catafalque was used in Jefferson Davis' funeral procession in New Orleans on December 11,1889. Placed upon a Louisiana State Militia caisson pulled by six black horses, the catafalque with Jefferson's copper-lined casket was escorted by an eight-man honor guard. The procession lasted approximately 3 hours with an estimated 50,000 citizens watching. The catafalque represented both Davis' involvement in military affairs and his wife's desire that he be honored by a military procession.
On December 1, 1979 a relic hunter in the Vicksburg vicinity made a startling discovery when his metal detector began beeping. He had found parts of a Confederate soldier's cartridge box and canteen...but, even more shocking, nearby he found the 117-year-old remains of a Confederate soldier killed at the battle of Vicksburg in the Civil War. With the remains, he found some uniform buttons and snaps, along with some ammunition. He reported the find to the local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans who escalated the case to their national organization. Although thousands of unknown Confederate soldiers lie buried in the United States, none had been designated as the unknown soldier to represent all others. As a result of this haunting discovery, it was decided that the time had come to build the official tomb of the unknown soldier of the Confederate States of America. Because this soldier would represent all unknown Confederate soldiers, no attempt was made to identify him, except as a 17-year-old Rebel soldier who died in the Vicksburg Campaign.
Also present is a cemetery where over 700 Confederate veterans and their families opted to be buried.
And that's all I have for you today:)
Until next time, God bless!
That's gotta be one the coolest libraries and it looks huge!!
Your blog always motivates me to pay more attention to history!