Confederate Gazette Page 3 Commander’S Camp Schedule September 10, 2005 Setemberfest in Cranfils Call Gap, 9:00 AM
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Volume 18 No. 4 September, 2005 C ONFEDERATE GAZETTE Jefferson Davis Shrine In Biloxi Hit Hard BEAUVOIR PARTIALLY DESTROYED BY KATRINA Hurricane Katrina There is also a large hole gone. Nothing remains but caused massive devasta- in the southwest corner of a slab. The small library tion to the Biloxi, Missis- the house and most of the where President Davis Confederate doors and the lived and wrote, located to windows are the east of Beauvoir, is Gazette no longer gone. The old chapel, mu- there. seum, and gift shop are all According gone, even the artillery Is a monthly publication piece inside is gone. The of the Major Robert M. Arial photos of Beauvoir house where (Beauvoir) White Camp #1250 taken on Au- Director, Patrick Hotard, Sons of Confederate gust 31st, Left: lived is gone, as well as SW view, Mid- the front fence and gates, Veterans dle: Front including the UDC archway Temple, Texas view, Below: in front of Beauvoir .” SE view There was also severe damage to the Davis Presi- dential Library on the Web Site: sippi area when it grounds of Beauvoir. The www.rootsweb.com/~tx1250 hit on August 29th, library was opened after but remarkably the State of Mississippi Beauvoir, the for- authorized $3 million in mer home of Con- 1995 to build the library. George Ballentine federate President The two-story 13,500 Camp Commander Jefferson Davis square foot facility opened 2714 Phyllis Dr. sitting directly in 1998 Copperas Cove, TX 76522 across the street According to Echols, from the Gulf of “The wall in front of the Mexico, still Presidential Library and stands. (Continued on page 6) John C. Perry Initial and in- Newsletter Editor accurate reports indicated to John P.O. Box 794 that Beauvoir had been Echols, a Salado, TX 76571 completely destroyed. member of Miraculously, the home the Board survives, although it has of Trustees suffered severe damage. of Beauvoir, © 2005, Major Robert M. White The main damage a first hand Camp #1250 was to the front of the report indi- Sons of Confederate Veterans home, which faced the cates, “The Temple, Texas Gulf of Mexico, where the Hayes Cot- columns, steps, and front tage and porch are no longer there. pavilion are Page 2 Volume 18 Issue 4 C ONFEDERATE P ROFILE SOUTHERN SHRINE Editor’s Note: Normally this known as the Library Cot- was visiting the place profile page tells the story of tage, but Brown also used where the last dozen years one of our Confederate he- it as an office and as a of his life would be spent. roes. Due to the damage that school room for his chil- The next year Davis Beauvoir suffered at the end dren. The west cottage, returned to Biloxi and con- of August we have opted to tell the story of a true Southern later known as the Hayes templated building a small Shrine. Cottage, was first a Guest cottage on his property. House. When Dorsey heard that planter from Brown lived in the Davis was on the coast, Madison home until his death. she invited him for a visit. A County, Missis- Later the property was sold Arriving at Beauvoir in De- sippi, James Brown, to a Frank Johnson, but in cember, Davis was im- Completed in bought a tract of pressed by the 1851, Beauvoir land facing the Gulf peaceful atmos- of Mexico on Sep- phere. would become the tember 2, 1848 in The house was home of what is now Biloxi, surrounded by live Mississippi. Brown oaks, magnolias, Jefferson Davis acted as his own and cedars, with architect and con- Spanish moss fes- struction superinten- tooning the live dent in building the oaks. The Gulf lay house. He brought just in front of the slaves from his house, and behind Madison County it was an orange plantation to per- grove. Beyond it form the routine was a pine forest, work, and he built a Beauvoir, in Biloxi, Mississippi, pre-Katrina. crossed by a run- sawmill on the prop- The steps, porch and columns are now gone ning brook, on the erty. Skilled work banks of which was done by carpenters 1873 Sarah Dorsey pur- grew wild azalea, bay, yel- and decorators from New chased the property and low jasmine, and sweet Orleans. made Beauvoir her home. olive. There were six acres Brown completed the She gave the house the of scuppernong grapes. home in 1851. A four name it still bears, signify- The Louisville & Nashville room cottage to the rear of ing its “beautiful view.” Railroad cut through the the house was already on Davis was looking for property, and north of the the property, and it was some lots he had bought railroad was a virgin forest used by the Brown family many years ago in Biloxi. of long-leaf pine. during the construction. He was looking for a quite When Dorsey discov- Later, it served Brown and place to write. While in ered that Davis was seek- other owners, including Biloxi he visited Dorsey at ing a place to write his Jefferson Davis, as a Beauvoir. long-delayed book, she kitchen and servants' quar- He wrote that it was a showed him her east cot- ters. "fine place," having a tage, which consisted of Two small cottages, "large and beautiful house, one room with a pillared originally identical in plan, and many orange trees yet gallery completely sur- one east and one west of full of fruit." He had no rounding it. She urged that the house were built. The idea, on that day of No- the rear gallery could be cottage to the east was vember 18, 1875, that he (Continued on page 5) Confederate Gazette Page 3 Commander’s Camp Schedule September 10, 2005 Setemberfest in Cranfils Call Gap, 9:00 AM. Camp store to be set up, if we have By: George Ballentine, enough volunteers Camp Commander, Major Robert M. White Camp September 13, 2005 Camp’s monthly meeting First, let me say that I compatriots and guests as at the Cotton Patch Cafe in hope everyone keeps the possible can be at our Temple Mall, 7:00 PM. folks in the areas devas- September meeting at the Speaker: Mark Vogl, Topic: tated by Katrina in their Cotton Patch in the Temple “Dixie’s Greatest Secret, thoughts and prayers. Also Mall. Our speaker is an The Confederate Navy.” in the direct path of expert on the Confederate Katrina was one of our States Navy and has au- September 17, 2005 Divi- Confederate Symbols, thored several books. He sion Executive Council Beauvoir, the boyhood will have books available Meeting, El Conquistador home of CSA President for sale and autographs Restaurant, 901 North Jefferson Davis. From the for those interested. This Loop 340, Waco, TX, video taken of the building, should be a very interest- 10:00 AM. Next Camp it looks like the entire bot- ing program. Meeting: tom floor was washed As you know, elections September 24, 2005 Cot- th away and the building itself are getting closer. We have ton Harvest Festival, September 13 may be compromised. We selected a Nominating Moody, TX. Camp store to 7:00 P.M. at should have more detailed Committee who will be be set up, if we have information as the area asking around to see who enough volunteers Cotton becomes more open to is interested in running for visitors. office for 2006. The slate October 1, 2005 Pioneer Patch Cafe, This is a busy month will be announced at the Days Festival, Lake Whit- Temple Mall, for our camp store. By the November meeting. Elec- ney, TX. Camp store to be time you receive this we tions, with additional nomi- set up, if we have enough Te m p l e, T X should be finished with the nations from the floor, will volunteers Oatmeal Festival and get- be conducted in Decem- ting ready for September- ber, and installation of October 8, 2005 Quarterly fest in Cranfills Gap. I have officers at our annual Lee- Dinner Meeting, Cotton volunteers already for Jackson Dinner in January. Patch Cafe in Temple Mall, these events and the Sep- If you are interested in 7:00 PM. Speaker: Dr. tember 24th Cotton Har- being put on the slate, Buddy Patterson. vest in Moody, the October contact John Perry, Steve 1st Pioneer Days in Lake Wooley or Gordon Mobley. October 14-16, 2005 Whitney and the October I look forward to see- Ogletree Gap Heritage Fes- 14-16th Ogletree Gap Heri- ing all of you, and your tival, Copperas Cove, TX., tage Festival in Copperas families and guests, at the 8:00 AM. Camp store to be Cove. If anyone else wants September meeting. If you set up, if we have enough to join us for either of plan to eat before the volunteers these events, let me know. meeting, please plan to be I still need volunteers there in time to be finished October 22, 2005 Adopt- for Krist Kindl Markt, De- eating by 7:00 p.m. when a-Highway Clean-up. Meet cember 2-4, in Copperas the meeting begins. The at the Belton McDonald's Cove. This is a very profit- food is great, and the at 7:45 AM able event for our camp, prices are reasonable, too. but the hours are long and The program will be excel- November 8, 2005 cold. More details on that lent, so why not bring Camp’s monthly meeting as it comes nearer. I have along a friend and pro- at the Cotton Patch Cafe in sent in fees for all events spective member to the Temple Mall, 7:00 PM.