Sunday, December 11, 2011

Christmas in the Confederate White House

I've posted the story before, but this is a different account.

Via Cousin John

By Varina Davis

Residence of Jefferson Davis
The wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis wrote this article describing how the Davis family spent the Christmas of 1864 in the Confederate White House. It was published in The New York World, December 13, 1896 and has since been reprinted often. This excerpt was obtained via the website "The American Civil War, 1861-1865." The article can be seen on the following website.

...Rice, flour, molasses and tiny pieces of meat, most of them sent to the President's wife anonymously to be distributed to the poor, had all be weighed and issued, and the playtime of the family began, but like a clap of thunder out of a clear sky came the information that the orphans at the Episcopalian home had been promised a Christmas tree and the toys, candy and cakes must be provided, as well as one pretty prize for the most orderly girl among the orphans. The kind-hearted confectioner was interviewed by our committee of managers, and he promised a certain amount of his simpler kinds of candy, which he sold easily a dollar and a half a pound, but he drew the line at cornucopias to hold it, or sugared fruits to hang on the tree, and all the other vestiges of Christmas creations which had lain on his hands for years. The ladies dispersed in anxious squads of toy-hunters, and each one turned over the store of her children's treasures for a contribution to the orphans' tree, my little ones rushed over the great house looking up their treasure: eyeless dolls, three-legged horses, tops with the upper peg broken off, rubber tops, monkeys with all the squeak gone silent and all the ruck of children's toys that gather in a nursery closet.

Makeshift Toys for the Orphans


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Christmas in the Confederate White House

7 comments:

  1. "like their jackets were buttoned" : )

    Nice, to bad we have managed to emaciate the English language to the point were while reading the story I found myself with images not in the spirit of the story.

    It's a Damn shame.

    Great Post.

    Mozart

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  2. Another great post Brock.

    This is what "Southern hospitality" was back then. To some extent it still exists today.

    When the call comes for a family in need, orphanage, etc are in straits, it would be the Church family to rally and give them aid.

    I am lucky and blessed to be a member of a Church like that and to be married to a woman who goes to the lenghts, that Mrs. Davis and the household went to assist needy families not just during the holiday season, but all year.

    Sometimes I feel I should have lived during another century.

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  3. Sometimes I feel I should have lived during another century.

    Me too, around 1800 would suit me just fine.

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  4. thanks for sharing and posting, good luck

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