If a picture is worth a thousand words, are words of truth not the fruit of a Godly, intelligent and free people?

 

June 3, 2008, is the Bi-Centennial Birthday of Jefferson Davis and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, www.scv.org, have proclaimed this year "The Year of Davis." Davis was also honored

in Georgia with a bicentennial birthday proclamation, signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue with historical groups; Sons of Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Children of the Confederacy, joining State Senator Jeff Mullis and Georgia Civil War Commission Chairman John Culpepper for the signing.

 

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, distinguished Black-American, author, editor, publisher and historian, was the father of Black History Week that would become "Black History Month." Woodson (1875-1950) believed that black people should be proud of their heritage and other Americans should also understand it.

 

The Sons of Confederate Veteran do understand and are planning a Davis Memorial Statue, depicting the forgotten story of the Jefferson Davis family and Jim Limber, in Virginia. It will be financed through private contributions from Southerners and all who appreciate true American history.

 

Who was Jim Limber Davis?

 

In 1989, a magazine article caught my eye which I had to read from beginning to end. The story was written by Gulfport, Mississippi freelance writer, Mrs. Peggy Robbins and entitled, "Jim Limber Davis." This is my summary of Mrs. Robbin's heart warming story. 

 

This story begins on the morning of February 15, 1864, when First Lady Varina Davis, wife of Southern President Jefferson Davis, had concluded her errands and was driving her carriage down the streets of Richmond, Virginia on her way home. She heard screams from a distance and quickly went to the scene to see what was happening.

 

Varina saw a young black child being abused by an older man. She demanded that he stop striking the child and when this failed she shocked the man by forcibly taking the child away. She took the child to her carriage and with her to the Confederate White House.

 

Arriving home Mrs. Davis and maid "Ellen" gave the young boy a bath, attended to his cuts and bruises and fed him. The only thing he would tell them is that his name was Jim Limber.

 

The Davis family was visited the following evening by a friend of Varina's, noted Southern Diarist--Mary Boykin Chesnut, who saw Jim Limber and wrote later that she had seen the boy and that he was eager to show me his cuts and bruises. She also said, "there are things in life that are too sickening and such cruelty is one of them."

 

The Davis' in their letters called Jim "a member of our gang of family."

 

The end of the War Between the States was coming and Richmond was being evacuated. Varina and the children left ahead of Jefferson Davis. The president and his staff left shortly before the occupation of Union troops.

 

Varina and the children were by Jefferson Davis' side at his capture near Irwinville, Georgia and again the family was separated. Jefferson Davis was taken to Virginia to spend two years in prison. Mrs. Davis and her children were taken to Macon, Georgia and later to Port Royal outside of

Savannah. At Port Royal their Union escort, Captain Charles T. Hudson, made good on his earlier threats to take Jim Limber away.

 

As the Union soldiers came and forcibly took young Jim, he put up a great struggle and tried to hold onto his family as they did to him. Jim and his family cried uncontrollable as the child was taken. They would not see Jim again.

 

The Eleanor S. Brockenbrough library, of the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia, is home to a picture of Jim Limber Davis.

 

For more information about Jefferson Davis go to: www.beauvoir.org that is the web site for "Beauvoir" the last home of Jefferson Davis and his family and presidential library. The historic site was damaged by Hurricane Katrina but is being restored to its historic look. A reopening ceremony, for the house, will take place at 10 AM on Tuesday, June 3, 2008, for the 200th birthday of Jefferson Davis in beautiful Biloxi, Mississippi.