Jefferson Davis Presidential Library — Attraction in Biloxi

Biloxi was the capital of French Louisiana until 1720, when French fears that something just like Katrina would occur caused them to move their capital to what they believed would be a safer city. Before congratulating the French on their foresight, please be aware that they moved their capital to New Orleans.

Biloxi’s main street is Beach Boulevard (US 90) and it runs alongside the waterfront from one end of the city to the other. Prior to the arrival of Katrina, both sides of Beach Boulevard were fully developed. On the beachfront side, casinos and restaurants were very much in evidence. On the opposite side, there were many antebellum mansions.

We toured one such mansion. Its name is Beauvoir and was the home of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, for the final years of his life. It subsequently became a retirement home for confederate veterans and, when the passage of time had removed these old soldiers from the scene, Beauvoir became the presidential library of Jefferson Davis. There is also a museum on site and the Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier.

The room used by Jefferson Davis as his bedroom has spectacular sea views. The sunsets are unforgettable as is shown by the one captured by Pat in the attached photograph. It is ironic to think of the defeated Davis spending his old age enjoying such beauty, when the victor of the US Civil War (Abraham Lincoln) had been murdered a quarter of a century earlier.

We also saw the bedroom of Winnie, youngest daughter of Mr & Mrs Jefferson Davis, who had moved into Beauvoir with her parents in 1879. Winnie was a great favorite at confederate rallies, which she would attend with her father in the 1880s. She even became known as “The Daughter of the Confederacy”. She then fell in love with a Yankee attorney from New York City. He was Fred Wilkerson and he travelled to Biloxi to ask Jefferson Davis for Winnie’s hand in marriage. Wilkerson’s family had strong abolitionist connections. The engagement caused such an outcry across the American South that the proposed marriage never took place. Poor Winnie died unmarried at...

We were not sure whether we should stop there. I never quite understood how someone could have decided to support slavery during the Civil War and be ready to wage war to maintain status quo. I guess I was hoping to better understand the motivations of the Confederates but unfortunately this museum/memorial does not bring any new answers other than the usual corporate interests and ideological motivations. I understand Jefferson Davis was a bright and educated man that supported secession and ended his life without achieving his goal to have a country but I would have hoped to find during my visit some indication that he regretted all this before he died. Did not find any clues pointing in that direction during my visit. Maybe I did not look at the right place. Building a country on principles such as exclusion, exploitation and racism was a lost cause but I am going to read Davis Mémoires (Two big bricks) and hope to find better answers.

We explained to our two boys that we always need to keep an open mind and learn about other points of view, so this visit was useful in that sense.

The Beauvoir House, Museum and other facilities are well maintained and the tour of the house was quite informative as the guide Bill was good.

Honoring Jefferson Davis and fallen Confederate soldiers is honorable and I respect this aspect but there should be a clear acknowledgement that the cause was wrong and this absence cast a strange shadow and makes it awkward to give any stars...

First of all, make sure you go inside and pay first! We entered the premises on March 7, 2018, parked the car, and immediately saw animals! I was drawn to them, then we noticed the graveyard so we walked to it and saw the Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier. Very humbling experience since we had also visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in DC. Our experience on the grounds soured quickly, though, when a security guard met us, asked if we had paid (no), and told us we must pay to see any of the grounds, inside and out. He asked how we got through???? Pretty easily. No fences, no baracades, gates wide open, and most importantly, no signs telling us where to pay or that we couldn't peruse the grounds. Keep in mind my husband is a disabled veteran who uses a cane to walk! After we were escorted to the gift shop to pay (the guard stood there until we paid), we paid and never heard an apology from the guard. Unacceptable. We then visited the inside; the museum was so-so and the building showed signs of deterioration. We appreciate history and believe this facility could be improved to more thoroughly represent the Confederacy and Jefferson Davis's role. Also, they should improve their signage, fencing, and security to ensure visitors know how much admission is, where admission begins, and the correct path to take to the gift shop to buy a ticket (actually you...