Beauvoir well on the way of recovery!

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Nearly two and a half years after Hurricane Katrina crashed into the Gulf Coast, the last home of Jefferson Davis is well on its journey to restoration.

Rick Forte Jr.'s message on the homepage is:

"Seasons Greetings From Beauvoir!

Great news from the restoration. 70% of the restoration is completed.

100% of the porches are complete. Repair of the roof is complete and 45% of the slate roof is completed. Blueprints of the Jefferson Davis Library and Museum have been approved by the combined boards. The blueprints of the Hayes Cottage and the Library Cottage have been approved. Work on the picket fence in front and west side will begin Dec. 18th, 2008.

Rick Forte Sr.
Chairman of the Combined Boards
and Acting Director"

Check out photos and detailed information at: http://www.beauvoir.org/

If only all were so lucky in the region.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Beauvoir well on the way of recovery!

Hoorah! Good news. Thanks for sharing an update, Emmanuel. My mother-in-law is down in Biloxi, and last we spoke, she said they had managed to get new slate from the same quarry as the original slate, which is awfully nifty from a restoration point of view!

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: Beauvoir well on the way of recovery!

Check out the Beauvoir home page (www.beauvoir.org) for January 2008 photos. It's amazing in about a month or less of time what they have been able to finish.

Beauvoir is returning to its meaning "Beautiful view."

[dusty27]

Re: Beauvoir well on the way of recovery!

Thanks Em. I'm happy that the ACPP played a small part in the restoration work.

[Parault]

Re: Beauvoir well on the way of recovery!

I am pleased to see things slowly getting back as close as it once was. My question is this, How are they going to substitute many of the orginial items that were on display?

[PaulJ]

Re: Beauvoir well on the way of recovery!

Hi PL,
I asked this question myself recently in an e-mail to Beauvoir. Please see below:-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: Confederate Uniform enquiry
From: Beauvoir-Curator (curator@beauvoir.org)
Sent: 05 November 2007 14:57:19
To: Paul Jonsson (icebreaker41@hotmail.com)

Dear Mr. Jonsson:

Regrettably, most of our uniforms were lost in the storm as well as our photos of them.

Sincerely,

Richard R. Flowers
Beauvoir Curator and on-site administrator

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Jonsson
To: curator@beauvoir.org
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 6:51 PM
Subject: Confederate Uniform enquiry


Dear Mr Flowers,
I wonder if you may be able to help? I understand that before Katrina struck Beauvoir House had a display of Confederate Army uniforms entitled 'A Bounty from Ireland' that included a Peter Tait type imported jacket in blue-grey wool with blue facings on the collar and epaulettes (originally belonged to Sgt Taylor of the 63rd Tennessee Infantry).
I was wondering if it would be in any way possible to purchase a colour photograph of that jacket if you still have it, unless the jacket was lost during Katrina?

Yours sincerely, Paul Jonsson. (England, UK)
---------------------------------------------------------------------

It looks as though much was lost forever - all the more reason to photograph and record what still exists where possible (and store in multiple locations....) as inevitably source material is continually lost as time marches forward. Note that Mr Flowers says that "most of our uniforms were lost", not all. It is my understanding from Chas Childs of County Cloth that the unique (?) 63rd Tenn. type Tait jacket did survive, is privately owned and had been returned to owner before Katrina struck. I think that this is a particulary interesting jacket as it seems that there are multiple surviving RD3's, and I believe more than one surviving RD2 in 'English Army Cloth' (one in the Smithsonian) - but I have not heard of any other jackets of the 63rd Tenn type with blue faced collar and epaulettes.
As I've asked before if anyone has any contact with the owner (or own pictures) of this elusive jacket I would be willing to pay expenses to aquire a colour photograph for my own personal interest.

Best regards

[coastaltrash]

Re: Beauvoir well on the way of recovery!

I had the chance to view the "A Bounty from Ireland" display and it was well worth it, and my only regret is that I never went back more than that one time, I believe it was only up for a month or so. The museum that the collection was housed in was completely destroyed, so I doubt that anything of any great size survived unhurt. Frankly, I think it's a miracle that Confederate Memorial Hall is still there.

[PaulJ]

Re: Beauvoir well on the way of recovery!

Hi Patrick,
I may well be clutching at straws here (!), but as the only 'eye-witness' I can find reference to here on the forum for the 'Bounty from Ireland' display at Beauvoir I wonder you have any recollections of the following:-

1) The 63rd Tenn Tait (with solid blue collar & epaulettes) - curious as to the shade of blue-grey body (light/ dark?) and any recollection of the shade of trim (bright 'prussian' blue or otherwise). Bearing in mind the effects of age....
I understand that the jacket has a complete set of Tait type (smaller coat size) lined Block I buttons (which County Cloth is now retailing).

The only thing I have to go on to date:-

The Richmond Depot copy -

http://www.kabar44.com/clothingPeterTaitBluePicture.htm

The County Cloth copy -

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee300/icebreaker41/DSCF1802.jpg

2) Any blue-grey kersey RD2's (hopeful) and again any recollections of the shade (dark/ light - the Smithsonian looks quite light to me) and collar style (rounded sloped back like a lot of RD3's, or more squared off - like the Smithsonian one). Any recollections of the button type...

Smithsonian RD2 -

http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object.asp?ID=682

Of course you may not recall much at all - it's a few years ago!

Best regards.