We discovered in the last couple of years that Liza's great-great-great grandfather Thornton Tolliver Watkins fought in and was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh. He survived for 45 years after the war, spending his later years in a soldiers' home in Biloxi. He died there and was buried in the Confederate cemetery in the back of the property. This home, known as Beauvoir, had also been the home of the President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis.
Being right on the waterfront in Biloxi, it suffered substantial damage during Hurricane Katrina although its interior and main structure survived. We've been meaning to go down since we learned about this ancestor. We finally got a chance when visiting Liza's folks Labor Day weekend. Tropical Storm Lee was out in the Gulf.
You can see how the property is right on the water, only separated from the ocean by the beach and US 90.
at the historical marker
Beauvoir itself. The porches that surround the house were torn off during Katrina.
View from the porch. Davis lived in one of the two cottages on either side of Beauvoir before purchasing the house itself. Both of these, however, are replicas as they were destroyed by Katrina.
You can still see how the storm surge came through.
Another view from the porch. Here again you can see how close to the water Beauvoir is. The original gate was very ornate but was also destroyed. The pieces are being stored out back, so they'll probably reconstruct it.
Liza and Dianne at their grandfather's grave. T.T. Watkins of Co. I of the 6th Mississippi Infantry (the "Bloody 6th"). It should be noted that the cemetery is closed to the general public due to reconstruction, but if you're able to prove to Buford the security guard that you have a direct descendant buried in the cemetery, he'll let you bush-hog your way back there.
The Confederate version of the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. They're also building a new "Presidential Library" behind Beauvoir. It's quite the shrine for present-day Confederate loyalists.
We have a lot more to post! We're just getting the old stuff out of the way.
