The Confederate White House

One advantage of visiting the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond is that the Confederate White House is literally right next door. My parents and I were able to get tickets for a tour of the Confederate White House at the museum and had plenty time to browse around before the tour began. The Confederate White House served as the official residence of the first and only president, Jefferson Davis, and his family throughout the Civil War.

Before we even entered the Museum of the Confederacy or went on the tour, my parents and I looked around outside at a couple of interesting artifacts. The anchor and a propeller shaft of the C.S.S. Virginia were on display. The C.S.S. Virginia, a Union ship recovered and renamed, was the first ironclad built by the South. It had a battering ram, heavy guns, and sides covered with iron plating. This ship squared off with the U.S.S. Monitor, another ironclad with revolving turret, in a battle off Hampton Roads, changing naval warfare forever.

The White House was the center of social, political, and military life in the Confederacy. The house was bought by the City of Richmond after the start of the Civil War and the capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Alabama. This mansion contains many original furnishings but much of it has been restored. We saw the rooms for formal affairs and the family's private rooms. Also, the second floor holds Jefferson Davis's office. Abraham Lincoln made his way to the Confederate White House and sat in his office chair after the fall of Richmond.

The house served as the center for Confederate military operations and often meetings were held in the dining room. Military aides, Cabinet members and others came through the house on a regular basis. The family experienced tragedy in that house in 1864 when Davis's son Joseph fell from the portico and died. Then, the Davis family was forced to evacuate their home in Richmond in 1865 after Federal troops broke through Lee's lines and moved into the city.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside, but the house is impressive with its elaborate furniture and rooms. I felt amazed to stand in the same places as such American icons as Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Abraham Lincoln, once stood. Next up, I visited my first Civil War battlefield as we headed up to Fredericksburg.

Links to Learn More:

• More photos of the Confederate White House
• Museum of the Confederacy: Visit the White House