The tale of Sarah Ann (Ellis) Dorsey, the owner who invited President Davis and his family to live on her property and subsequently willed it to him, is beyond fascinating. He made that building and its surroundings come alive. A master storyteller, he knew minutiae and could spout it on a moment’s notice, answering any and all questions without hesitation. He gave us at least 60 minutes of detailed information withing 45 minutes, only stopping because he had to welcome the next tour. His speaking pace rivaled that of Amtrak’s Acela’s speed. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Ron Clark was beyond a walking wealth of knowledge. In a bit, it became evident that he was the docent. As a group of us was waiting on the house’s porch in record heat and humidity for the tour to begin, a man dressed in torn jeans, a tee shirt sporting some message, some kind of flap cap made of some sort of heavy fabric, noticeably sporting a variety of tattoos emerged through the front door and began to talk. All we knew about Beauvoir before visiting was that it was a home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
