In the heart of a nation at war, even amid turmoil and loss, compassion still found its way into Confederate homes. On February 16, 1864, Confederate diarist Mary Boykin Chesnut recorded a touching scene at the executive mansion — First Lady Varina Davis had rescued a small orphaned boy, known as Jim, from the cruelty of an abusive guardian. President Jefferson Davis himself personally ensured Jim’s freedom was protected, arranging for his papers to be legally registered so he could never again