During the War Between the States the peace of Ravenna was greatly disturbed by Federal soldiers who ordered the Metcalfs to leave this home. Mrs. Metcalf was suspected of communicating with the Confederate soldiers through the bayou. Alter the war Ravenna was reclaimed and again occupied by the Metcalf family. [Illustration: (unlabelled)] “Little Ravenna”, the cottage home of the late Mrs. Zulika Metcalf Lawrence, stands on the Ravenna grounds, as does also a palatial residence occupied by Mrs. Roan Fleming Byrnes, who is a leading spirit in promoting the great Natchez Trace highway project. This group of family homes, under the sheltering eaves of the parent home, Ravenna, eloquently bespeaks that close and lovable family life of the South as it has existed for generations. [Illustration: (unlabelled)] [Illustration: The lyre motif in mirror and table is unusual. Tester bed is typical.] [Illustration: Queen of a recent Confederate Ball, Miss Roane Adams, poses beneath the portrait of her grandmother in the drawing room of Ravenna.] _Oakland_ Among the numerous ante-bellum homes of Natchez which are today owned and occupied by lineal descendants of the original owners “Oakland” stands preeminent. Built in 1838 for Catherine Chotard Eustis, the granddaughter of Major Stephen Minor, this home remains in the possession of the Minor family. The present owner is Mrs. Jeanne Minor McDowell. Major Minor was the last Governor of the Natchez District under Spanish rule. Oakland is located in secluded grounds, and, as its name implies, stands in a land of oaks. The house is a substantial brick building with a wide front portico and broad brick steps. The spacious center hallway opens with heavy mahogany entrance doors into an old-fashioned parlor on the right and a large dining room on the left. The walls are covered with the original paper. Many pieces of the original furnishings remain. Several rare pieces were brought to Oakland from “Concord”, which was the Governor’s official mansion and was destroyed by fire. The Minors were lovers of race horses, and valuable paintings of beautiful horses owned by the family adorn the walls. Two especially fine horse pictures are by Troye. Many silver trophies of racing victories form an interesting part of Oakland possessions. In this house is a bed of unique type, known as “a family bed”. It is a huge four-poster with silken tester. As broad as it is long, there is plenty of room for six persons to sleep comfortably! Ante-bellum gardens wherein grow verbena, gardenia, and sweet olive, with clipped boxwood borders, complete the handsome setting of Oakland. [Illustration: (unlabelled)] _Richmond_