# Southern Historical Society Papers/Volume 02/October/Editorial Paragraphs

Southern Historical Society Papers, October 1876
Our Acknowledgment of contributions to our archives from time to time will indicate the character of the material we are receiving, and will also suggest to our friends the propriety of sending us similar contributions.
We return thanks for the following:
From Major Powhatan Ellis, of Gloucester County Virginia—A number of official letters and reports relating to the operations at Forts Henry and Donelson, and especially the part borne therein by General Lloyd Tilghman; Colonel A. E. Reynolds' report of operations of First Brigade, First Division, in Battle of Baker's Creek; copies of official letters and telegrams of General S. D. Lee in June and July, 1864; copy of terms of capitulation agreed on between Lieutenant-General R. Taylor and Major-General E. R. S. Canby; orders regulating the uniform and dress of the Confederate Army; articles of war for Government of Confederate States Army.
From John F. Mayer, Esq., Richmond— Several war newspapers and a lot of selected and valuable newspaper clippings.
From Sergeant A. P. L'Ecuyer Richmond— A map of the First Battle of Manassas; Muster Roll of Company H, Twenty-third Virginia Regiment.
From Colonel Robert Tansill, of Manassas—The Causes which led to the Failure of the Confederate States; The Great Struggle for Richmond in 1862; Secession and Coercion justified by International Law; The Negro and his Peculiar Admirers; Black Republicanism vs. Liberty and the Union. (These essays are written by Colonel Tansill himself, and are vigorous and emphatic expressions of his views of men and things.)
From Thomas Jackson—Roster of Captain Dabney Carr Harrison's Company, Fifty-sixth Virginia Regiment.
From J. D. Davidson, Esq., Lexington, Virginia—The First and Last Order of the War—a MS. Narrative which claims that both were issued by citizens of Lexington.
From Judge Robert Ould (through George L. Christian, Esq.)—The Original Muster Rolls of the part of the Army of Northern Virginia Surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse.
The rolls contain the autograph signatures of all the general, field and staff officers who were present at the surrender, with full lists of all the other officers and privates who surrendered. Mr. Christian has kindly consented to arrange these papers for us, and at some future time we propose to publish them as a proud roll of honor, which should be handed down to posterity.
From R. R. Howison, Esq., Fredericksburg, Virginia—Copies Southern Literary Messenger, containing Howison's History of the War as far as published; manuscript history from the point to which it was published in the Messenger, to a period near the beginning of the year 1864; a package of papers relating to the treatment and exchange of prisoners, being originals ​left in his hands as secretary of the joint committee of the Confederate Congress; detached reports of various battles; memoranda and notes taken from current newspapers account of battles, army movements, &c.; notes of MS. of official reports filed in the Adjutant-General's office, which were never published, but to which Mr. Howison was allowed access. These, added to a number of official reports, pamphlets, newspapers, &c., previously presented the Society by Mr. Howison, make one of the most valuable contributions which the Society has yet received.
From General G. W. C. Lee (through Colonel Charles Marshall)—General A. P. Hill's original rough draft of his reports of Seven Days battles around Richmond, Cedar Run Mountain, Second Manassas, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Shepherdstown, and Gettysburg. These reports are a part of the collection made by General Robert E. Lee when he was preparing to write the history of his campaigns, and all of which General Custis Lee has kindly promised to donate the Society.
From General Samuel Jones, Amelia County, Virginia—His own and General W. B. Taliaferro's reports of military operations in the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina, from the 1st to the 10th of July, 1864; three letters from General Samuel Jones to General Foster in relation to treatment and exchange of prisoners; Letters from Brigadier-Generals H. W. Wessels, T. Seymour, E. P. Scannon, Alexander Shaler and C. A. Heckman, United States army, prisoners of war, to the Adjutant-General United States army, recommending an exchange of prisoners of war; letters from Brigadier-General H. W. Wessels, T. Seymour, E. P. Scannon, Alexander Shaler and C. A. Heckman, United States army, prisoners of war, to General Foster, stating that they are as pleasantly and comfortable situated in Charleston as is possible for prisoners of war, and asking like treatment for Confederate prisoners of war.
From Yates Snowden, Esq., Charleston, South Carolina—Official letter-book and reports of Lieutenant-General R. H. Anderson, up to and including the battle of Gettysburg; war map of Eastern Virginia and North Carolina.
From W. S. Teague, Columbia, South Carolina—Drawing of the Confederate torpedo boat "David."
From W. L. Baylor, Petersburg, Virginia—Lot of Confederate States hospital tickets.
From Captain J. H. Rochelle, Southampton County, Virginia—Register Confederate States navy; list of officers Confederate States navy.
From Captain John S. Wise—Narrative of the secret history of the capture of Harper's Ferry and the Gosport Navy-Yard in April, 1861, prepared by General Henry A. Wise, General J. D. Imboden and W. H. Parker.
From General A. L. Long, Charlottesville, Virginia—Letter explaining previous paper on the "Seacoast Defences of South Carolina and Georgia."
From Captain John K. Mitchell, Richmond, Virginia—Letter on the capture of New Orleans, enclosing "Finding and Opinion of a Naval Court of Inquiry" exonerating him from all blame in that affair.
​From Captain A. F. Warley—A paper in reply to portions of Captain C. W. Read's "Recollections of the Confederate Navy."
From Carlton McCarthy, Richmond, Virginia—Paper No. 3 on "Detailed Minutiæ of Soldier Life."
Our Annual Meeting comes off on Thursday evening, November the 2d, and we cordially invite the attendance of our members from every section. The Virginia Division of the Association of the Army of Northern Virginia will have its Reunion on the night of the 2d of November, and the two meetings will attract a number of old Confederates, with whom it will be pleasant to mingle.
Premiums for Subscribers to magazines, newspapers and other periodicals have been very much "run into the ground," and are not generally worth consideration. But we have the following offer to make, which will be of real value both to us and those who may accept it: To any one sending us a club of three new subscribers, with the money ($9), we will send the beautiful lithograph of General Lee on Traveller, which is sold for the benefit of the Lee monument fund. A little effort on the part of our friends will thus largely increase our subscription list, and at the same time secure this really valuable historic picture.
In the recent death of Generals Henry A. Wise and Braxton Bragg, two gallant soldiers and distinguished Confederates have passed away. As orator, politician, and leader of the people, General Wise had long figured in the history of the country. When the war broke out, he plead no exemption on account of his age, but buckled on his sword, and followed the fortunes of the Confederacy to Appomattox Courthouse. His death has been widely lamented, and his called forth some beautiful tributes to his memory, which we regret our space will not allow us to reproduce.
General Bragg was a soldier by profession, was regarded as one of the most accomplished officers of the old army, and has occupied a conspicuous place in the public eye since that memorable order of old "Rough and Ready" at Buena Vista—"A little more of the grape, Captain Bragg." His Confederate record is too well known to need a sketch from us. He was one of the originators and active friend of our Society.
General Wise was also one of our life members. Two brave men have fallen at their posts of duty. Peace to their ashes!
Lists of Names and the postoffice address of persons likely to subscribe to our Papers have been sent us by a number of our friends. We are anxious to secure similar lists from every quarter.
​Our Books—the bound volume of our Papers, and our March and April numbers on "Treatment of Prisoners," bound into a volume have been very highly commended as beautiful specimens of the book-maker's art. Mr. Geo. W. Gary has executed our printing in admirable style, and Mr. L. Lewis has done our stereotyping very satisfactorily. We are also under special obligations to our binder, Mr. W. S. Simons, for the excellent taste he has displayed in getting up our styles of binding, the skillful manner in which he has done the work, and the very moderate rates of his charges.
We thus have Richmond made books (paper, printing, stereotyping, and binding), which are really beautiful, and which will compare favorably with those produced by the great publishing houses of the country, while we are enabled at the same time to sell them at a lower price than such books usually command.
It may be well to repeat that we are willing to exchange our bound volume for the first six numbers of our Papers—the subscribers paying the postage each way, and paying us 50 cents for cloth binding, 75 cents for half morocco, and $1 for half calf.