National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-23
PRINTING WAR RECORDS.
IN INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT
SUBJECT FOR CONGRESS-.

EhAlE hEAOkDG OF me VAN An
RANGEMENT OF THE ARCHIvEs-YAL-
UABLE RECORDS OF THE REVOLUTION
AIRY WAR.
General H. V. Boynton, the Washington cor
respondent Of the Cincinnati Gazette, writes as
follows to that journal concerning tie printing Of
the records of the War Department.: An interest
ing portion Of the forthcoming report Of the Secre
taTy Of War will be that which treats Of publish
ing the Union and the Confederate records of the
war. General Belknap is deeply interested in the
matter, and If Congress seconds him at the COM
ing session with such appropriations as the i'm
Portance Of the subject merits. the country will
have spread before it during his administration
the whole official history of the war.
Congress initiated the matter at the late session
under the lead ofGeneral COburn and Mr.. Gune-
kel, Of the Military Committee, and General Gar
field, Of the Committee on Appropriations. An
item in the sundry civil bill gave the Secretary OF
War SIS 600 to begin the preparation for the Pub
lie Printer Of al orders, telegrams reports and
Ished connected with the operations both Of the
Union and Confederate armies in the late war,
which are in the possession OF the War Depart
ment No sectional feeling was aroused BY this
appropriation, and the late officers Of the Con-
federaey upon the Military Committee, and those
associates, joined heartily in supporting the
proposition. The general feeling was that the
time had come to make public all the material in
possession Of the Government bearing upon the
operations Of the war, and for two reasons; First,
that these records, continually liable to destruc
mutilations and instructions, might be preserved
by the multiplication Of printing from the posi-
bility of loss; and, secondly, that the public
might have access to all the material needed for
a complete and so truthful history Of the war.
HOW TIE WORK WILL BE DONE.
General Belknap has given much attention
during the late recess, to the matter thus in,
eral Townsend, Mr.. Crosby, the chief clerk, and
those especially in charge Of the records, he has
had frequent consultation as to the best method
Of beginning the work. 1t was finally decided to
make use OF the presses in the Department and
print dozen or fifteen copies Of each paper
deemed to be within the scope Of the work as de-
signed by Congress and distributing these ap-
pToXimately into subjects, and arranging them,
as nearly as possible, in the first instance, in
in the Department, a large amount Of the matter
can be set directly from the original papers, and
thus save copying, and at the same time the proof
more accurately performed.
ARRANGEMENT or TIE RECORDS.
The records, as they now exist are in the most
perfect order, and so in excellent shape for com
and order of the records General Belknap has de-
voted much attention. Almost any paper, no
matter how insignihcant, connected with the
most important ones or those giving the military
record OF the great generals, and the record Of
the humblest soldier as well, can be found imme-
diately.
The Confederate archives, long under the care
of the late DR. Francis Lieber, are in like order.
An example OF the perfection Of this arrange
ment, though heretofore printed, will be in point
here. A gentleman called at the Department
and asked the Secretary whether he thought 1t
possible that such papers as leaves Of absence,
granted in the field, Just in the confusion follow
ing great battle, were ever preserved, and If so,
whether there would be possibility Of finding q
certain one Of that kind. The Secretary surprised
him with the reply that It was altogether proba-
Bile that the paper could be found, and that he
would send an order directing that Il be sent from
the reeOrd-rOOm, and let the applicant know in
case 1t was found. The paper wanted was a
leave of bsenee granted az Chattanooga imue-
diately after the battle Of Chiekamausa, and
when matters we're as much unsettled as the con-
fusion of a battle and the immediate presence of
taned am Of Gene Georges fSGGa
which the gentleman, formerly regimental officer
serving under Thomas, wished to preserve. He
had not reached his office, three blocks from the
Department, before messenger from the Secre-
taTy appeared there with note stating that the
paper had been found.
This Is believed to be q fair Indication of the
condition Of order in which the entire records OF
the war are kept.
HISTORY OF SUPPLYING THE ARMY.
Aside from those records pertaining TO battles
and the movements OF armies, there Is mass Of
material setting forth the wonderful history OF
supplying the great armies. The same Is true Of
the papers showing the engineering attending the
transportation Of Supplies the bridges built and
the roads constructed, in periods which seem lit
tie short Of miraculous TO those who have never
seen large bodies Of men at work. The medical
department has already made known its results
and placed our medical transa actions in the field
in the very front rank by the admissions Of all
great nations The quartermaster's service, in
Guiding in this term all the branches of supply,
and the engineers operations, together will form
history scarcely less interesting than that Of the
Besides the records Of the late war General
Belknap has lately come into the possession Of a
VALUABLE COLLECTION OF RECORDS
pertaining to the Revolutionary war, hitherto IN
known to historians. They are nothing less than
the complete official papers Of Timothy Picker
ing, quartermaster general OF the patriot army.
They were found in the garnet Of an old house In
Philadelphia, whence they were about to be
taken, when the house was being demolished, to
a paper mill. and their character and value acct
dentally aseertained. The Secretary thus referred
to them in his address before the graduating class
at West Point.
been placed in possession Of a vast amount Of
documents OF the Revolution, consisting largely
Of letters Of Washington and other prominent
military men. Among them is a letter from
Arnold, written thirty-fOur days before he con-
signed his name to infamy and while the prompt
ings ofhis heart were still loyal to the cause Of
the Colonies. Writing from West Point to Col
Pickering, Quartermaster General at Philadel-
phia, he states that there is not a tent or any
kind Of camp equipage at this pOverty-struck
place. that the quartermaster's department is
entirely empty and that there is only one camp
kettle to eighty or one hundred men, He COM
plains bitterly Of the situation, and begs Col
Pickering to apply remedy, adding as post
script to his letter, There is not quire Of paper
OF an article Of stationery at this post or In the
department. Col Pickering replies, i am un-
happy to inform you that have not yet received
one farthing Of money tor any purpose whatever,
nor can get any, there being none in the Treas
ury, and the articles cannot be supplied. You
shall hear from me again as soon as get to head
quarters, which shall be when can obtain money
enough to deiray the expenses Of my journey
How much this tells of the privstions and trials
of the men OF early days, and how It illustrates
the poverty through which the nation worked its
On the 355th page of the life Of Timothy Pick
ering, by his SON, Octavius Pickering, is the fol-
lowing reference TO these
RECORDS OF THE REVOLUTION,
supposed, until the purchase by Secretary Bel
KNAPP, to have been lost:
"a memorandum by Col. Pickering, dated the
10th Of November, 1928, concerning that paper
I'm letter from John Lowell, esq.,, to my son
John Pickering, was the following statement in
my handwriting, done at Philadelphia in 1882. l
copy it now because my letter-bOok and papers
relative to the QuartermasteT's Department are
not to be found: When, in 1851, moved with my
a chest, or chests and trunks. all those books and
papers in the office Of eommissary Of military
stores, then kept at Carpenters hall.
SAMUEL HoDGDoN, Commissary.i
To this the author attaches the following note
alt seems probable that they were deposited in
the office Of the Secretary Of War, and were con-
1900. Ifnot destroyed, it & remarkable that the
ardOr Of historical research respecting the Revo-
luton has not brought them to light"
The second volume Of this
was, upon the death Of Octavius Pickering, fin
ished by Rev. Charles W. Upham, and to the lat
ter gentleman Gen. Belknap lately addressed
the following letter in relation to them:
SEPTEMBER II, 1S7I.
''Rer. Charles W. UDhdH, Salem, Moss:
DEAR SIR: have been latterly reading your
life Of the Hon. Timothy Pickering, and have
been very much interested in II. In the first
place see upon the 355th page Of the first vol
ume by his son, there is a letter by Col Picker
papers relating the to QuaFtermaster's Depart
ment are not to be found.
ssYou will be interested in knowing that about
year since purchased for the War Department
those books and papers, and have them now in
my ONCE. There is a large quantity Of them, and
they are very interesting. lamnOW having them
Endorsed. They were really the property Of the
Government, as they were oficiRl papers, hut
rather than lose them or have any trouble about
them, paid for them q large sum.
81 amglven to understand that some years ago
they were found by the father Of the party from
whom purchased them in the house of a lineal
descendant Of Samuel Hodgdoh-the commissary
Of military stores and Col. Piekeringis principal
assistant, to whom reference is also made In the
letter above referred to-in old boxes, with every
Indication Of having laid undisturbed long time.
Also, in the fourth volume Of the work, on the
3loth page md that there Is q statement Of Col.
Piokerings that his portrait was painted by Mr..
S. Q. Waldo, Of New York. As discover IN the
work no other mention Of portrait, presume /
have in the War Department the one toWhieh he
refers. l purchased Il in New York a month
since. 1t Is evidently an original, and have
placed It in the DepartmencWith the collection Of
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