The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-23
THE LATE WAR.
The Truth Of History and how IL can be
TOld-The war Records Of the COnfe"
deracy and the plan of secretary Me-
CFary to Collect Them.
Washington Post.l

Washington Postl
$50 you're engaged In collecting Confede-
rate war records" said the Post to Gen Mar
Gus J. Wright, of Tennessee. yesterday.
EYES," was the reply; "I have been ap-
pointed an agent by the Secretary OF War foI
that purpose" ,a.
'The object is to preserve the records Of the
late war I'm complete form for the benefit Oi
history. History cannot be made complete
and just unless the story Of both sides Is told
and the War Department recognizes that
fact"
"Why, didn't the government get posses
sion of the Confederate arChvesY
''Yes, o part Of them, and Col. Pickett also
turned over O portion Of the records to the
United States. But there are thousands oi
valuable documents yet in the hands OF ,prt.
army all the reports of battles orders issued
plans, etc, were sent right up to headquar.
ters, and thence forwarded to the War De
partment; but on the Confederate side, where
communication with headquarters and the
War Department was often cut off. and where
armies and commands were separated, many
OF these reports and orders and records were
retained by the military officers. The object
is to collect oil these papers now In possess
sion of Confederate officers and their families
Many OF these documents are held as sacred
relics by the families Of our Southern military
leaders"
How do you propose to get them ?"
u have begun my work by q very extensive
correspondence. / have writton to ex-COn-
federate officers all through the South, re-
questing them to collect such documents OF
Information about them. You would be sur
prised to see how many replies have already
been received to those letters. Well, before q
great while / intend to travel through the
South and collect these records. The idea Is
to get every paper bearing upon the war and
its conduct. We want the field Orders-dis-
patches sent by subordinate commanders to
their chiefs during engagements. Where per-
SONS wish to preserve the originals, the de-
partment binds itself to return them as soon
as copies can be- made"
''Now, General what are you going TO do
with those papers when you get thernW
"There will be issued q series Of reports,
both Federal and Confederate, in printed
volumes"
'Federal and Confederate togetherY"
"The volumes will be printed alike. but the
title will indicate the difference. But the Con-
federate records will all be printed in volumes
to themselves"
"Do you print them immediately"
"Yes; In pamphlet form for preserva-
tion. As soon as we get possession Of dOcu-
ments they are printed in this form, and
stored away until the work shall be complete
and in shape to publish. We store these prints
in nineteen different houses In order to insure
preservation. In case of fire, ten or q Dozen
would still have some copies. The houses
are scattered about, OF course, in different
localities
"How long will it take to complete the
work p
"Really, can't form any idea. It is O. mat
ter Of a great deal of labor, which has to be
performed with care, and / should think 1t
would require several years yet.
"And after the work shall have been COM
pleted, will these volumes be shut up in the
War Department p
II suppose not. The records are to be pub
lished for the use of the government, and no
doubt Congress will make provision for the
printing Of the complete work for public libra
ries, and for sale among the people. About
eight years ago Mr.. Maynard, OF Tennessee,
introduced In Congress q resolution
providing for collecting Confederate
records. The resolution was adopted,
as it was apparent that these records
must be had, in order to afford true history
Of the war The war department has col
leCted the documents as fast as possible, but
recently the Secretary and the Adiutant Cen
erai agreed that they could be obtained much
more rapidly by Confederate officer, and
was appointed"
Gen. Wright was major general In the
army and made n most excellent
record. He never made application for this
appointment, but when it was decided that
an ex-COnfederate could facilitate the work he
was agreed upon as the very man for the
place. He was then in Philadelphia, and upon
being notified of the appointment, he accepted
1t and Immediately entered upon the discharge
Of his duties.