The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-04-23
II EB III -fRCTTTES.

What General Townsend Has to Say
About Thom- -Thirteon Volumes AL
ready III Type, and 5iXtySovon More
Coming.
I'iNshinyton Post.
Th @ Confederate archives in DOS
session Of the War Department are
Objects both Of curiosity and cupid
~ on the part Of many people, and
occasionally something bo,ring rc-
scnh}ancc to indignation breaks out
ut dlirsrcnt quarters that they arc
not open 10 the inspection of every
one, especially lately, since public
attention has been attracted to the
subject by the spnt in tho House
between Reagan and Wilcts. The
papers arc all in charge of T.. ID.
Townsend, adjutant general Of tho
army, and from this Office the Post
obtained the following information
In reply to the question, "Nhy
are those archives kept from public
inspection ;" the General said: 'For
tho same and similar reasons that
the Union var records are held as
official secrets. 1t is for tho pro-
lection Of the government and the
people,
'ilow arc they protected by such
Il course 2
In this way: II persons wcro
allowed to come in and inspect the
muster rolls, one SO disposed could
draw OF tho exact history of q
soldier, for instance, and pcrsonato
hlm III procuring pension. He
would mako his application, state
ms services, etc, and when in the
/ ordinary course OF business the
/ War Department received a letter
from The Pension Office asking for
the man $ record, Of course it's reply
would gree with its statement, and
the government would be dcf,aul-
ed. The opening of the Union
records to the public would at once
destroy the salc--Suurls and checks
designed for the protection Of the
government and the people"
''But Is it SO with the Confederate
records 3
Eyes, to a very great extent. In
orc way and another they have cost
the government Il large sum. Ap-
preparations have been made for
their compilation and printing, and
whenever Congress wishes to pub
llsh them it can do SO. Up to this
time some thirteen volumes of five
and six hundred pages each nre
ready. These include the battle
records up to about 1868. And
when they are published maps Of
the battle fields and positions. of
Tie troops have been prepared to
accompany them. The matter is SO
! arranged that the historian will
ind the history of each battle COM
picto by ITSELF
"Who will get these books?"
"Tho purpose, as J. understand it,
Is to print the usual number for
members OF Congress, public libra
res and institutions OF learning,
and besides this number for the
people. perhaps sufficient when sold
to reimburse the government for
its outlay in the purchase and
preparation and printing!
"Not much conccalment in that
plan?"
"No, and conccalment is not the
purpose. Why, for two days the
late Confederate postmaster-Gcn
WAS engaged in an examination Of
the archives. \ few days ago
Colonel Mosby requested copy Of
one OF tho papers relating To i
battle OF j. E. B. Stuart's, and it
was promptly furni shed him. The
lion. Mr.. Scales and Mr.. Vance, Of
North Carolina, asked for copies of
papers and they wore given, as
we'll us to other members of Con-
gress, and any respectable editor
III the country can get copy Of any
paper he asks for, provided it is not
onc i'll which the government and
the people arc interested for it's
protection"
"What sort of papers arc those ?"
"They belong to that class having
a legal vaulue--papcrs containing
evidence which may be called for in
the Court Of Claims or by tho South
ern Claims Commission. There arc
those who have claimed to bo Union
mon during tho war, and when
asking for payment from the govern,
lncnt for damages sustained, the
archives have revealed evidence that