Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-04
The Work OF Compiling the official
Records of The Late War.

HISTURG OF BOIh ARMIES OF THE ClNl WAX
TO BE SUPPLIED.
A reporter of The STAR this morning dropped
into the large building on G street. corner OF
Goth, where the official records of the late war
are being compiled, Gen. Marcus j. Wright,
who is engaged In collecting the records Of the
confederate side was found In his Office, and he
gave the reporter an account of the work and
it's progres. Said he: 'sVery many o; the most
valuable official papers OF the confederate army
were lost or destroy ed in the general break up
and surrender. Our purpose Is 10 get copies OF
all such papers, and thus make complete the
official record OF that side. Such of the papers
as were preserved were obtained by the govern
ment, and was appointed to procure dupli-
Gates OF those that were lost"
Star:-"But how do you get these dupli-
cates?"
GEN Wright:-"From the officers of the con-
federate army. They preserved copies OF every
report, every official paper they sent to Rich
mond, and many of them kept copies Of every
official letter they wrote
Star:-"Do the ex-confederate officers give
Gen. W.:-"Oh, yes. AS general rule they
give them to us, but where any Of them have
papers they wish to keep they allow us to make
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston turned over to US his
entire records, containing all his reports official
letters, and reports of his subordinate officers.
and that gives US complete official record OF
OF the Vicksburg campaign as conducted on the
confederate side."
Star:-"Did they turn over their papers en-
tiJely to the governments"
Gen. W.:-"Yes. Wepreserve the papers, and
they are accessible at all times to those gentle
men, If they should wish to see them or make
copies. They give them to us very willingly as
1t relieves them Of the trouble and care of keep
ing them, and does not deprive them of any
use they would want to make of the papers.
We take every precaution against loss by fire
or otherwise OF the papers we get. We have
printed copies OF each one made, and eighteen
or twenty OF these copies are distributed around
among as many of the departments and other
government buildings, so that in case of fire
we are certain not to have them all destroyed"
Star:-"General, these records are to be pub
Ished by the government, are they nOt?"
Gen. w. Yes, sir; that is what we are COL
lecting them for. The purpose Of the govern
nent is to make up complete official history
of both armies Of the civil war. The record for
the year 1861, Of both s1Ges, will be ready for
publication about the time Congress meets.
The volumes will be printed by the government
as any other public documents, and the usual
lumber distributed among the departments
ar members OF Congress. Then the law pro-
vides that the work shall be stereotyped and
sold to the pubic at the cost price Of printing,
so that any one can obtain the work at compar-
atively little COST
star" WIN the records of the two armies be
printed separately?'
Gen. W Yes; separately, and in consecu-
tive voiumes.'
STAR" Will the records be edited?"
Gen. W" No, not at all, simply compiled so
as to present, in the order in which they were
issued, the official reports, letters, orders, etc.,
Of the war: The compilation is in charge Of
Col r. N. Scott, of the Sd artillery, U. s. A.,
and man better qualified for the work could
not have been selected"
Star" How long will it take to finish up the
Gen. W:-"It will require several years more
war;"
stgr:a" Haven't you recently returned from
Gen. W" Yes, sir; got back few days
ago, and | obtained number of very valuable
papers. l first went to see General Joseph
Wheeler, in Alabama, who commanded the cav
airy OF Braggs army. He gave me his entire
file Of papers and reports covering the time
from his entry into the confederate service un-
til the close Of the war. l next visited the In
dian territory, and got set of papers covering
the military operations Of the confederaes In
what was called the district OF the Indian ter
Senator from Texas) and D. H. Cooper. THESE
records are quite important. also got all the
Ewell (since deadly who held an important
command in the confederate army 1 next VS.
tied General E. Kirby Smith, who commanded
Records During tie war bis % department tine s0s was
for a long time, pretty efrectualy cut of from
Richmond, and the records there were incom.
uiH found his files very ss compe5e, HRe,a though
Colonel Richmond, of McM1nv1lle, Tennessee,
promised to send me the official files of Gen.
killed during the war. These papers Will cover
some very Important military movements. 1
have many OF the papers Of Gen. Beauregard,
and he has promised me the balance as soon as
his book, now In press In New York, shall have
been printed. he held, as you know, very high
commands, and his files will cover some of the
most important operations Of the war. This
winter l shall make trip to New orleans,
Memphis and Mobile, where will get papers of
interest from eX-confederate officers residing at
those points. The printing OF these records is
equivalent to the publication of an official his
tory of the war. The reports of battles from
officers on both sides and other official docu-
ments will thus be preserved and they will
speak truthfully and tmpartially of the great
events of the war. / had undertaken, on my
own account, the collection of confederate
records, with the view Of publishing them,
when Congress passed the act authorizing them
to be compiled. had procured very many val
liable papers. ahd Immediately turned them
over 10 the Adjutant General of the Army. Sub.
sequently it was decided to appoint an ex-
confederate officer to collect the papers Of that
side, and the position was rendered to me-"