The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-10-25
s. THE SOUTHERN WIIR RECORDS.
-Confcdcrnto Generals Turning Over
Their O'iicial Papers to Gen. Wright,

a'1HE oOCIH CHN VAR iECORDS.
EN Confederate Generals Turning Oyer
Their Official Papers to Gen. Wright,
from tho Washington star.l
"a reporter Of tile star this morn,uo
dropped into the large building on {;
street, corner Of Twentieth, where the
official records Of the la'c war arc
being compiled. General Marcus J.
Wright, who is engaged in collecting
the records of the Confederate side,
was found in his office. lie said ::
every many Of the most valuable
official papers of the Confederate army
were lost or destroyed in the general
break up and surrender. Our purpose
is to get copies OF all such papers. and
thus make complete the official record
of that size. Such Of the papers as
were preserved were obtained bv the
government, and | was appointed to
procure duplicates Of those that were
lost"
"Bnt how do You get these dupli-
catcs?"
"From the officers Of the Confrd-
cra!c'nriHy. They preserved copies OF
every report, every official paper they
sent to Richmond, and many of ,hcm
kept copies Of every official letter they
wrote"
"DO tlic cX-ConlrdCra!c officers niyc
their files up to you?'
"Oli, yes. AS II general rule thc,-
give them to us, but where any Of
them have papers the? wish 10 keep
they allow us 10 make copies Of thcm
and we return the or;piu;iiS. Crurr,j
Joseph +. Johnston turned o-rr 10 ~
his entire records, cnntainin" His his
reports, official letters, AMI rrputls OF
his subordinate officers. ( have also
all of General pcnDrvtun'S Iaucrs,
and that givc; us u complete official
record OF the FirkSburr ca,nri;yn :.s
conducted on the Confederate side"
"Oid they turn over their papers en-
tlrrly to the G"vcru:Drnt"
"1ca. We preserve the papers, and
they are accessible ut al times to those
gentlemen, i: t5cy should wish to sec
them or make copies. Thry give t,.ru.
TO us very willingly, as it relieves them
of the trouble and care Of keeping
them, aud does not lrnYivc ,,,r,n q;
any use they would wanl - make OF
the papers. We take every p"csaninn
against loss by fire or otherwise OF ;hc
papers We get. We have printed
copies Of each ono nHhr, and eighteen
or twenty r"p'". are distributed T"0un,l
among - mhny of the ,partIIrutS
and olhcr @ovrrmcnt buil,iu@>, ~
tiiat III case OF ire we are certain not
to have lhcm all urStrNvrI.'
General. these records arc TO be
published by the government, are thr,'
not!'
"NcS. sir: that is what we arc col
Letting them for. The purpose Of The
government is TO niaEc up Il complete
Cfll'ial history Of bo!n armies of the
civil war. The record Of The year
1861. Of both sides, Will be ready for
puDlicaiion about thc time Congress
meets. The volume will be printed
by tic govcrnmcn. as amy other public
documents, 0nd thc usual number dis
trihut"a among the departments and
members of Congress. Then the law
provides that The work shall be s.rrro-
typed ANA sold to the public at The cost
prlcc or printing, so that any ore can
OBTAIN the work AT comparatively little
cost"
"Will he records OF the two armies
DC printed separately"
"lcs; separately, and III consccu-
tive volnmrs.'
Nv Ill I!:c records be cditcd:"
"No, not at all; simply compiled so
as to present, i'll The or.!cr in which
they were issued, the official reports,
letters, orders, ctc., Of tho war. The
compilation Is III charge OF Colonel
u. n. Scott, OF the Third Artillery,
U ). a., ana man better qualified
TOR the work could not have been Sc
lcctrd."
"ilOW long Will il take 10 finish IN