Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-01-27
miscellaneous &eadimg,
RECORDS OF THE LATE WAR.
Especial to the Atlanta Constitution

Especial the Atana Constitution
New YORK, January 2-On the train yes
terday, l met soldierly looking, quiet gen
tleman, who is doing more important work
for the South than any man enlisted in hel
service. 1t was General Marcus j. Wright
who has had charge, for the past year or two
Of the collection, compilation and publication
of the Confederate archives. Gen. Wright
was called to this work by unanimous consent
and has proved so admirably fit for the task
he has undertaken, that his selection seems to
be little less than an inspiration. Scholarly
able, discriminating and courageous-of of such
unblemished character as to command entire
confdence-he has made superb collection
and has edited it with consummate discretion
and skill. He gave ME the history of this
vast enterprise in frank and yet modest way
that entities it to transcription here.
81 suppose, he said, "that shortly after the
close of the war had the largest collection
of Confederate records to be found anywhere.
l felt the Importance to the South of an early
collection of this perishable material, and its
publication in logical and durable shape. |
knew that the records themselves would speak
with more authority to posterity than any
mere partisan or personal history could hope
to do, and |, therefore, spent time and money
in collecting all that could get. | had al
ready made an arrangement to publish what
| had, MIR. Davis having advised this course,
after expressing surprise at the completeness
Of my collection.
Before this publication was commenced,
however, the government established bureau
for the object of collecting and publishing the
records on both sides, This obvated the he
cessity Of my work, and wrote to General
Townsend, turning over my collection to him
for publication in the government books.
Shortly afterward I went to Washington on
other business, and found the Southern Con.
gressmen dissatisfied because there was no
Confederate representative in the bureau.
There were few Confederate records in posses
sion of the government except those captured
at Richmond and those sent on by me. Con-
federate officers, as a rule, were disinclined to
send their records to a bureau in which they
had no representative, and there was great
danger that the publication would be made,
with our side of it weak and incomplete.
Casey Young, of Tennessee, complained to the
Secretary Of War, who promptly saw the
reasonableness of the complaint and agreed
that Confederate snould be appointed. Gen.
Townsend, to whom the matter was referred,
suggested my name, and | agreed to accept,
under certain conditions, that were at once
complied with. l entered upon the work,
and have been engaged in it ever since"
BRINGING UP ALL THE RECORDS.
"With what success have you worked p
"With more than | could have hoped for.
l have succeeded in getting four times as
many records as the government had when
went there, and l may say that the chain is
now nearly complete. The Confederate rec
ords will be almost, if not quite, as full as the
Federal records, and this is more than any
one could have hoped for. went personally
to the Indian Territory and succeeded in get
ting the records of that department without
the loss of paper. have gone everywhere
that saw chance Of supplying link of
evidence. l succeeded in getting copies of all
the records of the Southern historical society,
of itself most important collection. The
officers Of the Confederacy have felt no hesta-
ton in entrusting their records to us, and
have helped in every possible way. am now
having copies made Of all Mr.. Davis papers,
and his attest put upon each copy"
"How will the publication be made?"
Gas follows: Col. r. N. Scott, of the
Federal army, has charge of the Federal
records. He is assisted by Captains Hartley
and Craigie. have charge Of the Confede-
rate records, and Major Harvie assists me.
We take the events Of the war as they come
in order of time, treating each battle and
campaign separately. To show how we cover
battle, let US take the first Manassas. First
We publish the official report of General Nc.
Dowell, who commanded the Federals then
the official report of General Johnston, COM
mander of the Confederate$ Then follow
the reports of the Federal corps commanders,
and the Confederate corps commanders.
Then come the division and regimeDtal and
company reports for each side After this
is published the field notes from each side,
and you have no idea how important and in
teresting are these little field notes, scratched
off hastily in the heat of battle on the pom
mels of saddles. They are like flashes of
lightning that show up the battle vividly.
After the field notes come the correspondence
of each general commanding with his depart.
ment or president or commander in chief. By
this process we get the battle from every pos.
sible point of view."
"How many books have been published p
"There are three volumes about ready
These nearly complete the history of the year
1861, covering the Charleston and Fort Sum
ter affair, the battle of Manassas, and the
fights in the Peninsula. The whole series
will fill from 80 to 100 volumes. The books
are printed in long primer, the letters and
orders being put in smaller type. We shall
be able to move much faster hereafter and
hope to conclude the year 1862 by the nex
assembling of Congress"
"How can these books he obtained"
"They can be purchased by depositing 81 pei
volume with A. F. Childs, chief clerk govern
ment printing Office, Washington D. G. The
volume covering any special campaign can be
ordered, or any part of a set ordered. Those
who wish any of these books will do well tt
apply at once, as New York booksellers are
ordering heavily and will doubtless raise tht
price very much. The government sells a
actual cost There is one book of the series
for which there will be demand That is {
complete roster Of every commissioned office
of the Confederate army, where he was enlis
ted, promoted, and what bacame of him
This will be the official record and will bt