The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-04-06

Treasury Nnuits---The Picture OF His
Father--.Other Family Relies.
When General Sherman and his men
were marching through South Carolina,
the people in his path, snatchiug up
what valuables they could find in their
haste, fed in every direction. When
country more or less pillaging and
plundering take place, no matter how
strict the orders or how we'll disciplined
the troops. In such circumstances q
soldier seems to think he has right to
what he can get-and keep. General
Sherman's boys proved no exception
to this rule. While on the watch
one day the attention OF an officer
was attracted by group of soldiers
disputing. Stopping to listen mo-
ment, he discovered that they were
quarreling over the division of q large
box of captured property. A glance
told him that the contents were valu-
able and ought at once to be placed in
the care of the government. "Here,
men, this won't do This box must be
sent to Washington at once" Orders
were given to that effect, and it was
sent to Washington and stored away in
the division of captured and abandoned
property in the war department. tire
mained there until 1868, when, with
other valuables, it was placed as special
deposit in the vaults of the treasury de-
partment, Some of the things deposited
there had no mark about them by
which they could be identified, while
others were plainly marked. Congress
authorized that the former be sold,
but those that might by"any possibili-
ty be claimed by the owners were care
fully preserved. 1t isa long time since
that box of household valuables was
ruthlessly snatched by rough soldiers
from the fleeing South Carolinian, and
| he is now an old man. He had for
gotten all that the box contained,
but remembered that his family
plate was there, and that it was all
marked, and that it must have been
placed in the governments care. If he
could only get the necessary authority
| to have his goods returned to him, he
knew he could identify them. After q
good deal of hard work and worry On
his part, private bill authorizing the
return Of such pieces OF silver as could
be clearly identified as his property
should be returned to him, was at last
passed by Congress. 1t was a happy
morning for him, only few days ago,
when he made his way to the treasury
department armed with the necessary
authority, and carrying large, old
fashioned carpet-bag in which he in
tended to bring away the long lost fam
| lily relics. He was escorted to the vaults
by the officers of the department, and the
articles placed before him for identifica-
tion. Yesl there they were, all plainly
marked with the family name, large old
fashioned silver goblets, heavy ladies',
spoons, forks and various other articles
of silver. His eye frightened and his
hand trembled as he picked them up
and carefully examined them. Turn
ing to those who s'ood near: "Ah |
tell you, these were bought when
money was more plentiful than it is
now," he said. One by one he dropped
them into the old bag of goodly pro
portions ; but large as it was the sides
soon began to bulge. Several hun.
dred dollars worth by weight was
clearly identified as his property. But
what is this? 1t bears the samo family
| naiAs puO hdl bStu eutllciN ltISOttcu
He touched the spring and opened
the case. "Why, that is the por
trait of my father, dressed in the uni
form of major in the British army
how many years since looked upo1
his face!' "Stop, old man, that mus
not go with the rest it bears you
name, 1 know, but Congress authorized
the return of articles of silver only.
His eyes filled with tears as he reluct-
antly laid tho portrait down. A furthe
search brought to light numerous piece
of family jewelry, some very handsome
and all bearing the same mark, but the,
had to be laid aside as they did no
come within the provisions of the act
The vaults We're again locked, and tn
old carpet-bag closed. II wouldn'
mind the iewolry SO much if I coul'
only take away that portrait" were til
last words of the old man as he tool
his departure Washington Star.
|