National Republican., 1885-10-31
THE STORY or THE wAn.

Progress OF the Coloc'inh or Conrodsr-
ate Records The Coinage OF ths RE-
bcIiion.
On June 90, 1874, Congress passed an act
"to enable the Secretary OF War to begin
the publication Of the 'Onlcia Records OF
the War of the Rebellion both of the Union
and Of the confederate armies" The S,c-
retary Of War was directed by the act to
have copied for the public printer all reports,
letters, kilograms, and general orders not
Heretofore copied or printed aud properly
arranged in chronological order. June o,
1880, Congress passed an act authorizing
and providing for the publication OF 10000
copies Of u compilation Of the "O1icial War
Records" both Union aud confederate.
Acts for continuing the publication were
passed Aug. Z, 1SS2, NJ lrch ., 1889, and
July, 1874. The last act continues IN force
the set Of Aug. Z, 1889, as far as II relates TO
number of volumes to bJ printed lni IN IA
ner cf d'str!lutitn.
In January, 1873, Col Robert y. Scott.
I'd artillery, l. $. A., was assigned TO duty
in charge Of the compilation OF th rcsords.
both Union aud confederate, VITA a view to
their publication. That THIS duty has been
most faithfullyand satisfactorily pcrfOrmll vi
is evidenced by thirteen volumes already
published.
In July, 1878, Marcus j. Wright, WHO
had served us brigadier general In the con
fcdcratc army, was appointed by the Sccre-
tary Of War an agent for the purpose Of
collecting for the use Of the government;
such records of tic war Ton the confederate
side) as could be obtained by gift or loan
lie has succeeded IN obtaining copies OF the
large aud valuable collection IL confederate
records collected BY the southern Historical
Society, at Richmond, Including papeiS aud
records OF field operations during the war,
and many OF the post valuable records of
the heads of depaf' 'ments and bureaus at
Eitl mond.
Among others who have contributed BY
gift or loan valuable records to the depart.
mCnt are the following named: Gems.
Wade Hampton, Jubal Early, G.. 7. Bcaurc-
gard, Albert Pike, Daniel Ruggles, A. 7.
Stewart. Kirby Smith, j. G. Tappan, Fitz-
hugh Lee, and Joseph Z. Johnston, Col,
William Allan, Capt J. q. Breckenridge,
Hon. jefferson Davis, Bishop Pcterkin, OF
West Virginia, the Southern Historical So
ciety, the Tennessee Historical Society,
Gov. 7. j. Jarvis, of North Carolina, Mrs.
John c. Pembcltou, Jennie Perkins, II. 7.
Trabuc, Pat,ie Guild, and Miss A. NJ. Zolll-
Golfer, and many Others.
From these papers aud large number OF
others previously in the possession Of the
department thirteen volumes have up 10
this date been published by authority of
Congress, and Others will soon be issued,
and the compilation and publication will
continue until all are published. 1t is there
fore important that the War Department
should he placed In possession Of all con-
federate military rapers, books, and records
which 0re cxtant, and which may be valua-
bic In illustrating the nature Of the great
| struggle from which the country has
emerged, so as to put them In print, In order
to preserve them precisely as they are for
the use of the historion, or such other dis
position as Congress may direct. 1t will,
of course, he impossible to make this publi-
cation complete II any Of the records are
withheld from the government besides,
such action would be unjust to the actors
In this great struggle by dcprivlng them of
their proper place in history.
While the most important large collcc-
tions OF confederate papers have been oh.
tained, II is known that many very valuable
papers are still in the hands of persons who
have not yet been reached, and as these are
important to full and complete history Of
| the confederate armies, II is hoped that
parties having custody OF such papers will
submit them for the examination There
are, doubtless, many valuable documents
scattered over the country, and only pre-
served by the owners as souvenirs of their
own parts In the war These being in per-
ishable form and liable to be destroyed at
any timc no delay should be allowed in
| placing them in the possession of tie
government, where they will be put in
print and preserved from the chances of
destruction.
Gen. Wright has succeeded in making n
very valuable collection of pictures, photo
| graphs, &C., OF the leading officers OF both
armies. There is in his room a copy of the
confederate seal. In 1864 the confederate
government adopted a seal and ordered one
made in England of pure silver. The order
was executed, but the seal was never used,
the party having charge OF IL finding 1t
necessary to conceal II to escape capture.
lie has also restrke OF
| Tur TpSTpnrRATE ypp uAIF