The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-12

Story of a Diamond PIN and Ring TO BE
Sold by the Unemployment
Washington Special.
For more than O week commission Of Treas
ury officials has been occupied in appraising and
cstaloguing an interesting collection Of captured
and abandoned property which has lain in the
vaults Of the Treasury Department since 1868
In the collection are gold and silver watches,
fpger-rines, pins. and other smaller articles
taken from dead Union soldiers aud captured
confederates. The commission finished its
lsbors last night, and tomorrow will commence
TO advertise the articles prior to their sale BY
auction in this city. For twenty years these
personal mementoes have rested, dust-covsred,
In the strong rooms Of the Department, neatly
boxed and guarded from prying eyes by the on
cial seal Of the Secretary of the Treasury. Two
years ago Congress passed an act authorizing
the delivery to the owners, or their legal heirs.
Of all such articles, where the proof Of owner
ship should be satisfactory to the Secretary or
the Treasury, and providing that everything
remaining unclaimed after the expiration OF two
years should be sold 1t auction.
Should the owners of any or these trinkets
now endeavor TO secure them they can only do
90 by purchasing them at the coming sale.
Everything Of this character captured during
the war was promptly forwarded to Washing
ton. with an Official description Of the property
and the circumstances under which it came
into possession of the military authorities. Tho
official accounts are necessarily concise and
worded IN the most simple language, but there
are doubtless stories connected with many OF
these prizes. One Of them 10 worth telling.
On March 2. 1865. E. V. Preston. psymaster
attached to the Army of the Tennessee, trans
mitted to Washington O diamond pin, set with
nine small brillisnts. and Q diamond ring. hav-
ing for its center an emerald set round with
eleven stones, which was taken from Henry
Sport. . Connecticut substitute. Prestou's
official letter accompanying the jewelry briefly
reads: ..Sport deserted Jan. 16. 1865 and has
not been heard from since" There Is no further
record In the archives Of the Treasury or War
departments Of Henry Sport However. . vet
eran official Of the War Department., an ex-
soldier, unravels the mystery connecting Sport
and his diamonds.
"Sport whom knew we'll, once told mo the
story of those trinkets.r said he to . World corr
respondent to-day. HE eame from little
town in eastern Connecticut the name Of which
i have long since forgotten He was the only
son Of Q widowed mother In humble circum-
stances, and . Wild fellow. His cousin, . strug-
cling young farmer, was engaged 70 beautiful
girl, daughter Of q wealthy manufacturer. who
insisted that before their marriage her husband
should be able to provide q home for his wife.
When Ii became necessary to draft men into the
service the name OF Sports cousin was one Of
she first drawn upon the dreaded list If be
obeyed the summons he saw ruin staring him in
the face. and bis long absence from home would
mean death blow to his cherished hope Of soon
providing comfortable home for his promised
wife. Being brave fellow he did not relish the
, idea Of . substitute, nor did he have the ready
means to procure one.
His sweetheart however, who was deter
mined that he should not 80 to the war; found .
way out OF the dilemma. Secretly she went to
Sport. and with the jewels her dead mother had
bequeathed her bribed him TO offer himself
substitute for her lover. exacting promise that
the latter should be told nothing of the means
she bad used to effect the transfer. The next
day the young farmer was overjoyed at receiv-
tug visit from Sport, who offered to shoulder q
muskst IN his place upon the single condition
that during his absence his cousin should Keep
. watcnfrl eve upon his mothers comfort A
few days later the recruiting officer left town
with Sport and his companions
Through long marches and many privations
eport carried these jewels always, cherishing
the idea OF some day returning them to their
owner. Finally he deposited them with the pay
master for safe-ksepng. and while they were in
that officers custody he deserted. i have never
known why he took this rash step. He proba-
bly, chafed Under the restraints Of army dis
cipline. / never heard from him afterwards.
and have always supposed that. like many
another misguided man, he died in the attempt
TO make his way through the lines. In any
event ne forfeited the last chance to restore
these diamonds to his cousins bride, and they
will now pass into the bands OF Strangers