Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-11
A LOST CARPET BAG.
The STORY OF JOHN BROWNS MISSING
DOCUMENTS.
Alleged TO Have Been Hidden Somewhere
in the Capitol, They Have Never
Been Recovered.

Mt Charlestown. W. Va, writing up and
picturing the scene of John Browns ex-
ploits, and the following is an extract
from one of the letters it recently pub
pubished
Governor Wise placed tho prosecution Of John
Biowu and his companions In the hands OF MI
Andrew Hunter. Mr. Hunter is still living. He
is a brother Of Rev. Moses Hunter, Presbyte-
rian Clergyman Of New York, and he was
warm friend or Horace Greeley. strange a. mat
may seom. His homo Is n square brick mansion
iu tho midst of shrubbery and trees, on an ele-
walton Just little way out Of CharlestOwD. lie
is cignty-fOur years old Every morning be
walks into town regardless OF bad weather. His
memory is excellent. and he recalls in detail the
events connected with the Barpcr's Forty raid:
In the course o TWO hours conversation Mr.
Hunter told one thing which NAV lead 10 an H.
torestnc and important historical discovery
John Brown had wi.h him when captured ~
Harper's Ferry carpet-bag In which were his
constitution for n PROVISIONAL government ahu
other papers lie had placed IL IN one corner OF
tho engine-hOusc aud there * was found wneA
the marines charged and captured the snr'iVoTa
Mr. Hunter took possession Of the carpetbag
ami carried IL 10 CharestOwn. lie kept L. ana
its contents He added 70 tho papers the letters
which were forwarded 10 tho prisoners and not
delivered 10 them. Ordinary letters were al
lowed 90 pass 70 tho prisoners after Mr.. Hunter
had examined them. But those letters which
seemed 10 contain information bearing upon Tue
organization IN the North Mr.. Hunter cOnilscaied
and kept. lie hsd between seventy aud eighty
Of these letters and he placed them in John
Browns c8rpet-bag Other important d0cu-
ments bearing upon the secret history OF the
case went into the same receptacle, and much
Of the matter nobody but Mi Hunter saw
JOHN BROWNS CARPYT-BAG.
And now for tho strange story Of the fate Of this
carpet-bag. a. Mr. Hunter gave it to-day to The
Gi0bc- DtDDcrGt for iis first publication. He said
After the war began ! took this carpet tag
containing all these important papers 10 Rich
mond. thought mat whom the northern troops
reached CharlestoWn tho courthouse would be
oycrhaueu. and anything pertaining TO John
Brown would be seized and carried on. And
that was what happened. The carpet-bag and
is contents were Kept saiely al the Capitol IN
Richmond until the wac closed, At the time Of
Lees surrender ] was a member OF the state
senate OF Virginia. The news came from Lee
/ that his lines had been broken and that he
/ could not longer defend Richmond. When
! heard Of il | won't 70 Munford. Secretary Ot the
! Com mmonwcal'h. and asked him if he couldn't
hide the John Brown papers.
"Iiie them said |, 80 the Yankees can
frd them I added that ] was satisfied the
Capitol would not DE destroyed, and that II he
could find q good hidipg-placo anywhere ABOUT
/ the Capitol that would do. lie told me after
ward he had hidden tho papers, and believe
/ the old carpet bag and the papers are now sa e
where Muniord put them
They have never been found?"
"No"
"Is Munford living?n
"No; he died years ago"
"Dii ne ueyor tell you where he hid the car
| pet-tag?"
Yes
| The Old gentleman smiled exasperatingly al
| The curiosity OF his qucsioner, and then con-
/ iinued: "hUufOri tOld me tia; he ba1 taken
The carpot-bag up 20 the ccck-lOft OF the Capitol
/ and had let down the bag between the wall and
/ the plasJoring, and / believe those papers are
! there yet"
But haven't any attempts been made TO mud
the carpet-bae?"
TIE SECRET HISTORY.
| "Oh. YES. have a classmate in tho State II.
brnry ~ Richmond, Sacrwiu hcRae. have
/ written 70 him describing how and where Mum
/ ford bid the carpet-baE, just % Munford gave
/ the information 90 me. McRae was inuch inter
e.iel, for there is valuable historical matter III
4 that ola carpcthag. He has had searth made
/ and ha. written repeatedly asking for soma ad-
| O. tionol cleU. but be has been unable 60 md the
Jag Think sometimes will try n 20 10 kicn-
| mond for IL seems 10 me that could locate the
/ spot where huutori dropped tnat bag d)"n 80
/ hind The plasteringn
! MIR. Hunter is q firm believer IN tho theory
that John Brown was backed by strong e-u
Widespread organization IN the North. lie be
lioves no fnir-IninGed man could 20 through the
contents Of that lost carpet-bag ana not rrar D
| the same conclusion. Brown had several maps,
/ and they are In that carpet-bag. lhey were no.
/ ordinary maps Of the country, but contained
I such data 81 B'ONtQ lltF Ntit Auf Dltha VII
| which campaigns were % be conducted. Be
sides tue map q virginia. there Was
ono Of Louisiana, one Of North caro-
ina and ono OF Kentucky. They locate :
ne state arscnaIs. indicated how attack.
might be made successfully, aud showed where
! s.rouc natural retreats might Do !otnd. Mr
( Urrfe- SAYS that Lee Immediately supplied lnior
nation TO the authorities OF the localities when
/ seemed 10 be I'm danger, a. lie gathered from a
study OF those drawings Of John Browns. Ht
/ afterwards received hearty thanks from those ie
whom 10 wrote. They reported that the inior
/ nation be had sent bad proven 20 b3 valuable
and had shown conditions which were not known
| by the authorities.
COLONEL M'RAE's REcOLLECTIoNs.
Colonel lIcRae was asked about the
| carpet-bag yesterday, and he said
colonel Muniord, in the repeated con
versations he and had on tine subject
was not perfectly sure whether he had
concealed the bag in the Capitol I'm the
| archive-room, We call it,, or whether he
had sent them up the canal with the
seals Of State and important executive
papers and other possessions that the
enemy would have taken if they got into
Richmond. Well, they were captured,
and subsequently only partially returned.
/ The seals were returned to Governor
Pierrepont after he. became invested
with the gubeGnatorial authority, and
some Of the executive journals-onC
if not two-are in Washington
now. Strong efforts have been made
TO recover them, but the United State
! Government will not give them up. But
the carpet bag has never been found,
Some very interesting portions OF the
John Brown papers have come to hight
but not the carpet-bag; and IN the
carpet-bag those letters specially which
implicated some people at the Nortl
were carefully put, and, as the writer
saws, he was anxious TO preserve then
from capture.
"Hunter wanted to have incontestabl'
evidence that the bag never fell into the
hands of the Yankees; and he wal
anxious to get the bag himself.
PERSONAL.
The Colonel Munford above spoken o
WAS Colonel George Wythe Munford
who served his State as Clerk of th'
House of Delegates and afterwards a
Secretary of the Commonwealth. an'
who compiled the Codes Of 1860 AM
1873. and published several hterar,