The Portland daily press., 1889-05-11
WAR RELICS.
Col. Shannon's Valuable Gift to the
9Th Maine Association.

A short time ago the PRESS published
letter from Col. Shannon of the 9TH Maine
Regimental Association, directed to Major
George E. Brown Of that regiment, inform
ing him Of the purchase and donation to the
association, of a most valuable and authentic
collection of relics from the famed battle
field of Gettysburg. This collection has ar
rived in Portland and yesterday repre-
sentative of the PRESS was given an oppor-
tun;ty to inspect it. Old soldiers, who were
present at the time, assured the reporter
that there was probably no collection more
complete, in existence, and they doubted If
the State of Pennsylvania possessed as good
one. This collection will be properly
cataiogued and framed and will then DE
placed In the association building on Peaks
Island, where the public will have an op-
portunity to see it.
The relics show to what an exposure they
have been subjected in the changes of time
and weather. Among those that are the
most noteworthy are a great stump of a
tree, some IL feet high by thirteen inches
through in the centre of which is imbedded
shell. When the shell entered the tree the
eASO wac PAOpdOAy QulbC anu, Ill It's
subsequent growth, a great gaping wound
was left all about the she'll. This stump and
shell came from closely the headquarters of
Gen. Slocum who commanded the 18th army
corps.
There are three collections of grape shot,
two Union and one confederate, each shot
the size of small peach. the Union shot
gathered at Oak Ridge and Culp's Hill, and
the confederate from Pickett's 'front.' The
collection of various kinds of she'll is per-
feet, embracing them all. There are the
heavy canister, weighing some twenty
pounds, showing that artillery service was
no light work on hot summer days; spherical
case shot that when they came screaming
through the air made the boys "want to go
home;" bottle shells, shaped like bottle
that came from the DEVILS Den; and hand
grenade about as big as small cucumber
which few soldiers ever have had an oppor-
tunity to see since they were not frequently
used. There is cute kerosene lamp made
out of a ten pound shot that came from
historic Round Top. Then there is a large
collection of bullets of all kinds, confederate
marked by two ridges and Union 5v three.
~No ~'SH Ah6Aou cAptooitC JULIUS. LldL 6X-
ploded in the flesh of the mar they struck
mutilating him fearfully. All those bullets
are ironically enclosed in cigar box bear
ing the brand name of Idle Days. These
bullets used to come tipping through the air,
but it was a satisfaction to know if you
heard the bulletzip you never felt it. There
are several canteens dug up from soldiers
graves; the shape of the Union and con-
federate differing materially. An old KNAPP
sack. from Round Top. looks as If it had
seen the hardest service, as does also several
old bayonets.
An old arm exhibited is cavalry carbine
taken from "Reb," which has the lock on
the side Of the gun. and there is a cavalry
sabre that came from the fight between the
LIST Maine Cavalry and Stuart's cavalry,
mile and half from Gettysburg field There
is snare drum almost as good now as it was
then, the heads intact, and a very decent
cavalry bugle.
In frame two feet by eighteen inches in
size. are thirty-two articles of much interest
They embrace cap and belt ornaments and
and plates from rebel and Union regiments,
very substantial but not elegant, knives. forks
and spoons such as the BOYS used In their
messes; and other little details of regimental
wear