San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-08-28
COLLECTION OF RELICS.
A LITTLE MINE CONCEALED IN THE
WADSWORTH ATHENEUM.

worth residence, In the parlorS OF Wnlcl
Gen. Washington, Marquis de Lafayette,
Jonathan Trumbull, Count Rochambeau
and Admiral de Ternay held the notable
conference with regard to the war which
resulted in the discontinue of the British
forces at Yorktown and the surrender of
Corvallis The plan of campaign was
decided on at this conference. In out
of-the-way places in the building is an
invaluable mass of historical documents,
including unpublished Washington let
tiers, the Silas Deane papers, letters from
Lafayette and Rochambeau, with the
original contract with the great mar
quis, which insured his services to the
struggling patriots 1t is doubtful if a
dozen men in this city have seen these
papers, which are slowed away in old
boxes and chests. Trumbulls accounts
of the continental army are also deposit
ed in large quantities in this bonanza of
revolutionary memorials.
A bushel basketful of old checks bear
ing the signature of Aaron Burr could
be unearthed if Professor Trumbull could
be persuaded to consent to the proceed
ing. The Burr autographs, apart from
this business lot, are very rare at present.
The gold and onyx snuff box which Gen.
Washington owned is not allowed to be
seen for fear it might prove a resistless
temptation to thieves and burglars. 1t
is inclosed in paper box and securely
locked in one of the side cases of the
athenaum. The footstool of Martha
Washington is allowed, however, place
OH the floor of the historical rooms, and
now and then a wearied visitor might
drop down upon it for a moments rest,
believing it to be an old fashioned settee.
The Bible and diary of Jonathan Trum-
bull, the original Brother Jonathan"
are not far from Nathan Hale's powder
horn, which he carried and fitted for use
when a student in Yale college.
The antique basket which the noted
spy used in camp, containing even now
a couple of bottles, is in the case with
the powder hoSn, suggesting that the
owner used to get dry like other mortals.
The Hale letters are worth their weight
in gold. The bulls eve watch, owned by
Benedict Arnold, and the wallet which
was in the possession Of Major Andre
when he was captured, are the principal
attractions in still another case in the
rooms
The collection of swords which were
worn by distinguished revOlutiOnists is
unequaled in this section Of the country.
The list comprises Jonathan Trumbulrs
(senior and junior, the latter of whom
was Washington's private secretary, and
Israel Putnam's twenty inch blade,
which saw some of the bloOdiest carnage
of the war. The cartridge box worn at
Bunker Hill by Abraham futile, of New
Haven, is unique in its way. The queer
mail bag in which the first news of the
battle Of Lexington was carried through
the Connecticut valley is snugly con-
cealed in a spot where no one would
think Of looking for it, and endures old
age surprisingly well.
The array of dismal memorials is more
interesting than such collections gener-
ally turn out to be in public resort.
The waistcoat worn by Col. Ledvard
when he was run through with his own
sword by British officer at Fort Girls
void after the surrender of the garrison,
on Sept. 8, 1871, is invariably sought out
by visitors \ few feet from this waist
coat which shows where the sword pane-
trated and left the body Of the gallant
Ledyard, is link from the stupendous
iron chain which the Americans stretched
across the Hudson river to intercept the
British shipping from New York. The
link is three feet in length and weighs
seventy-tive pounds at least \ piece of
Washington'S original coffin can be seen
if desired The bullet which was fired
into the heart of Gen. David Wooster, at
Danbury, on April 81, 1777, is also at
hand. 1t was removed from the fearless
leaders heart, and has been kept with
great care for ll2 years.
One of the most fascinating bits of
plate in the building is the silver cream
err which belonged to the senior Trum-
bull. The design is light and airy, and
every lady who sees it is conscious of a
secret longing to gain possession of it.
Mr.. Charles j. Hoadly, the state libra
rian, is the only person in the United
States, so far as known, who owns copies
of the Weekly Journal issued by the con-
tinental congress in 1919. A few copies,
some of them duplicating Mr.. Hoadly's,
are preserved in the New York state IL
brary. The numbers owned by the Con-
necticut state librarian extend from
April "a until July 5, The pages in sew
eral numbers of the Journal have not