The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-02-23
R. |. WAR RECORDS.
An Appropriation to Complete Them
Asked For.
VALUABLE HISTORICAL MATTER.
what Has Already Been Done In the
Compilation of the Revised Records
of Is6s-SIuch Yet TO Be Done-ihe
Need of Immediate Aid.

The resolution presented to the Cen
eral Assembly today by Gen. Charles A.
Wilson relating to the publication OF the
war records will recall to the attention
OF the public and particularly the
soldiers and historical students TO TINS
important epoch in the states history.
For several years past the state has
been preparing the records OF the
.oldiers and sailors during the late re
bellion. The report or the adJutan.
general made in 1855. being completed
SO soon after the war was incomplete
and not infrequentiy lncorrece. rns Ia re
spouse to the requests OF the veterans
this report was ordered revised and re-
published by an act OF the General AS
sembly in 1888 when $1,000 was appro-
priated. Since then the work has been
continued under more or less ADVERSE CIR
cumstances which usually attend the
collection OF such matter. and appro-
priations of 5000 have been added from
time TO time.
The state printer has already printed
the records OF the 1st Regiment Detacned
Militia. aud the Cd and Atm Regiments ln-
fantry, while the following are now prac-
tically ready for printing, viz:
Ninth Regiment Infantry, Tenth Regi-
ment Infantry Twelfth Regiment In
fantry, Tenth Light Battery, Seventh
Squadron Cavalry, Eleventh Regiment
Infantry. First Light Battery and the
HOSPITAL Guards. There still remains To
be placed in the printers hands, the
records OF the following regiments. viz:
Seventh Regiment Infantry, First Re1i-
ment Cavalry. Second Regiment Cavalry,
Third Regiment Cavalry, Fifth Regiment
Heavy Artillery, First hegimenr Lignt
lery, Fourteenth Regiment Heavy Ar
tiliery. and the X. l. naval records. to-
rether with rosters of the U. >. Volunteer
Army and Navy Officers appointed from
Rhode Island, the index, and such other
material as is found In the OLD report.
From the balance of the last appropria-
tion of g., 600, Gen. Dyer says he will have
funds enough to run only through the
month of March, reserving what he
thinks will be necessary for clerical labor
in Washington. required OF the Navy De-
partment, and the ordinary incidentai
expenses connected with the work.
Gen Dyer now has n corps OF trained
assistants at work, and he Is anxious TO
continue the work without interruption,
because it would be impossible after
delay Of month or two TO start in again
in the middle of the work with inexperi-
enced hands. The Importance OF this
work and the need of receiving the assist
ance promptly is great. Very few per-
sons indeed, unless they have had occa-
sion to consult the completed war records,
have an idea OF the magnitude or Jne
value Of the undertaking. The q. A. H..
Department of Rhode Island. at its an
nual encanpment in 1901 and again In
1893, passed resolutions CONNIE nding the
work and urging it's completion;
In his remarks upon this subject Gen.
Dyer further says: I'm relation TO the
act authorizing the adjutant general to
publish a supplement- TO the report now
being prepared. beg leave to say that
while the war records were being copied
the official letters. papers, reports or en-
gagements, casualties, etc. were also
copied from the original documents be.
longing to the various regiments and
batteries. and in my opinion 1t Is duty
TO the brave men who contributed SO
much to the glory of the state that these
papers should be collected and printed.
The various regimental and battery his
tories Of the war are comprised In mass
OF most valuable historic matter which
has never been published and which is
entirely unknown to the people OF the
state, and in my opinion should be put
in such shape that it will be forever pre-
served"
The appropriation asked for is only
$1,000, aud 1t is thought that this amount
will nearly il not quite complete the
work.