The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-05
A UNIQUE COLLECTION.

Description of the Curios in the Indiana
State Geological Museum.
HOWARD LITERARY CLUB-Among the
many curios in the Indiana state geological
museum the war relics occupy q consDicu-
Gus position.
The battle flags and banners OF the
Hoosier state, which once waved over the
troops at Gettysburg, Fl. Donelson. Shiloh,
Lookout Mountain and many other we'll
fought battle fields. are now furled in
peace and stand in grim silence against
the wall, yet their tsttered and torn con-
dition speaks more eloquentiy than writ
ten euIogies of what the brave
bows In blue" withstoOd in the
strife between north and south,
There are many interesting relics from
the batteiields of the civil war, from the
Mexican campaign and the war OF the
revolution. There are also some memen-
toes of the battle of TipDecanoe, where
Gen. William Henry Harrison won the
sObriquet of "OId Tippecanoe." What
a vast amount Of silent history each IN
dlvidul relic possesses. Here Is cannon
bail from the stOrming OF Chapultepec.
how the cowardlv Mex,cans must have
scampered when it cut Its way through
them. A near neighbOr is the
sword OF Gen. William Henry Har-
rison, who proof against Indian arrows,
and more ;han match for the willy
Tecumseh and his allies, only escaped the
perlis incident to Indian warfare to fall
sacrifice 10 the clamorings of an impor-
tunate horde of hungry ofice-seekers.
A portion OF the flag stall OF ola TT. Re-
covery, O.. recalls the French and Indian
wars and the early struggles between the
French and ENGLISH on the shores of the
new world. which was thrown open to
Europe bv the dauntless pioneer of
western waters, Christofero Columbo.
A rebel flag from TT. Donelson.
a banner carried by Eerry's Texas
rangers, and large torpedo taken
out OF the Mississippi river near Column
bus. Ky, are among the most interesting
OF the many reminders of the civil war.
The ost unique of the war relics is
letter written on the bark of a tree by h.
NJ. b. Hooker OF the Twentieth regiment.
Indiana volunteers. and addressed TO Gov
ernor Oliver p. Morton, the war governor
of Indiana The letter was written from
Turkey Bend, james river, July a, 1852.
1t is impossible to make out the full text
Of the letter, as old Father Time has left
his impress upon this uniuue manuscript,
but here is that which could be made out
With the naked eve:
Army of the Potomac, Turkey Bend of
James river, July "a 1862.
Tine Hon. Ouver p. Morton-To show
what a soldier eau DO when hard up /
send YOU this specimen. It's tile bark of
a growing tree near our camp"
The remainder of this rather odd aud
interesting letter could not be read as
time had rendered it iilsgible.
4 powder horn made during the revO-
lutionary war divides honors with another
made by John White of Clark county in
the year 1o0S end carried by Capt. Mathis
in the TippecsnOe campaign. and which
did service for the csptain 10 the battle of
Tippecanoe In 1911.
These are only few of the many inter-
esting things in the museum. Mounted
birds, fossils galore. relics OF the early
mound builders and the fast disappearing
red man. antique pottery moulded by the
ancient Incas Of Peru, specimens OF moths,
butterflies aud other insecte papers pub
lshed during the early wears OF the re-
public treasures gathered from Nep-
tunes realm and relics from many paris
of Cd mother earth adorn the cases aud
walls OF the Indiana geological museum.
"BEN-ARDYs."