The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-24
RELICS OF A BRAVE HERO
Two Barrels Of StOneWall Jackson
Medals Found in Savannah.

1nelr history uncertain - mere
They Came From and How They
Came Here Matter Of Conjecture
So Far-The Probable Disposition of
Them.
Quite an historical find was made in
Savannah a day or two ago. 1t was moth
ing more nor less than two bushels Of
Stonewall jackson medals, which have
been lying hidden away in the corner of
warehouse for over a quarter of a cen
fury. How old the medalsuare, or how
long they have been there are questions
yet unsettled. Nobody has yet
been found who can give any
account of the purpose for which
the medals were intended or
the reasons for their being in Savannah
or how long they have been here, or
how they came 20 be here.
So far the consensus Of opinion among
those best posted on such subjects is that
the medals were brought to Savannah just
at the close of the war, when everything
was in great confusion, and were hidden
away to prevent their falling into the
hands of the federal officers.
LOST SIGHT OF IN THE CONFUSION.
In the exciting events which followed
posed TO have been entirely forgotten, or
that the persons who knew of their
presence have died or were killed in the
last days of the struggle Evidently the
medals were not intended for this point
originally, and their being here was prob
ably known to only few.
There is good authority for the belief
that the medals are all or part Of con-
Segment from Paris, ordered struck by
the officers of Stonewall Jackson's COM
mand. shortly after the death of their
great leader, for distribution among the
members Of his command. How they
came to be in Savannah is the pulling
question.
The medals were found in the office of
the old Lamar warehouse adjoining the
Baltimore steamship wharf, by Mr..
Newell West, member of the firm of j.
B. West 4 Co., which has charge of the
property.
CONFEDERATE WAREHOUSE.
This warehouse in common with others
in the same neighborhood was used by
the confederate government for storing
arms and supplies. 1t was here that the
Fingal, the first British steamship to ar
rive in Savannah after the declaration of
war with arms and supplies unlOaded
her cargo. The Fingal was commanded
by Capt. Edward @. Anderson. She was
hemmed in here by the blockaders and
dnding it impossible to get out, she was
cut down and converted into the confed-
crate ram Atlanta. There were numer-
Gus other blockade runners that unloaded
their cargoes at this wharf during the
four years of the war, though blockade
running was not carried on to great ex-
tent at this port on account of the posses
sion of the forts near the mouth of the
river by the federals.
For number of years after the war
the warehouse was used by the Lamar
press, which was afterwards consolidated
with the Savannah Cotton Press Asso-
citation.
WHERE THE MEDALS WERE FOUND.
The warehouse has been used since for
storage purposes. A small Office is
partitioned off at one end next the river.
This has not been used for number of
years Appearances indicate that when the
cotton press company abandoned the ware
house quantity of old stuff was stored
there to get it out of the way, and the Of
flee was then nailed up. The barrels of
medals had probably been standing in a
corner of the warehouse, and were placed
in the office with other rubbish, as it was
thought at the time. 1t is not likely that
anybody connected with the warehouse or
the cotton press knew what the bar
rels contained, as Capt. John r. F.
Tattnall, who has been connected with
| the Cotton Press Association for many
years was utterly unable to account for
| the presence of the medals when told of
the find.
The idea occurred to MIR. T. N. West
recently, to enter the old office and see if
there was anything there which had been
damaged by the August storm.
TWO BARRELS OF THEM.
Two half rotten old barrels standing in
a corner attracted his attention. They APP
| peared at first to contain nothing but old
rubbish. On further examination he
found this rubbish was made up Of rot
| ten cotton, paper, rusty tin cases and old
medals. Rubbing one of the medals up,
he was surprised to find it commemora-
tive of Stonewall Jackson, bearing that
| leaders, likeness on its face, and on the
reverse side list of the battles in which
he was engaged.
| Mr.. West concluded he had made find
of some interest and put several of the
medals in his pocket with the intention of
submitting them to older citizens, who
might be able to give some information as
TO their meaning and value.
Several old residents who were partici-
| pants in the stirring events of Savannah's
history over a quarter of a century ago
were consulted, but none of them could
throw any light on the subject. None of the
older employees of the wharf or of the
]
idea as to how the medals came to be in
the warehouse or how long they had been
there.
CLEw TO THEIR HISTORY.
Mr.. William Harden, the librarian of the
Georgia Historical Society, was the
only person found who could
give any information at all
| A number of years ago a drayman, named
Nolan, found one of these medals on the
wharf, and, being curious to know some
thing further about it, took the medal to
Mr.. Harden. The latter knew nothing of
the medal or its history, but had a wax
impression made of it, which he sent to
| Mr.. Brock, secretary of the Confederate
Historical Association at Richmond. with
a request for such information as he
could give on the subject.
Mr., Brooks reply gave the history of
the medal.
He said that shortly after Gen. Jaclzson's
death the officers of his command, desir-
| ing to have some memorial of him, de-
cided upon a medal which could be dis
tributed among the officers and mem bers
of his celebrated division. The idea
! of the medal was sketched
! but l sent to an artist in Paris who drew
! up a design which was engraved, and
from which number of medals were
| struck
CAME ABOUT TIE CLOSE OF THE WAR.
T, Q-n- i 4