The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-25
How They Found Their Way to Sa-
Vannah Early in The 70'S.

OF blockade runners into Wilmington
and the medals were brought into that
port on one Of his vessels. From Viii
mington they were shipped 10 Augusta,
where they remained until several years
after the war, when they were brought
70 Savannah by MIR. c. NJ Cunningham,
Col. Lamar's sOn-in-law, and stored in
the Lamar warehouse.
FOR JACKsoN's ADMIRERS.
Col. Lamar's intention was 20 dispose
of the medals in the south among Stone
wall Jacksou's admirers. but he was
busily occupied with the closing scenes of
the war after MS return from Eu-
rope, and was killed at Columbus
Ga, at the occupation Of that city by the
federal troops az the very close Of the
hosulities.
Col Lamsr's widow, Mrs. C. AL.
Lamar, and her five daughters, Mrs. 7. NJ.
Cunningham, Mrs c. NJ Cunningham,
Mrs. f. G. duBignon, Mrs. c. 3. Malone
and Mrs. Mary Lamar HuZer are all
well known residents. When they read the
account in the MOANING News Yesterday
of the interest that was created by the
discovery Of the metals and the supposed
mystery surruuEdin them. they were very
much surprised. Their surprise was
not unmixed with ch4gri1, as they con-
sidered the medals their property and
that they should have been informed of
the supposed discovery.
STORY or TIE MEDALS
The story Of the medals as told BY Mr..
G. M Cunningham Is IN Interesting one
when Col. Lamar was in Paris in
1868 he said, he saw these medals on
exhibition. Whether they had been
made on the orders OF the StOnewalI
jackson brigade do not know. but the
impression nave always had, was that
they were made by the manufacturer as
a speculation. he being familiar with
the esteem in which Gen. Jackson was
held in the south and expecting to find
large sale for them in this section. Col
Lamar invested IN quite q large quantity
OF the medals with this IDEA in view and
shipped them TO this country by one of
the blockade runners in which he was
interested. | do Eot know the name of
the vessel, as there were several in which
he was interested. The shipment of
medals reached Wilmington the latter
part of 1868 and were sent from there
to Augusta, where they were stored
10 await Col. Lamar's orders. There was
no opportunity of disposing of the medals
In the condition of affairs that prevailed
in the south at the close of the war, and
Col. Lamar's death in 1865 prevented him
from carrying out his intentions with re-
gard to them.
BROUGHT TO SAVANNAH.
"The medals remained in Augusta until
1871, when we were notified of their pres
ence there and asked what disposition
should be made of them. / had them
brought to Savannah By steam
boat and stored them in the
Lamar warehouse. There were several
barrels Of them. b mum Der of the medals
had been given to his children by Col.
Lamar, and after they were received
here l disposed of several here, so their
presence in Savannah was no secret at
that time
Aone-armed confederate veteran named
Pitman, who knew of the existence of the
medals here, thought he could make a
good thing of it by disposing of them
among the old soldiers in Virginia.
l entered into an ARRANGEMENT
with him for that purpose,
and shipped him four barrels of the med
ais. Here comes the funny part of the
story:
"The people of Virginia, who knew
Stonewall jackson well declared that his
pretended likeness on the medals was
not Jackson's at all, but bore nearer re-
semblance to Abraham Lincoln. They
declared that it was an attempt to prac-
tlce base imposition upon them, and
Putnam was actually run out of three or
four towns where he tried to dispose of
the medals, This was the last l ever
heard of him and what became of his
stock of medals don't know.
WHY THEY WERE THROWN ASIDE.
"This led us to believe that the medals
were worthless and no more attention was
paid to them. This explains why they
were treated as so much rubbish and
were allowed to remain neglected for so
long. Naturally we were surprised when
we found what an excitement had been
created by their accidental discovery in
the warehouse. What will be done with
the medals now do not know. Mrs La
mar and her daughter will probably de-
eide upon that"
Mrs. @. VI. Cunningham has breast
pin and pair of earrings which were pur-
chased in Europe by her father in 1868 to
which considerable interest attaches as
relics The story is that a Baltimore
young lady, of ardent southern tenden-
cies, who was in Italy during the war,
was being much admired by an Italian
count, whose acquaintance she had made
Desiring to present her with some
testimony of his esteem, the count
had the breast pin and ear
them to her. they are of Roman mosaic,
representing the confederate colors, the
stars and bars, in miniature, with the let
tiers &C. S. A" in monogram under the
flag. The representation is perfect, and
the workmanship is most artistic. The
young lady desired to return to her home
in Baltimore before the close of the war.
but was afraid to undertake to pass the
United States custom house officers in
New York with these rebel" ornaments
on her person. Meeting Col. Lamar in
Paris she offered him the
ornaments. He purchased them
from her and afterwards pre-
sented them to his daughter, who still
has them.
JACKsoN's VETERANS INTERESTED.
The story of the finding of the medals
attracted immediate attention, as it was
anticipated it would, from the soldiers of
Stonewall Jackson's old commands and
confederate veterans generally as we'll.
DIR. l., G. Vass received q telegram from
Maj Charles 5. Arnall, of Atlanta, yester-
day, asking him to look out for and pro
tect the medals commemorative of Stone
wall jackson.
DIR. Nass is himself a survivor of the
Stonewall brigade, having been chaplain
in the Twenty Virginia Infantry,
part Of the brigade. Mai Arnall was
adjutant of the Fifth Virginia Infantry.
DR.. Vass was very much interested in the
finding Of the medals, but he said he was
unacquainted with their history, as they
must have been ordered after he had left
that command. DIR. Vass said the medals
would prove interesting relics in after
years, and thought they should be pro-
tected. When shown one of them, he