Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-18
Mr.. Rovss's PROPOSITION.
A Letter from General Dabney II. Maury
In Regard to L.


in Regard to It.
In view OF Mr.. Rousss generous pur-
pose to collect and preserve the records
OF the Southern Confederacy, Il is well
to recall the work Of the Southern HIS
toricai Society:
In May. 1858, nine OF us met In the Of
fee OF Hewitt & Norton. In New Orleans.
to consider how We could rescue the hiss
tory OF the Southern Conlcderacy from
destruction and secure It for rosterity.
After discussion we agreed to meet again
In the same place the next week. and u
interest more OF our people In the work.
Those present at the hrst conference
were: Generals Dick Taylor. cadmus
Wilcox. Dabney Maury, Charles Ia q.
Dupuy, Mike Klusky, George Norton,
and three others, not remembered.
At the next meeting forty gentlemen
met DR.. B. NJ Palmer was appointed tn
1raw up an address TO the southern
people. and was elected president OF tho
society. DIR. Joseph Jones was made sec
retary. Kindred societies were organized
In the other Southern States. For several
years our work made little progress.
until 1873. when general convention oe
delegates from all Of the Southern State
met at the Montgomery White sulphur.
Springa With profound respect for al
the conventions ever held In Virginia
none more able. distinguished. and proud
ever met together In our country than
that convention OF the Southern Historical
Society. President Jefferson Davis was
chairman! Governor John Letcher. Gen.
erals Joe Johnston, ISeaurcgard. Juhal
Early. Cadmus Wilcox. Hampton. and
Butler, and Preston. and Steven %. Lee.
a.xI At,, a
statesmen took counsel together there for
many days. and placed the Southern
Historical Society upon the footing which
has, during the past twenty years, ac-
complished SO much In rescuing tho re-
cord OF our people In their great struggle
for a separate nationality.
After careful discussion. the Southern
Historical Society was organized upon
the basis which has done SO much for
history. General Jubai Early wos mada
president; Colonel George Wythe Munford
vas made secretary, and General Dab
ney H. Maury. who had originated thu
movement, was made chairman OF tho
Executive Committee. A room In tho
Capitol Of Virginia was accorded TO US,
and there for many years have been re-
ceived and nlei the papers from every
State IN the Confederacy. upon which our
record now safely rests.
When Mr.. Belknap was Secretary OF
War he applied 10 us fer access TO these
archives. lie was told when you open
yours to us, you shall have free use OK
ours" This he declined.
Then when Cameron was Secretary or
War; In Grants second term. the PROPOSE
! tion was again made to US TO open our
records TO the government, without per-
hitting US to use those IL the Record
Office. In Washington. Wo declined 20 do
so
When Mr. McCrunry became Secretary
of War under Mr.. Hayes. hs wrote ~
| letter which was sent TO ME by tho hand
| OF General Marcus j. Wright. proposing
| free interchange OF papers between tat
| Southern Historical Society and tho War
| Records Office. This s-was promptly agreed
| TO by us. And thus the war Records off-
cials have been publishing for many
years the official reports OK battles and
armies OF both Confederates and Fede-
rails And we have the satisfaction OF
having placed the history OF that contest
fairly before the world.
Meantime. we have for years been pub
fishing annually our own southern his'
torical papers, OF which twenty volumes
have been sent out to historians In every
part OF our country.
When the Count de Paris uttered his
history. SO full of error General Early
took hin In hand. proved his inaccuracys
and so impressed him that hs sent US
an application for life. membership on
our society. with checx Tor $50. In order
that in future writings he might have
access to both sides Of the story.
Recently the city Of Richmond has given
to us and TO the women OF tho South tina
house once appropriated to tho President
OF the Southern Confederacy. where
museum OF Confederate relies Will ba
preserved and also the archives or tha
Southern Historical Society. unless pro-
vision be made for their preservation IN
the new fre-proof library OF tho State oi
Virginia. just completed.
For a year past the Westmoreland Clun
has been collecting portraits OF dlstin'
guished Confederates. We have already
fine portraits of President Davis, Generals
Joe. Johnston. Lee. Jackson. Beauregard.
Hardee, Steven ID. Lee. A. Il. Hill;
bust OF Governor John Letcher. me
portrait OF Governor and General smith;
good likenesses OF General Dick Page.
Generals Sterling Price, Fitz Lee. and
NJ. G. Butler. and have been promised por'
TRAIN OF Admirals Tatnall and buchanan
Fleet-Surgeon Lewis Minor, Generals
Hampton, Walthall. John u. Gordon
Eppa Hunton, and william Payne.
We greatly desire q good portrait OF
General ". u. Forrest. and many o,hers
which we cannot afford 10 buy.
The Westmoreland Club Is much VISITED
by southern people. It II well secured
against fire, and Mr.. Rouss may do well
TO cooperate with US in our work.
DADNEY IL. MAURrs