The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22
CONFEDERATE REL1os.
Some Interesting Specimens Owned
by a Washington Woman.
From the Washington Post.


Some ten days since there appeared in
the New York Tribune an account Of a
most interesting and rare confederate
relic, now in the possession Of Walter
Aldrich, the photographer, Of Providence,
R. l. The article referred to stated that
/ the silk bandana handkerchief decorated
with the portraits of jefferson Davis,
| Beauregard, Semmes, Lee, Mason, SlideLl,
Morgan, jackson and johnson was the
only one eXtant of the twelve similar ones
| ordered for the confederate government
| IN England by Judah p. Benjamin. The
account, interesting as it was, turns out
TO be incorrect in the very important
point that similar handkerchief, one of
| the twelve ordered by the former secre-
! tary Of the confederate treasury for the
use of the confederate president and his
cabinet, is still in existence and owned by
| Mrs. William Daingerfield Peachey of
this city. The handkerchief was received
from her father, the late DR.. Mems, who
was surgeon in the confederate army,
but having for many years been In use, IS
not In the best possible state of preServa-
ton. The silk is in many places worn to
ribbons, but the delcacy of the work
manship in the portraits has been in no
wise destroyed. They have the appear
ance of the most delicate etchings, and
are fine HkenesSes Of the confederate
| leaders. The handkerchief owned by Mr..
Aldrich is, like that belonging TO Mrs.
Peachey, one yard square, but whereas
the former has body of red silk, that of
the latter is of white, with a broad blue
border. About each of the vignettes,
which are arranged about the central one
of Jefferson Davis, is wreath of finely
executed cotton plants and fern leaves, a
peculiarly characteristic southern device.
Mr.. Aldrich states that he values the
rare relic now in his possession at 81, 900.
That now in the possession of the Wash
ingtonian is to be mounted upon card
board and framed.
Quite as interesting as the confederate
handkerchief are three ''shinplaster"
notes owned by Mrs. Peachey. These have
been framed between two pieces of plate
glass, so that the back as we'll as the
front can be distinctly seen, and are re-
spectiVely for the sums of 10, 25 and so
cents The first for 10 cents, good for the
years 1S6l-62, is signed by Joshua C.
Gunnell and is stated to be redeemable
at the Office of the sheriff of Fairfax
county. On the back of the originally
perfectly plain note in the form of a sank
check, is pen and ink sketch, the center
piece of which is three stacked guns,
with flags, and grouped about the base
several drums and pile of cannon balls.
At one side of this, in black lettering, is
the pen and ink inscription, "In memo
rlam, war 1861. Great Bethel Bull Run,
Manassas, Springfield Lexington and
Green Brian River" The sketches were
made at Camp Harrison, where the con-
federate army was camped at the time,
by an uncle of the present owner, J. Law
renee Mems, who was ad jutant of the
Eleventh Virginia Volunteers, chief of
staff under Gen. Garland, and was shot
at the battle of Seven Pines.
The "shinplaster" for % cents was is
sued by the town of Leesburg, Va, and
was redeemable on presentation at the
otfice of the mayor, John NJ. Orr, by whom
1t was signed, provided the notes were
presented in sums amounting to IS.
The third note, for 80 cents, was issued
by the corporation of Richmond. On the
back of this note, in addition to the pen
and ink scratches of tented battlefield,
with stacked guns in the foreground, is
the pertinent inscription, "The first
money received in the civil war of 1861
62 as pay by j. Lawrence Mems, adju-
tant Eleventh Virginia Volunteers. y,