Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-06-30
RELICS OF THE SOUTH
The Confederate Museum In Readiness
for ~ Great Reunion Crowds.
ARrIcls% ON DISPLAY THERE.
Some 81 she Collections Most Inter-
sstfne lid acknowledgements
of the Hooms-nr.cf History OF the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. I'm Charge.

for the reunion, and Is now In reac.ness
to receive the great crowds who Will De
assembled here this week. Many weeks
OF labor have bc expended by the ladies'
In charge of the various rooms In getting
the building IN order and the relics pro-
perry displayed in time for the assem-
bling OF the veterans. The almost endless
task is now completed. and the Jen
Davis Mansion looks as bright and fresh
as IL 1t were only built yesterday. instead
OF more than half century ago.
The walls. both inside and outside, have
been painted stone-gray coloE Each
Southern State has a room, which Is pre-
sided over by regent, vice-regent. al
ternate, and a committee.
The large rear hall has been assigned
to the Solid South. and is used as
general reception-room. To the rlgnt
upon entering the main hallway Is the
Mississippi room, while the southwestern
room on the first floor has been gwen 10
Georgia. This was Mrs. Davis's drawing
room. and in ii on the evening OF June
goth she and her two daughters VIII again
receive, not people OF state or com
many OF friends, but the people OF the
South. who will assemble here Tor the
reunion. Opposite the Georgia room Is
the Virginia room, which already mas
very large and valuable COLLECTION OF
relics, including the original cdslHhs u
the Soldiers and Sailors monument
which was so generously donated ny MT.
Sheppard, the arti.t.
on the second A02r are located tne
rooms of Maryland and South Carolina
on the west side. and Alabama and North
Carolina on the east g, while Ken
lucky has the pretty little ballroom on
this floor. The rooms set apart for reics
from Tennessee. Florida, and Arkansas
Missouri, Louisiana. and Texas are Oh
the third floor. and the basement mas
been entirely given up 10 the Southern
Historical Society fer its home.
HISTORY or TIE MUSEUM.
The history OF the Davis Mansion Is
well known to almost every southerher.
But very little has been written and sald
of that noble band of women who nave
converted II to its present appropriate
uses-the Confederate Memorial Literary
Society. The city purchased TINS pro-
perry in 1861. and upon resaining posses
sion of II from the Federal Government
I'm 1870. converted the mansion into
white uublic school The historic struc-
ture served this purpose for many years,
and it was held as eminently hitting that
the hearts and minds OF southern chh-
dren should be trained and taught Wlthh
those hallowed walls. AS time rolled
on. however, the women OF the south
talked about the need Of Confederate
museum, and the patient set-sac;hcihg
women of Richmond took the forefront
IN This movement. and The results of their
ID faf. m 2
Jen. Davis Mansion, should be located
the Souths great museum. about whicn
there has been so much talk of late. The
Confederate Museum was formally opened
by the Confederate Memorial Literary
Society last winter, and has been very
successful in the matter of securing
relics. articles, documents. ETC, or al
most every description, having some I'M
portant connection with the late war
Some Of the collections of relcs nave
several hundred articles in them, and are
very interesting and valuable.
THE VIRGINIA ROOM.
There are now in the Virginia Room
more than nine hundred relics about
three hundred Of which are books, papers
Confederate notes, and miscellaneous ar
ticles. and are stin TO be arranged. The
room has been partially filed up with
handsome ebony vases, with plate-glass
and lined with maroon velvet made by
the Holms Company, at cost or y "
Oil portraits of noted generals VIII De
placed upon the walls, when there Is
sufficient fund for that purpose.
This room has also issued twenty-five
certificates Of loan for the Virginia Room
The committee regrets very much tha'
they have been forced TO return some
and decline other Confederate uniforms
for want OF space to put them. and be-
cause of the difficulty Of keeping then
from moths. p inform from each branch
~ the Con 1.e States army-servic,
will be all =, "a Tow be taken. Boxes
OF relics ~ zen received from Alex
andria, L. irg. Norfolk. Louisa,
Palmyra, g lnchesier, and others are
expected flseI work remains yet to BE-
done, and in me hurry Of getting ready
for the reunion articles may not be
placed as satisfactorily as they should
be. The work was begun in the Virgins
Room in March.
The lists Of relics In many OF the rooms
are too voluminous 10 be published il
full: hence only the most important ar
ticles are here enumerated. FOLLOWING
IS a partial list Of the most valuable
relics in the Virginia Room:
Military coat and the boots worn ,o'
General r. Il. Lee at the surrender
Appomattox. These were sent 10 Parl
and used in modelling the equestrian
statue of General Lee and also used b,
Mr.. Valentine in modelling the recumDen
statue of General Lee at Lexington.
Tin-cup carried and used in camp durln!
the war by General r. Il. Lee; same styl'
as those used by the private soidler
Taken from his camp chest by PERMISSION
of Colonel Walter Taylor, OF Norfolk, va.
by Captain Sally Tompl<ins, OF the Robert
sor Hospital, a private hospital carrie
on by her for sick and wounded soldiers
Register of the Confederate Robertson
Hospital, corner of Third and Man
streets. Richmond, Va. Kept by Captain
Sally ID. Tompkins. from August II, 1851
10 June 49, 1856.
Mag of Culpeper Minute Men, with core
and tassel Presented by the ladies o
the county in 1859. two years before IN
war. to the Culpeper Minute Mem; use'
during two years of the Confederate wa
on the battle-6elds.
Battle-nag OF the Thirteenth Virgins
Infantry made OF the bridal robes of Mrs
A L. Hill. Presented by her TO tina
regiment while they were encamped a
Hatcher's Run in 1864.
Handsome scarf sent by an English al
xnirer TO General X. T.. Lee. Ii was giyel
20 a friend by Miss Mildred Lee.
Saw made by Captain Cussons when a
Johnson's Island TO make his escape.
Work-box representing a book. mad
the day after the battle OF Manassas fror
q piece OF a blown-up caisson beiongin!
TO the enemy. Sunday. July q, 1861.
Three keys of the War and Paten
Office, Confederate states of America
Richmond. Va.
Photograph OF General Lee, with swor
given him by the State of Virginia
Epaulettes worn by Lieutenant w. i
Gum, OF the Henrico Southern Guard
afterward lieutenant OF the Nelson Ligh
Artillery.
Form OF oath taken before entering IN
service OF tho Confederate States o
America.
Haversack OF General j. E. y. Stuart
aIven by Mrs. Stuart TO Mr. Ardrn1r Z "a I