The National tribune., 1901-11-07
TROPHIES OF VALOR.
Project to Establish a War Mu=
scum in Washington.
TO ASSEMBLE WAR RELICS.
A Permanent Object Lessen for Future Cen
erations.

The project of establishing War Mu-
scum in Washington Is being favordhly
discussed in military circles. ItlS Is Al
ready Il city of Museums, thee ing
here the great National Museum. the
Smithsonian Institution. Agricultural Mil
scum, Fish Commission ENhlhit. Amy
Medical Museum. that of the L. :. So
Gct Service, and the Navy Iald Museum.
Old soldiers say there is a serious omiS-
sion in the absCncc OF War Museum
They point out thar the civil war relies,
those of the war with y Hiil, the Grant
Sherman and Hancock collections, now
in exhibition cases il the National Mu-
scum. would form Il splendid nucleus Tor
the proposed War Mu*rGaI. not to men
tion the civil war CSa.bttS formerly on cX-
hibilion in what was known as the Ord
lance Museum in the old Niuder Build
ing, on 18th street.
The civil war relics. now on public view
in the National Museum, form most IN
tCrcStiug study of the deadly strife IL the
SOS. and the glass cases containing them
are nearly always surrounded by eager
throngS Of people. The central piece Of
the exhibit is Il section Of a full-grown
oak tree which stood inside the Confed-
crate intrenChmentS near Sp0ttsylYanla
Court House Va. the tree being literally
cut down by musket-ballS during the at
tempt to recapture the works previously
Potomac, during the battle Of SpUttsylva-
MIA Court House. May u, 1861.
Near the bullet-torn OAK stump Is all
that remains of Il United States flag as
il came out of the three days fight at
Salem Church. Salem Rights. Va, early
in May, 1868. There are but Il few faded
shredS of silk left clinging to Il section
of the flagstaff. While carrying this flag
three Cocr-Sergeants We're killed and sew
eral more severely wounded. The Fed
eral forces were under the command of
Gen. William Henry Browne.
The next exhibit is model of the Z.
S. ram Monitor, armed with two 11-lnch
Dahlgren cannon, which craft, known TO
the COnfederatcS as the Yankee Cheese
Box" under the command of Lieut. John
L. Worden, defeated the Confederate ram
Merrimac, i'll Hampton Roads, March s,
1862
Among the flags in the collection is the
garrison flag which fOated over Fort
Meultrie. Charleston Harbor. s. c., and
which was lowered Dec. %. 1860, when
Maj. Robert Anderson. OF the 1st q. S.
Art. with his brave command, evacuated
Fort MOultrie and occupied Fort Sumter.
The flag was secured by his second in
command. Capt. Abner Doubleday, and
was in his possession from 1860 until 1t
was presented to the National Museum
by Mrs. Doubleday.
Then there is the battle-fag of "The
1st Rifles. Vols, {. S. A." which was
captured by the Confederates and found
in their Capitol at Richmond after the |
surrender of that city. This flag is of
silk and badly torn and faded.
Another interesting relic is a copy of
The Nicksburg (Alissl Daily Citizen. |
printed on the reverse side of gaudy |
brand of gold-green-and-red wall paper |
Il was set i'll type July >. 1863, by the |
Confederates. and rciSsued two days later, |
July /, by the Fedcrals upon their occu- |
patton of the city. with the addition of
an explanatory note" written by one of !
the Union officers The leading article |
On the first page Of this queer-looking
newspaper is headed Yankee News from
Ali Points"
The flag which ioated from the peak
of the kearsarge when she brought about
the surrender of the Confederate cruiser
Alabama is another exhibit; also the first
United States flag raised in Richmond af-
ter its surrender to the Federal troops.
Gen. Z. o. c. Ord when he took pos
session Of the Confederate Capital.
Near these flags is a Sharps rifle which
was used in the 1st Regiment of Federal
Sharpshooters, commanded by Col Ber-
dan. and several Confederate battlefags
captured by Gen. Hazen's command.
In an adjoining case is the identical
Dl-
Ellsworth was shot and killed by James
f. Jackson in the Marshall House Alex
andria, Va, May "a, 1861, while he was
ascending to the upper floor TO take down
a secession flag which had been hoisted
by Jackson. By the side of the shotgun
is the regulation rife, with sword-b -bayonet,
with which jackson was shot and pinned
to the floor of the Marshall House after
killing Col. Ellsworth, by Frank E.
Brownell, of the Ellsworth Zouaves. These
exhibits recall yividly one Of the earlier
tragedies of the great civil conflict.
In another case Is the pORderous key
Of the old War Department Building, on
18th street, which weighs about five
pounds, besides numerous old pistols,
swords and other implements of warfare
which were picked up on the battlefelds
OF the South.
Among the Confederate relics is a uni
form coat, Lieutenant of Engineers, G.
s. A, which was worn by Lieut. w. d.
Stokes, who was captured by Federal
troops at Fort Donelson and sent as
prisoner Of war to Johnson's Island. 1t
Is of cadet gray cloth, the collar and
sleeves being trimmed with white cloth
and gold braid.
! relic of unusual interest is the mill
tary coat worn by Col. John f. Mosby,
the civil war. The garment has regular
United States brass buttons down its
front in lieu of those issued by the Con
federacy. The collar and sleeves are
trimmed with yellow cloth, while the col
lar is decorated with three golden stars.
The coat is lined with calico of q black,
purple and white fowered design, and in
places the cloth is badly moth-eaten.
a crossed cannon design, with a red
center containing the figure "3" in gold,
was captured at the battle Of Winchester
from United States Artillery Captain
by Private Wilson, OF the 1st Md. (Con-
federatej Battery. The emblem was worn
by Gunner Wilson until he was captured
by the Federais several months later.
Then there Is Confederate sword,
with buckskin belt attached, which
was drawn from the ordnance stores
at Richmond and carried by Lieut..
Patrick McDevitt, Of the Confederate
army. from 1862 until 1865, in Winfrees
battalion. A 10-barreled revolver lie
Mott patent, carried by a Confederate
and picked up on the battlefield of Viii
sons Creek, Mo, which was fought Aug.
10, 1851. This is q most formidablc-look
ing weapon. rather clumsy in appearance
and very rusty.
When the Union troops entered Rich
mond in 1868 one of the first places
searched was the Executive Mansion, or
W hite House, of the COnfederscy. Among
the articles found there and taken posses
Sion Of WAS a huge decorated china
punch-bowl, and its companion pieces
several similarly designed soup tnreens.
These are now on exhibition in the Ma
tlonal Museum. also an assortment of Of
hclal Confederate Army and Navy
Prayer Books" printed in Richmond
In the last Confederate line of battle
at Appomattox Court House, fought April