The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-13
PERUSAL OF OLD LETTERS
THEY ARE DISCOVERED BY STATE
LIBRARIAN HENRY.
Relics of the War Were Closely
Hendricks's Letter.

State Librarian w. E. Henry was en-
gagged in rummaging about among some old
books yesterday afternoon when he STUN
bled onto a find in the shape of some
very old and very interesting letters. He
was engaged in brushing the dust of many
years from these documents and perusing
their contents yesterday afternoon when a
reporter entered his room.
Here are some letters you will want to
look at" was Professor Henry's greeting.
He was quite right. The letters, which
were yellow with age, were indeed of in
terest, both from an antiquarian stand
point of view and because of the nature of
their contents. One letter. dated in the
early seventies. was written by the Of
fcers of the German Veterans Association
OF this city, accompanying the return of
their battle flags to the state library, which
was at that time the place for the deposit
of relics. The librarian was Miss Sarah
Oren, VINO was carefully warned that the
veterans reserved the right to take the
flags out of her custody again, when they
might be needed for parade purposes. Since
that time the geological museum ha' been
designated by statute as the proper place
in which flags and other war relics may
be kept, and the law also forbids the flags
to be removed from the custody of the
geologist. This is for the reason that the
emblems of battle are by this time in an
advanced stage of disintegration, and
many of them would probably fall to pieces
If taken down from their cases in the
museum. The question of the advisability
of allowing the flags TO be removed from
the Statehouse arose as early as May,
1873.
LETTER OF INTEREST.
On the 18th day of May in that year Mrs.
Oren received a letter on this subject as
follows:
I'm answer to your question as TO
whether the regimental flags ought to be
allowed to go out for purposes of decora-
ton on public occasions, we would give il
as our opinion, in view of their frail con-
dition and liability to destruction, that it
would be prudent in you to decline to al
low them to go out of your charge. We
should regret to displease any of the living
defenders of the country by such refusal,
but think that their respect for the memory
of the dead, as well as our own, will con-
cur in the course which will longest pre-
serve these memorials OF their valor."
gravest moment was attested by the fact
that the letter bore the signatures of Thos.
rotary of state; James A. Wildman, auditor
of state, and John b. Glover, treasurer of
state. The flags must have been very badly
injured in the war, for at that time the
oldest of them could not well have been
over twelve years of age, and yet the letter
refers to them as being frail and liable
TO destruction.
Another interesting document was an au-
tograph letter written by Governor Hen
bricks, and evidently the same letter was
| sent to each of the state officers, since it
was addressed to nobody in particular. The
contents of the letter are:
II think Ii desirable that the public dem
onstration and parade in connection with
the State Exposition on tomorrow should
be encouraged. and that all should have the
opportunity TO participate therein, and
therefore / have ordered that the executive
| department shall be closed during the same
after 10 o'clock a. m, and l think similar
offices will be proper. should there be no
public business requiring immediate atten-
ton"
REFERRED TO STATE FAIR.
This letter bore date Sept 1s, 1876. and
referred to the State fair. 1t was written
on paper of excellent quality and at tie
| head was a picture of the old Statchouse,
which occupied only a small part OF the
| tract of ground on which the handsome
new Capitol building now stands. The To-
| cation of the old building was On the south
| east corner of the grounds, and the vacant
| space on the north was used FOR "A milit9ry
| parade ground. Governor Hendricks's let
ter also shows that formality or red
tape held stronger sway In State official
circles formerly than is the case now.
| Whenever any of the State officers desired
| to witness a parade or street Demonstration
| OF any kind nowadays they 90 not have
| TO send each other word to that effect and
formally close their offices, but, instead.
rush like a lot of lively schoolboys. pell-
nell. out of the big doors of the State
| house and look at the event until they are
tired. returning again to their offices and
| taking UT the affairs OF state where they
left of.
Still another letter was from United
| States Pension Agent Terrell and conveyed
| TO Mrs. Oren certain relics taken from a
young Indian chief named Santana in
| Texas. The relics consisted OF a bow and a
number of arrows. together with certain
articles of wearing apparel Mr. Terrell
said that when Santana was captured by
United States troops he was In the State
of Texas on a pony-stealng expedition
The young Indians father at that time
(which was early in the seventies) was in
the government prison on a charge Of
murder.
Grnnd's Change OF Bill.