The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-06-17

Record and Pension Office, War De-
partment, Washington City, March,
%, 1903.
Col. M. P. Tribble, Anderson, S. G..
Dear Sir: The Department having
been advised by Governor Hayward on
the 25ih instant that he will be glad to
cooperate with it in the compilation of
the recently authorized roster OF the
officers and men OF the Union and Con.
federate Armies, and that he has de-
signated you to confer with me relative
to the details of the work, 1 beg leave
to submit the following for your con-
siderstion:
A considerable collection Of South
Carolina Confederate organizations is
now in the possession of this Depart
ment. While that collection does not
by any mean show all the of
the officers and men who were in the
Confederate service from South Caro-
lima, and while it does not show the
complete military histories of those
whose names it does show, it is hoped
that the list of names and the histories
OF individual officers and men can be
made much more nearly complete by
record evidence Obtainable from other
original rolls that may now be in the
possession OF the State of South Caro-
lima, or OF historical S)cieties, memo
rial associations and individuals of
South Carolina and other States.
The legislation authori2'n g the COM
pilati0n OF the roster is construed by
the Department to restrict 1t, in max
ing the compilation, to the use of or
iginal records made during the war
period, and TO preclude the use of
printed or manuscript copies or COM
pilations made subse quently. For this
reason, and in order that there shall
be no ground for doubt as to the ac-
curacy of the proposed roster, the De-
partment will be unable 10 use In the
compilation any of the rosters that
have heretofore been published, but
must in all cases seek the original re-
cords upon which those rosters were
based.
You will readily see that, In order
that the compilation now in progress
shall be as nearly complete as it Is pos
sible 10 make 1T, it is essential that the
War Department shall obtain the TIM
porary loan, for the purpose of copy
ing, of any original official rolls, lists
or other documents that show the
names OF Confederate officers aud men
that are now in tho custody Of State Of
icia,s, historical or memorial associa-
tions, public or private libraries, or
that are In the possession of private
citizens.
1T is improbable for the War De-
partment to communicate with the va
rious holders OF these scattered records
and consequently the Department must
rely upon each State to collect, by loan
or otherwise, such records OF its own
or other Confederate organizations as
may be obtainable within the State,
and to forward the collection when
completed to this Department, by
which the records will be copied and
returned to the State with the least
possible delay. OF course, the express
charges incident to and from the State
will be betrayed by the State.
If 1T occurs to you that a different
plan from that indicated herein should
be adopted, or If during the progress
of the work you can make any sugges-
ton tending to facilitate or improve 1t,
you will confer a favor upon the De-
partment and myself by advising me
freely and fully with regard to your
views.
Very Respectfully,
f. @. AINswoRTH,
Brigadier-G General u. s.. A., Chief re-
cord and Pension Office.