Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-06-22

the Historic Bu1l01n8.
A natural picture of one of the great
| est events in the history of the world
| is to be preserved in its pristine form
as an object lesson for the peoples of
| all times and all chimes, says the Wash
| ington Star. 1t is the famous Mclean
| farmhouse at Appomattox, Va, where
the grim and gray clad veterans of the
| Army of Northern Virginia, commanded
by General Robert Z. Lee, finally sur
rendered to General L. S. Grant and the
| Army Of the Potomac. This Virginia
| picture will serve ever as a reminder
| of the fact that an indissoluble reunion
resulted from the AppomattoX surren-
| der, and it will also serve as a constant
| reminder of the immortal words of
| General Grant, addressed to his coun-
| trymen north and south, Let us have
peace"
The matter of preserving the Mclean
| house is in the hands of the Appomat-
| toX Surrender House association, of
| which Mrs Christine Walton Dunlap
| of Washington is secretary. The his
| torical and patriotic project is Endorsed
| by both President Roosevelt and Sec
| rotary of War Taft, besides many
| other distinguished Americans in both
civil and military life.
In a recent communication to Mrs.
Dunlap the president of the United
| States said:
Ny Dear MADAME of course cordially
sympat hize with the movement for the
restoration of the Mclean farmhouse at
ApPomattox to the condition in which it
formerly was. 1t then to be turned over
| to the government as peace memorial.
| as set forth in your communication Of
| the 18th inst. Wishing you all success liz
| your efforts, L am sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Secretary of War William H. Taft in
his communication to Mrs. Dunlap,
says:
have your favor concerning the APP
pomattoX Courthouse matter. and L think
the action which you propose, of purchas-
ing and repairing the Mclean house and
then turning it over to the government as
| a peace memorial, would be Il very excel
lent and commendable thing to do
At recent meeting of the associa-
board were elected as follows:
President, General John Il. King,
Baltimore, Md; vice president, Mrs.
Ellen Spencer Mussey, Washington;
secretary, c. W. Dunlap, Washington;
treasurer, w. y. Norton, Washington.
Trustees, General John r. King, Mrs.
Ellen Spencer Mussey, Representative
Henry ID. Flood of Virginia, Mrs. Mel
lie Underwood, C.. w. Dunlap and
Major Frank A. Butts.
Advisory board General s. s. Bur
dett Colonel Charles Partridge of Chi
cago. Colonel J. Edwin Browne COM
mander in chief of the Army and Navy
union; Major f. II. Hodgson, COM
mander Spanish War Veterans: Major
H. L. Dean. commander in chief Union
Veterans union: Senator Charles Dick
of Ohio. Senator William Warner of
Missouri, Representative Joseph A.
Goulden of New York and William
Hamilton Bayly, past president of the
Sons of the American Revolution.
Three members of the board are yet
to be chosen.
The governor of New York and his
staff recently visited the old Mclean
house, ana it is proposed that each state
that was represented at the surrender
at AppomattoX erect there n peace
monument. 1t is proposed by the as
ISOLATION to raise n fund of $4,000 for
the purposes set forth I'm fits prospectus.
These are in part as follows:
TO acquire the property without ex-
pense to the government other than
such as may be involved in its care
and maintenance thereafter. The pros
pectus also says the Mclean house
was taken down about 1901 with the
idea that it should be rebuilt at the
Worlds Columbian exposition In Chi
cago. The material from the house was
carefully stored upon the ground and
has been carefully protected against the
elements. Plans and photographs were
taken so that it may be reproduced
to conform in every particular to the
original. For nearly fifteen years the
material has been preserved, but soon
the waste Of time and the destroying
hand of the relic hunter will efface
what remains Of the house that stood
upon this historic spot unless prompt
action is taken to arrest this disaster.
1.-The honest pride of duty, nobly
DONE" say the projectors. (which leads
patriotic survivors to mark with en-
during monuments the scenes of heroic
valor on memorable fields has led vast
numbers of both Union and Confed-
crate veterans to demand peace mon
ument there. Various bills have been
introduced in congress for this pur-
pose, but have been unsuccessful, and
now 1t is the purpose of few patriotic
people to form an association under
the laws Of Virginia and to sell GER
tifcates of membership, the proceeds
to be used in the acquisition and res
toration of the property. A deed for
the land and material is to be placed
in escrow with some approved trust
company, to be delivered when the
agreed price has been paid.
"The Mclean house is the most
widely known as IT is already the most
interesting of all noted houses in