The National tribune., 1906-09-13
A WONDERFUL MUSEUM.
The LarEest Collection Of Relics and
CuriOS Pertnininx to the War of the
Rebellion in Existence.


Editor National Tribune: In your is
sues of the e1st and 2Sth OF June I no.
tice articles regarding collections Of war
relics. and Comrade Sithern. in the one
of the 2Sth. says: III any one can beat
this trot him OUT
In the matter of hardtack. have a
Confederate one. which was taken from
a bombproof in Fort Wagner. on Nor
ris Island. S. c.. directly after it's cap
ture by our troops in 1863. and which
was made in Liverpool. England ESQ
stamped on it).
Confederate papers? Yes, have
some. and they number between 1900
and 1.500. including a file of the Hous-
ton (Tex) Telegraph. 1S62-1S65. The
issues are of all shapes and sizes. and
the paper on which they are printed Is
Of the colors of the rainbow. including
brown. yellow, dark blue, etc. This file
is doubtless unique. as a letter in my
possession from a member of The then
office force says: THE only complete G
file of the Telegraph of which 1 have
ever known was destroyed when th.,
home of Mr.. Cushing. the editor. was
burned some years ago" There are
about 500 papers in this file, and nearly
all of them have the name of the one
subscriber.
/ have a complete file of the Index.
weekly journal (printed in London)
devoted to the exposition of the nu-
tual interests. political and commercial.
of Great Britain and the Confederate
States of America, containing the latest
intelligence from the SOUTH Vol. I.
No. l, contains the salutatory. and Vol.
;. No. 512, the valedictory. and is en-
titled. Our Last Number" This ma-
lignant and vituperous publication was
barred from the mails of the United
States. but some of the numbers ran
the blockade. 1t is bound in five vol
umes and is in as fine condition fbeing
fresh and clean) as when published.
There are only three other complete
files known in the United States. the
Government having a part of a file.
/ have also about 200 War Maps,
many being Confederate. including the
one (of which only a very few We're
made for the highest officers) which is
the identical map used by Gen. Robert
l.. Lee. commanding Confederate
armies, at his headquarters; also, one
that was taken by the COnfederates
from the dead body of brave Gen.
Phil Kearny (who had only one arml. I
have 5000 Union war envelopes, with
sentimental verses and patriotic en-
blems. $50 Union penny ballads. Over
200 Confederate war envelopes with
appropriate verses and emblems.
end $50 Confederate penny bal
laa:. etc, about 1000 in all, no dupIi-
Gates. 1 have many Confederate manu-
script books. including two letter books
of Gen. II. P. Bee. c. S. A. one of them
being the official correspondence be-
tween Gen. Bee and the Mexican Gen.
Lopez.
Of commissions I have many. includ-
ing a complete set of is from gradUa
ton diploma at West Point to Major
General
In relics pertaining to John Ossawa-
tamie Brown I have the sword (Damas-
Gus bIade) that he used in Kansas. and
which he surrendered at Harper's Fer
ry. the first handouts that were placed
upon him, and some 30 other articles
owned by him or pertaining to him.
I have the revolver carried by Gen.
U. S. Grant throughout the war, and
some 25 other articles that were his
personal property or were intimately
with him.
In this collection is a bronze life
mask Of President Lincoln. made by
the great artist, Volk. of which there
are opIy three others In existence, and
some 80 other articles which were own
ed by the martyr President. or were in
close relation to him. Also. here is tie
gauntlet glove of Gen. T. J.
Jackson; the saddle OF JEFF.
ferson Davis. President C.. S. A: a
Navajo Indian, Mexican blanket. in the
Mexican National colors, with the coat
of arms of Mexico Can elegant thing)
This was presented to Gen. Lee, COM
C. S. A., by a Mexican official
and later, by Mrs. Lee. to Guillaume. u
famous Confederate artist (who painted
the equestrian portraits of Lee and 9TH
cr prominent Generals of the COnfed-
eracy). With this is an autographic
letter from Mrs. Lee to the artist.
Also, I have the compass stand of the
brave old Kearsarge and the forward
starboard gangway board of Farragut's
flagship, the Hartford. The starboard
side of the vessel is the one of honor.
and only high ranking officers pass in
and out of this gangway. and this cary
ed board" is polished on the top as
smooth as glass by the hands of the
great Captain and his officers.
The collection of relics is contained
In glass cases, in a room 20 by 40 feet
(and it would properly fill three such
rooms), is catalogued-some 200 titles
(about 5000 items).
The literary collection is in the room
above (of same dimensions). and has
about 5000 catalogued titles (some 25.-
900 items). All of the important pieces
are vouched for by sworn affidavits of
the strongest nature from persons of
character. Gen. Marcus J. Wright, who
was connected with that great history.
the War of the Rebellion Records, from
it's beginning, as agent for the y. S.
III it's publication. wrote
me: "I am confident that you have the
most complete and valuable records.
etc, of any man, North or South" And
IL any one was competent of judging, 1t
was he.
OF course. only a hint of this collec
ton can be given here. as the catalogues
consist of 1875 pages of typewriting,
each page 13 inches in length.
AS to Revolutionary sires, I had two
great-grandfathers in that war Zone on
the paternal and one on the maternal
sde), one being killed and the other
severely wounded, both in the same
battle. My own service in the war of
the rebellion was in the 127th N. Y.
and the 23d U. 8. c. T., being mustered
out at the close of the war.
I have been a subscriber to The Ma
tional Tribune for many years. and
have a complete file from 1877 (when
being % years. The first IT years are
nicely bound, and all are in fine condi-
ton I consider this file of The Ma
tional Tribune one of the most valuable |
of war histories in existence, there be- |
ing so much in 1t that will never get |
into the books.
This communication Is not intended |
as being egotistical. but is in answer to
Comrade Sithern's dare" If any COM |
rade Cor others interested) wishes to |
view this historical collection, he will |
be cheerfully welcomed. as have been
a multitude in the past.-James w.