Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-08-26

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The fate of the original seal of til
confederacv is not known
So far as we kno > there is II
definite information as to the disposi
tion OF this seal. It presumably wa
Of state, who is usually the custodia
Of the great seal of the government
Inasmuch as the seal is guarded care
fully as the symbol of authority, mucl
care is taken as a rule, to see to i
that in case OF change of capital tn
seal is carried along to the new sea
of government, and it is, therefore
reasonable to suppose that when Pres
ident Davis and his Cabinet mad
their exodus from Richmond, afte
Appomattox, the seal went along il
the custody of Judah p. Benjamin
then secretary of State. II imes-D S
patch.
The above appears editorially in TIN
Times-Dispatch Of August 10.
On Tuesday Hon. Edward Echol
handed us the following which is =,
clipping from the Times Dispatch O
a previous date which is not ascer
tainaMe.
TO the Times-Dispatch
Referring to the republication in
your issue of September l, 1907, of the
l paper of Judge Robert L. Rodgers
of atlanta, Ga, under caption OF
"The Great Seal Of heCanfederacy, ,
space is requested in your valued col
umns for soma facts in regard to the
same.
The Great Seal of the Confederat
States Of America was engraved in
1854 by Joseph S. Wyon of London,
England, and reached Richmond not
long before the evacuation of the city,
April 8, 1865, and was overlooked by
the confederate authorities It snbse
quently fell into the possession of the
late Col Jchn r. Pickett. of Washing
ton. D. G., who, after having a number
# electrotype copies, in gold, sflve,
ana copper plating respectively, made
from it, presented the original te
Col. William E. Earle, of Washing
ton, D. G. This last named gentle
man, On December II, 1888, formal ly
presented it to the state of Souul
Carolina.
It may be assumed that it is duly
preserved at Columbia. Examples, OF
the electrotype may be inspected in
the state library and in the Confed.
crate Museum in this city.
The Southern Historical Society,
not having been provided with seal,
design for one was offered by its
secretary, r A. Brock, which was
adopted by the executive committee
OF the society in meeting held October
26, 1888.
The seal was first used by the so.
ciety in Volume XVI of the Southern
Historical Society papers, 1888, in
which an account Of the adoption OF
and description of each seal respective.
ly appears, pages 416, etc.,
With this article are two cuts OF
the seal, one is reduced size, the
other the regular size. Mr.. Echols
has one of the "electrotype'' in COP
per, which is an exact reproduction
of the original seal and was made by
Col. John 7. Pickett of Washington
in 1874 and in addition he has the
following letter:
j. S. aud A. B. Wyon
Chief Engvrs- of Her Majesty's Seals
Medalist, Jewellers, etc.
297 Regent t. Londo don, w.
Studio and Works, and Langham
Chambers
Portland Place. W.
9th March, 1874.
To all whom it may concern:
| Having received from John T.
Pickett, Councillor -at-law of Wash.
ington City, in the United States Of
America obtained by the electrotype
process. we hereby certify that the
said impression is a faithful repro.
duction of the Identical seal engrav
ed in 1864 by our predecessor, the late
Joseph S. Wyon. Esq, for James NJ.
Mason, Esq, who was at that time
in London, representing the interests
of the Confederate States of which
the seal referred to was designed af
the symbolical emblem of sovereign.
ty.
We may add that it has been the
unva1iable practice of our house tc
preserve proof impressions of all
important seal work executed by us
and on comparison of the i'm
preston now sent as with the
proof impression retained by us, we
have no hesitation in asserting that
so perfect an impression could not
have been produced except from the
original seal. We have never made
any duplicates of the seal in question.
Witness our hands the date above
given.
J. S. and A. B. Wyon.
These papers and seal are the prop.
erty Of the estate of the late Robert
W. Burke. Mr. Echols and Mr.. But.
Ter Burke are his executors. Mr..
Butter Burke finding the seal, the
clipping and the Wyon letter, turned
! them over to MIR. Echols for better
preservation and they are now in the
room Of the president of the Nation.
al Valley Bank. There is no mystery
about the seal of the Confederacy. Il
is certainly in the possession of the
ssate of South Carolina. The electro
tips belonging to Mr.. Burke's estate
is an interesting relic as there is nj
doubt that it was cast from the orig
inal die.