The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-15

l am quite tired OF sailing near tho
shore and fishing for archives and
sardines. Now / have been intending
writing you explanatory of delay, but
1t Is -. The aforesaid is yours as
completely as If 1t were in your safe.
But several little things have combined
to Interfere with my plans. One is
that 1t has been traced TO me Don.t
they wish they may get 1t? when
ready, 1 shall go to Boston. IL neces-
sary. to deliver 1t in person to Mrs.
S. Bon voyage.
tsigned) JOHN t. PICKETT"
Capt. T o. Selfridge, U. S. N. Bosto-.''
Washington. May "a. 1873
Captain T. O. Selfridge. U. s. ", Bos-
ton, Mass.
"My Dear Captain:
Home again after few days in
York, Pa, and glad to find yours of
the 21st. There Is no danger of the
aforesaid being known to be In your
possession. In the public notice of IL
which i shall make when my electro
types shall be ready. a few weeks hence,
Is my purpose to create the i'm
preston that l still hold the article.
This will cause fun. You will only
have to keep quiet, which. of course,
you will do.
After all it seems to me that YOU
have overestmated the value of the
thing to yourself-though you are the
better Judge of that. 1 presume that
1t Will ultimately find Its way into tho
possession of the government, where
in default of the establishment OF the
so-called methinks 1t should be. When
you tire of the baublc let me know,
as my old offer will hold good When
you sec the electrotypcs you will not
care SO much for the original. BY tho
way. the clectrotyper is Historically
pledged to secrecy.
tSigncd) John T. PICKETT"
On June 90, 1873, Colonel pickett
wrote to Colonel Charles c. Jones. Jr..
OF New York: L have been so fortunate
, as to rescue this memorial (the sraD
from oblivion aud possibly vandalic
melting pot Git is pure silver and
weighs several pounds. I have had
several electrotypic Impressions Of it
executed. He sent Colonel Jones q
| medallion.
This and other correspondence sus-
tain his statement to Captain Sell
fridge that I intend to create the i'm
preston that | still hold the article
GcnuInencss Proven.
I'm 1918, when the clecrrotypes of the
Confederate seal were on the market
/ doubt was expressed by the public as
ito the Scnulneness of the seal which
! was supposed to be in Colonel Picketts
| possession. whereupon Colonel Pickett
| sent copy to J. :. and 4. b. Wyon vi
| London. successors to Joseph s. Wyvn.
| asking for an affidavit as to the gem
uineness of the impression.
! "Messrs. Wyon forwarded To Colonel
| Pickett certificate and declaration
| to the effect that the impression OBJ
| tanned of the seal was a faithful re-
production OF the Identical seal en-
graved in 1864 by J. ). Wyon, This
declaration sta ted:
1t has been the invariable practice
| of our house to preserve proof i'm
| pressions of all important seal work
executed by us. and on comparison
OF the impression now sent us with the
proof impression retained by us we
nave no hesitation in asserting that 81,
perfect an impression could lot huvn
been produced except from the original
seal. We have never made any du-
plicate of the seal in question"
| I'm conclusion Judge Montgomery
| said
| In an article published in the South
ern Historical Society Papers in 1868
| IT was stated that the seal OF the Com
| federacy was overlooked by the Con-
| fcderate authorities and afterwards
! fell into the hands of Colonel Pickett,
who, after having number of electro
| types made from 1t in copper silver.
| and gold, presented the original II
| Colonel William r Earle. of Washing
| ton. and that this gentleman present.
ed it to the State of South Carolina.
/ l have been informed reliably that Col
onel Pickett did not give the seal to
| Mr.. Earle, and l have been informed'
also on the best authority tnar the
presentation spoken of was one of the
medallions made by Mr. Black
| Judge Montgomery said further that
| he had seen letter in New York
paper signed by w. Mex. Darwood in
| which the writer stated that he visit
ed Trinity College. Cambridge, and was
| shown the seal of the Confederacy.
! presented by Judah p. Benjamin. ana
that he had no doubt that il was still
| there.
| An official inquiry proved that the
seal in England was one of the medal
lions and not the original seal