The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-01
CONTAINS MANY RELICS
Many Priceless Relics on Ex-
hibit Within Its Walls; The
Real Shrine of the Confed-
eracy, and Hours Spent in
Mansion by Visitors From
the North
(Richmond Times-Dispatch.)

CRichmond Times-Dispatch.)
Ask strangers what they consider
the most interesting sight around
Richmond. If the visitor ZONES from
the north of the Mason and Dixon
line. or is OF foreign birth. there will
be no hesitancy in the answer.
why. the Confederate Museum, of
course"
And this is true.
For every Richmond man, woman
or child Of Southern birth who visit
the white House of the Confeder-
acy," there are two visitors from the
North, West or foreign shores. This
Is fully borne out by an inspection of
the register in the big museum. Less
than one-third of the names are those
OF people whose descendants fought
for, OF swore allegiance to the lost
cause.
And yet the Confederate Museum
houses the biggest and most import
ant collections of Confederate relics
mementoes Of any single place in
the South. 1t is the real shrine of
the ~Confederacy, n hours are spent
within the historic mansion by visitors
from the North, and hours could be
profitably spent there by the people
Of Richmond.
No Visitor From North Omits Call at
Museum.
The fame of the museum has spread
through the North, and no visitor to
Richmond feels that the visit is com
plete without going through it. Dur
ing the recent convention Of the
American Bankers Association. nun
dredS OF the delegates visited the
place daily, and yet the entertainment
committee. composed Of local men,
knew so little Of its location that the
tickets of admittance had its address
wrong. Recent conventions of South
ern men a W been here. but there
was no visible increase in attendance
during the visits.
The museum is housed in the his
toric residence Of DR.. Brockenborough
at Twelfth n Clay streets. 1t Is a
beautiful example Of the antibellum
architecture, with the small street en-
trance n wide, sweeping porch, with
rear garden. The house was sold to
the city Of Richmond in 1862 for the
use of the Confederate government
The city had furnished it and offered
1T to President Davis, but he had firm.
ly declined to accept the gift. 1t wa:
then rented and occupied by him ant
his family until the evacuation O
Richmond on April IS, 1865.
1t was in this house that Presiden
Davis held frequent conferences will
General Lee, General Jackson am
other great leaders His daughter
Winnie, was born here, and it was b,
q fall from the back porch that hi
little son, Joe. lost his life.
Here also, Abraham Lincoln, Presi
dent of the United States, was receive,
on his visit to Richmond just a fey
days prior to his assassination. Gen
eral Godfrey Wetzel, in command O
the Federal troops. took UP his head
quarters in the building after tn
evacuation, and for five years it wa
occupied by the Federal government
In 1890 fifteen women. members G
the Hollywood Memorial Association
after gathering the dead from man
battlefields n reinterring them i
Hollywood, determined to perpetual
the memory of a just cause n tn
deeds of their heroes by collecting i
a museum, relics, emblemS, document
n other memorials of the war. Mr.
Joseph Bryan headed his body, an
the Confederate Memorial Literary 81
ciety was the outcome.
Was Used as Public Schoo for MAJ
Years.
The Davis mansion had been use
by he city for a school,. Colon
John 3. Cary was elected to the Gil
Council for the express purpose
getting the building for a museum. +
found that this could not be done uni
new school was erected, and throue
his efforts the present Central Scho
was erected and the society was give
possession Of the historic mansion.
After taking out all OF the floo
and stud beams and substituting CO
crete and putting in iron staircase
the museum was made as firepro
as n standing building could. Tn,
began the gathering Of the thousan
Of relics n priceless documents. T
building was thrown open to the pu
lis in 1896. The d%edicatorial seryic
were held on February %. by r,
Moses D.. HOge. D. D. General Bra