Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-14
RECEIVES MANY LETTERS
AS TO CONFEDERATE BILL
III. ID. Allen. Of Boston. Seeks Idcn-
tity OF Picture ON Ten
Dollar Note.
WIDE INTEREST IN SEARCH
Question May BE Taken Up at Annual
Reunion of United Confederate
Veterans in Birmingham This
Wcck-Reward Is offered.


Wcck-Reward is offered.
TO the Editor of Tho Tmes-Dispatch:
Sir,-on my return home from visit
to your delightful city, | am obliged
to report little or no progress in solv
ing the mystery Of the now famous
Confederate bill Of September =. 1861.
The man whose picture adorus the bill
has been called for fifty years William
son s. Oldham. a Confederate states
Senator from the State OF Texas For
proof that il is not Mr.. Oldham. see
"a Comprehensive History OF Texas"
by Dudley g.. Wooten. Vol. .. page la.
Further than this. why should his like
ness have been put on bill rather
than, for instance, Edward {. EimOre.
who was the Treasurer of ;hc Con-
fcdcracy" As YOUR readers may be In
tercstcd in what I am doing. let me
say that ann assembling a collection
of Confederate money. to present TO
tho public library Il; Brooklinc, Mass.
The exhibit Will he framed under
glass. and under each bill will he placed
a tSpe-writtct historical note. covering
everything Of interest that | am able
10 uncover ! have been working on
my historical notes for over a year.
and YOU would he amazed at the results
OF my research work | aim TO make
this a permanent historical exhibit for
southern libraries 10 copy. il they wish.
10 see and enjoy ] have accounted
for every bill issued by the Confed-
cracy but this one. which still! eludes
me. Here is the picture Of a man in
middle age. who should have lived
Twenty-Five years longer. which would
bring il TO. say. 1890 Since then only
twenty-five years have elapsed, and it
seems incredible that no one knows
who IL is. The bill was engraved by
LeEEct,, KcatinEc & Bail. and was
printed and issued in Richmond
HAS HAD MORE THAN
800 LETTERS ABOUT bill
have had upwards of 400 letters
from all over the South, and all kinds
Of EuesSes. hut no actual proof. am
in touch With three large libraries in
Boston. and have looked up carefully
every reference or suggestion sent me,
hut without definite result. OF course,
realize that from the Older people
of tho South must come the informa-
lion. and somewhere in Richmond feel
sure the data can he found.
am Offering reward Of sen TO the
first person who will give ne proof
OF who It is, with q small card photo
graph, duplicating the picture on the
bill. This whole thing is ~ labor Of
love" with me. hut am most anxious
for historical purposes, TO secure tho
information.
The candidates for honors who have
been suggested To me arc: William l..
fanccy, Howell Cobb, Abraham Lin
coin Gmpossiblc). Alex. II. Stevens. JEFF
fersou Davis. II. NJ. r. Hunter, John H.
Reagan. Andrew Johnson Senator Orr
Of South Carolina; Governor Watts, Of
south tar"liua: Franklin Pierce. Gov
crn"r Hamilton, Of Texas: Robert
T"omhS. Thomas t"rwiu. Governor oC
OHIO; George y. Trcnholm Patrick
Henry. Lieutenant Thomas L. Hagen.
of the Confederate States Navy
Inc picture hin G.
some Of the above slightly. hut only
slightly II is astounding that such
u state "f affairs should exist "a view
az the hundreds OF volumes that have
been written on Confederate history.
In July, 1919, very complete work on
Confederate money was issued by VIII
liam West Rradhccr. Of Mt Vernon,
y y. II shows vast amount OF study
and research. and is now the standard
work Of it's kind, aud will lac for wears
10 como. MIR. Bradbccr list. our IA.
NOUS $40 hil! as being "a portrait 81
Edward { Eimorc, the Treasurer Of
the 'onfcderacy, but submits no proo,
~ his hook beyond the bare Statement,
or claim
TREASURER ELMORE:'S son
SAYS Ir ~ NOT HIS FATIIED
Within the last few days learn from
Mr. Bradhcor that he was in Eichmond
some years ago, and showed the hill
10 group Of elderly gentlemen. who
had been connected with the Conred.
crazy, and on" 81 them exclaimed
Why, that Is my'olf Ross Ed E.lmore
and the gentleman making the remark
was j. e. Joplin. ~ your city II is
strange. hui, called ON Mr. Joplir
ON the Saturday before Easter Sunday
and showed him one Of the bills. anc
he did not seem to know who /, was
~ the time. however. did no, know
that - was he who had prcviousl,
stated TO MIR. Bradberr that IL was
Treasurer Elmorc am in touch VIII
Mr.. Eimore's son. Hon Edward G. III.
more fBoN li2. Columbia. s. Cl, amc
ne says the picture Is not his father
and your readers viii see III the Anr;,
1915. number OF the Confederate V,t.
eran a likeness Of Mr.. Elmorc ,aIso ?
sketch Of his Nfeb which would sccu
10 bear out the claim tina, i, IL no,
Mr. Elnore. The more deeply | dclvf
into this mystery. the more fascinating
II becomes. and the more determined
am 20 solve IT. ] Respectfully submit,
that Richmond should furnish the evi.
fencc but wouldn't IL be a corkinS
Joke II settled this whole matte,
from Boston. with the whole South a,
heid ! an, fully aware Of condition,
as they existed III Richmond at the
close Of IN" war They We're neces
SarllE chaotic, but the biz was issuee
three years before that time aut
definite knowledge should. and I he
!icve docs. exist II the picture hat
been ono OF some obscure man or f.
there had been nix-up Of photo
graphs by the cugravers and an I'm,
known man put ON The bill hy n,is.,i,.
there would havc been q hue and cry
and history OF thc error. ,ha, Noui,
have lasted TO this day. hut nothing o
the Kind appears OF record so ina
We must conclude that Il was a vel
known and prominent man. and orc a,
fairly entitled 20 the honor as Alex
andcr !! Stevens