The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-10-10

II Mr.. Davis in St. Paul's church al
was ready for immediate removal t,
some spot that might, for the time
be safer
"Wete not the papers destroyed i,
the Perrin home by Mr.. Benjamin
1.-THE secret service papers referred to:
Why had Mr.. Benjamin kept then
so lon? Was it because they were o.
value to the Confederate government
so long as it existed and did he burr
them because there was no longer &
government to which they could be
of use?
Colonel Perrin's daughter says
further that when her father went in.
to the library Mr.. Benjamin pointed
to the official seal which was lying on
the table and said that he did not
know what to do with it, as he could
not burn it and yet he was unwill-
ing for the Federals to get it. Faith
or suggested that he throw it into
the Savannah, which he had to cross
and he said that he would do so.' The
great seal is the traditional official
symbol of sovereignty which must be
affixed to all important state papers,
including proclamations by the Presi-
dent. Why should Mr.. Benjamin
have desired to secrete it or dispose
Of it unless he was convinced that
there would be no, further use for it,
since the Confederate government
had come to an end? If he thought
that the Confederate government still
existed or would continue, the natur-
al thing for him to have done was to
turn the seal over to the President
to be entrusted to his successor, since
the Secretary Of State is the custom
ary custodian of the great seal. What
became of the seal? That question
has never been answered satisfactory
ly. About twenty years ago an Alb
bevile writer in South Carolina
newspaper said that the tradition
here was that the seal had been
dropped into Mr.. Burt's we'll, but the
commoner tradition is that it was
dropped into the Savannah River.
James Jones, trusted negro body SER
want Of Mr.. Davis, said that only he
and Mr.. Davis knew what became of
the seal and that he would never tell
and he never did. About 1913 al
group of patriotic gentlemen of
Richmond were offered an opportu-
nifty to buy the great seal Of the Con-
federacy from a retired rear admiral
Of the United States Navy. After
careful investigation, they became
convinced that the seal was authen-
tic, bought it and placed it in the
Confederate Museum in the former
White House of the Confederacy in
Richmond.
Another interesting statement
made by Colonel Perrin's daughter
ia. Hn:i
"Mr. Benjamin gave father a
handsome inkstand and he gave moth
er small box of loaf sugar and also
about five pounds of tea in a little
box. Mr.. Benjamin and Mr.. Reagan
eft their trunks at our house. Mr.. |
Benjamin afterward had his shipped
70 England, and Mr.. Reagan came
for his in person a few months later.
Messrs. Breckenridge and Benjamin
we're well dressed, but Messrs. NAL |
ory and Reagan looked as if they
had been meeting with all the hard
ships Of war. Messrs. Breckenridge, !
and Reagan seemed to real
ze that great calamity had befallen
IS; but Mr.. Benjamin was more jo-
nal, and did not seem depressed. The
asst named spent good while out
n the garden admiring the flowers
"This is significant as displaying
he demeanor Of Mr.: Benjamin, for
lis good cheer in the face of heavy
misfortune was characteristic. Burton
harrison and others who were in the
Presidential company before it
cached Charlotte noted that, des-
lite hardships, discomforts and ad-
ersity, Mr.. Benjamin was in high
pirits, singing and jest, the life of
ne party. Disaster had again be-
II