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Editorial paragraph.
W. W. Corcoran,
Esq., our
Vice-President for the District of Columbia, has again shown his appreciation for our work in a way which the following correspondence will explain:
My Dear Sir,—I have just obtained a very interesting and valuable document—being the original ‘Constitution for the
Provisional Government of the
Confederate States of America,’ bearing date February 8, 1861, and signed by the representatives of the States of
South Carolina,
Georgia,
Florida,
Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisana and
Texas, and it affords me pleasure to present it to your Society, which seems to me to be the proper custodian of such a relic.
I forward the document by Adams's Express Company to-day, and remain,
Very truly yours,
office Southern Historical Society, No. 7, Library Floor State Capitol,
Richmond, Va., February 7, 1884,
W
W. Corcoran.
Esq.,
Vice-President Southern Historical Society for District of Columbia.
My Dear Sir.—I have to-day received your esteemed favor of the 6th instant, and the express this afternoon brought the interesting and valuable historic document to which it refers.
Allow me, in behalf of the Society, to return you our warm thanks for this renewed expression of the deep, practical, and liberal interest you have shown in our work ever since our organization.
It is a source of peculiar gratification to us that one whose princely munificence has carried sunshine into so many desolated Southern homes, gladness to so many sorrowing hearts, should manifest so hearty an interest in our efforts to collect, collate, preserve and publish the material for a true history of the
Government and people whose original Constitution you now place in our archives, doing us the honor to say that the Southern Historical Society seems to you ‘to be the proper custodian of such a relic.’
We shall sacredly preserve this beautiful memento of the
Confederacy, which
rose so white and fair,
And fell so pure of crimes;
and we shall not fail to suitably link with it the name of our honored benefactor, whose wise liberality enabled us first to begin the publication of our
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records, and who has again and again contributed such valuable material to our collection.
You will be glad to know that we are hopefully working for the establishment of our Society on the firm basis of a fire-proof building for our archives and a
permanent endowment, which will ensure the carrying on of the work after those of us who are now engaged in it shall have passed away; and we assure you that we are greatly cheered in our efforts by such practical sympathy on the part of one whose liberalty is only equalled by the wisdom with which he is accustomed to bestow it.
With best wishes and most fervent prayers for your continued health, happiness and usefulness, I am, with sentiments of highest respect and esteem,
Very truly yours,
The Constitution is beautifully engrossed on parchment, and has on it the autograph signatures of the members then composing the Provisional Congress, and the certificate of the clerk as to its genuineness.
It is indeed an interesting and valuable addition to the priceless collection of the Southern Historical Society, and makes another strong argument for giving the Society fire-proof quarters at the earliest possible day.
renewals were never more ‘in order’ than at the present, and we beg again that our many friends who are in arrears will promptly forward the amount due us.
an appeal that should be Heeded comes to us in the following, which we cordially publish, and most heartily endorse.
We are glad to learn that responses are coming in very handsomely from every quarter, and that, with an expected appropriation from the Virginia Legislature, the scheme promises to be a splendid success:
R. E. Lee camp, No. 1, Confederate veterans,
Richmond, Va., January 15th, 1884.
The above Camp of ‘old
Confeds’ see and feel the necessity for concentrated effort to aid and care for the disabled of our comrades, who have no Government to bestow bounty upon them, and who must rely on those who experienced the hardship of soldier life, and those who have sympathy for them.
We have had kindly greetings from the ‘Boys in Blue’—who
were on the other side—and call on those of the ‘
Gray’ who may be disposed and able to assist us.
We have determined to hold a grand Fair in this city for the purpose indicated in May next, or as soon as we can, and would be grateful for such
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contributions of money or merchandise as will make our efforts a success.
Please make prompt reply if you can help us.
With soldierly greetings, we are,
Your old
comrade Confeds,
the ‘
Mercer cavalry,’ from
Spotsylvania county, Virginia, commanded by
Lieutenant Waller, and not the ‘
Mercer county Cavalry,’ commanded by ‘
Lieutenant Walker,’ as it was by some oversight put in
Captain Frayser's account of
Stuart's ‘Ride Around
McClellan,’ was the company which charged with the
Essex Dragoons when the lamented
Latane fell.
We are indebted for this correction to our gallant friend
Captain Willie Campbell, of
Essex.
corrections in the Roster of the army of Northern Virginia, which we published in our January-February number, have come from several sources, and we solicit others, if errors are found.
General N. H. Harris writes as follows:
My Dear Sir,—In the January number Southern Historical so-Ciety papers, just received, page 8, appears: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, August 31st, 1864,” page 13,
Mahone's division, it is stated that
Colonel Joseph M. Jayne was in command of
Harris's brigade.
This is an error; I was in command of the brigade, and
Colonel Joseph M. Jayne was in command of his regiment, the Forty-eighth Mississippi.
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas B. Manlove, of the Forty-eighth regiment, by my assignment, was in command of the Twelfth regiment, and
Lieutenant-Colonel James H. Duncan, of the Nineteenth regiment, by my assignment was in command of the Sixteenth regiment.
If there are as many errors made as to other commands, the compilation is not a very valuable one.
General Humphreys, in his ‘Virginia Campaign of 1864 and 1865,’Appendix C:, page 416, is more accurate, though his
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roster was evidently made upon returns dated about the first of the month of August, as the changes in my own command will show.
Yours very truly,
In Memoriam.
Our readers will remember the name of
Mrs. Waller in connection with our report of the Reunion of
Morgan's men last July.
The following announces her death:
It is with profound sorrow that I announce the sudden death of
Mrs. Sarah Bell Waller, at her residence on Ashland avenue in this city about 8 o'clock P. M. Thursday the 13th.
The thousands of Confederate prisoners of war who survive their confinement in
camp Douglas near this city during the war, will remember this lady as one of the most active and efficient of those noble-hearted ladies who devoted themselves during the four long years of the existence of this noted prison-pen to the alleviation of their situation in providing for the sick, and clothing naked and destitute prisoners.
The destitute prisoners of
Fort Donelson—
Island No.10—
Arkansas Post, &c., &c., have cause to remember with gratitude her kind and efficient ministrations to their necessities at that time, and it has been a matter of surprise to those who knew of her work in behalf of the prisoners, that recognition of her services has not been recorded in your papers by some of those who were the beneficiaries of her labors, long, long ago.
Yours truly,
In the recent death of
Ex-Governor John Letcher, at his residence in
Lexington, Virginia, there has passed away one of the ablest, most fearless and most incorruptible of the
Confederate ‘War Governors.’
He carried through life the soubriquet he won in the old
United States Congress—‘Honest
John Letcher, the watch-dog of the treasury,’ and in his death
Virginia has lost one of her ablest statesmen-one of her purest patriots.
‘Peace to his ashes!’
General J. F. Gilmer, the able and accomplished Chief of
Engineers of the
Confederacy, died at
Savannah several weeks ago; and we have been waiting for a promised sketch of his distinguished services, which we regret has not come in time for this issue.
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Literary Notices.
‘secret service of the
Confederate.
States in Eu-rope.’
By
Captain James D. Bullock.
New York:
G. P. Putnam's Sons.
Two volumes.
Price $6.
We have received this book (through
Carlton McCarthy & Co.,
Richmond) and have only space to say now that it is of thrilling interest, and great historic value, and as the edition is limited we would advise all desiring a copy to procure it at once.
We propose hereafter a full review.
We are indebted to
Mrs. De Renne, of
Savannah, for a really superb edition of
Major Daniel's address at the unveiling of the
Lee figure at
Lexington.
Following the example of her distinguished husband,
Mrs. De Renne has had an edition of one hundred copies gotten up in the highest style of the book-maker's art, with beautiful engravings, fine binding, etc.
‘contributions to A history of the
Richmond how-Itzers.
Pamphlet No. 2,’ is a worthy successor to No. 1, which we would advise all to secure by ordering at once from
Carlton McCarthy & Co.,
Richmond, Va. We have not room to say more now.
The military operations of
General Beauregard in the war between the States, 1861 to 1865, including A brief personal sketch and A narrative of his services in the war with
Mexico, 1846-8.
By Alfred Ro-man, formerly
Colonel of the Eighteenth Louisiana Volunteers, afterwards
Aide-de-Camp and
Inspector-General on the
Staff of
General Beauregard.
In two volumes, Volumes I. and II.
New York:
Harper & Brothers.
1884. Sold only by subscription.
We have received our copy through
Rev. 1. T. Wallace, Agent, Richmond, Va.
We have not yet had time to give this book, as we propose doing, a careful reading, and we must reserve until then any full notice or review of it. But we may say now that no narrative of the ‘Military Operations of
General Beauregard,’ even fairly well written, could fail to be of interest, while one written by the facile pen of
Judge Roman, aided by
General Beauregard's personal supervision, as well as by his papers, in its preparation, could not fail to be of absorbing interest and great historical value.
A gallant soldier and accomplished engineer in the old United States army, one of the brightest of the galaxy of young officers who so gallantly distinguished themselves in the
Mexican war, and certainly among the most accomplished soldiers which the late war produced,
General Beauregard's contribution to our history has been eagerly looked for, and will be widely read.
There will be, of course, honest differences of opinion as to some things which the book contains, and regret on the part of some of his warmest admirers that certain things had not been left unsaid; but
General Beauregard is entitled to a hearing at the bar of history, and the book will find a place in Libraries generally, which pretend to anything like fullness in their historic collections.
The
Harpers have gotten up the book in their usual beautiful style, and it is, in paper, type and binding, a fine specimen of the book-maker's art.
