Southern Historical Society Papers/Volume 01/June/Editorial Paragraphs
This Number closes the first volume of our Papers, and we feel constrained to thank our friends for their cordial support, and to congratulate the Society on the marked success which has thus far attended our venture.
When we issued our first number in January, it was a doubtful experiment; now the enterprise is an assured success. Our subscription list is steadily increasing, we have from every quarter evidence of the highest appreciation of the value of our publications, and we feel encouraged to begin the new volume with redoubled zeal and a renewed purpose to make our Papers of real interest and value to all who desire to know and to propagate the truth concerning our great struggle for Southern Independence.
But we would not have our friends conclude that we are now in a position to get along without their co-operation. We need to retain all of the subscribers we now have and to greatly increase their number, and to this end we ask that each one shall make some personal effort to extend our circulation.
The Confederate Roster, which we are now publishing, seems to us much more complete and accurate than could have been expected under the obvious difficulties which surround its preparation. But the author is exceedingly anxious to make it as complete as possible, and would esteem it a special favor if any one detecting mistakes or omissions would at once communicate the desired corrections.
We propose to begin in our next volume the publication of a summary of the principal events of the war, which shall be a mere connecting link between the more important official reports, which we shall publish in chronological order. Some of these reports have been already published, but in a form not accessible to many who desire to see and use them; others have never been in print.
Our book—Confederate View of the Treatment of Prisoners—will be ready in a few days, and we beg that those desiring it will at once send their orders, accompanied with the money, that we may know how many copies to issue.
Our friends would do a valuable service by placing this vindication of the Confederacy on the shelves of every public library in the country. We will mail the book (postage paid) at the following very low prices:
| Cloth binding | . . . . . . . . . . | $1 25 |
| Half Morocco | . . . . . . . . . . | 1 50 |
| Half Calf | . . . . . . . . . . | 1 75 |
We will be able to furnish bound copies of the first volume of "Southern Historical Papers" at the following rates:
| Cloth | . . . . . . . . . . | $2 00 |
| Half Morocco | . . . . . . . . . . | 2 25 |
| Half Calf | . . . . . . . . . . | 2 50 |
The volume will make a really beautiful book of about 500 pages. Orders must be accompanied with the cash to secure attention.
Typographical errors are a nuisance, with which, to do our excellent printers justice, we have been but seldom troubled. Two, however, crept into General Wilcox's letter in our last number, which are of sufficient importance to be corrected. Colonel Sydenham Moore was printed Nydenham Moore, and the date of the battle of Seven Pines was twice printed 1st of May, instead of the 31st of May.
Valentine, our Southern artist, has just completed, at his studio in Richmond, a superb bust of General Albert Sidney Johnston.
It was never our privilege to meet this great man, but it is a very accurate likeness of the portrait from which it is modeled, and we learn that Colonel William Preston Johnston pronounces it the best likeness of the original extant, and proposes to have the engraving for his forthcoming memoir of his father made from this bust.
There clusters around the name of Albert Sidney Johnston the highest admiration for his exalted genius, the warmest affection for his purity of character, and the tenderest memories and saddest regrets for his early fall. It will be a source of double joy to admirers of genius, virtue and patriotism everywhere to learn that we will soon have the story of this noble life from the facile pen of his accomplished son, and that Valentine's plastic, skillful touch has so perfectly delineated his noble features in plaster, and will soon make them seem to breathe and speak in the pure marble. And we are exceedingly fortunate in having at the South an artist whose busts of Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Maury, Johnston, and others of our great leaders, display genius of the highest order, whose recumbent figure of Lee has scarcely an equal and no superior in any work of art in this country, and whose studio has become a Mecca for all true Confederates.
May Valentine be spared to complete, and may Southern patriotism enable him to complete, many more such works, which shall hand down to posterity the form and features of our noble leaders.
Contributions to the Archives of the Society continue to come in. We have space to acknowledge only the following recent contributions.
From—
{{fine block|Judge Thomas C. Manning, Alexandria, Louisiana.—The Journal and Ordinances of the Secession Convention of Louisiana.—Special message of the Governor of Louisiana, in December, 1860, commonly known as the "Secession Message."—Proclamation of the Governor of Louisiana of May 24th, 1862, on hearing of the celebrated order of General Butler, issued in New Orleans, directing that the ladies of that city should be, under certain circumstances, treated as "women of the town."—Reports of T. C. Manning and other commissioners appointed by the Governor of Louisiana upon the atrocities committed by the Federal troops under General Banks during the invasion of Western Louisiana in 1863 and 1864.—Copy of a newspaper printed in Louisiana in October, 1862, on wall paper, showing the shifts journalists had to resort to thus early.}}
John F. Mayer, Richmond, Virginia.—Report of the Secretary of War, November 6th, 1863.—Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December 7th, 1863.—Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, May 2d, 1864.—Report of the Secretary of War, April 28th, 1864.—Report of the Secretary of War, November 3d, 1864.—Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, November 7th, 1864.—Message of President Davis, November 7th, 1864.—Report of the Agent of Exchange of Prisoners, November 18th, 1864.—Report of the Agent of Exchange of Prisoners, December 3d, 1864.—Copy of Proceedings of the Court of Inquiry relative to the fall of New Orleans, February 18th, 1863.—Pamphlet, "Evidences taken before the Committee of the House of Representatives, appointed to inquire into the Treatment of Prisoners at Castle Thunder," April 1863.
Colonel C. T. Crittenden.—Lot of Confederate newspaper slips.—Battle flag of the Thirteenth Virginia Infantry.—Richmond Examiner's account of the presentation ceremonies.
General D. H. Maury, Richmond, Virginia.—Private Diary, "Recollections of the War," &c.—Copies of the proceedings of a court of inquiry held at Abbeville, Mississippi, on charges preferred by Brigadier-General John S. Bowen, P. A. C. S., against Major-General Earl Van Dorn, P. A. C. S., November, 1862.—Judge-Advocate Holt's account of the execution of Mrs. Surratt.—Letter of Colonel. S. L. Lockett on the Defence of Mobile.—Various newspaper slips of importance.—Private Journal of Samuel H. Lockett on Defence of Mobile.
Creed T. Davis, Richmond, Virginia.—A Record of Camps, Marches and Actions of Second Company Richmond Howitzers, campaign 1864.
Rev. C. H. Corey, Richmond.—Journal of the Secession Convention of the people of South Carolina, 1860 and 1861.
Mrs. Mikel, Charleston, South Carolina.—Lot of Miscellaneous Confederate Documents.
Judge John F. Lay.—Confederate newspapers 1861 and 1862.—Map of Virginia used on the retreat from Richmond.—Map of the Seat of War in South Carolina and Georgia.
Major Norman S. Walker, Liverpool.—Five bound volumes of the London Index, from May 1st 1862, to August 12th 1865.
E. V. Fox, Esq.—"Fox's Mission to Russia in 1866."
Mrs. Henri Pye, Richmond, Virginia.—MSS. of General Lee's final and full Report of the Pennsylvania Campaign (dated January 1864), copied by Michael Kelly, Clerk to General S. Cooper.
R. S. Hollins, Baltimore, Maryland.—One bound file of Baltimore Sun, from October, 1860, to December 31st, 1865.—T. Ditterline's sketch of the battles of Gettysburg.—M. Jacobs' Invasion of Pennsvlvania and Battle of Gettysbnrg.
John McRae, Camden, South Carolina.—Complete file of Charleston Courier from May 1856 to February 1865.—Complete file of Richmond Dispatch from April 1861 to April 1864.
James T. Bowyer, Fincastle, Virginia.—Lot of miscellaneous Confederate newspapers.
Miss Kate McCall, Louisiana, through Colonel G. W. Terrell, New Orleans.—Five Scrap Books filled with clippings from newspapers printed during the war.
Cassius F. Lee, Jr., Alexandria, Virginia.—1 volume Confederate Battle Reports of 1861 and 1862.—Report of Major-General John Pope, U.S.A., of his campaign in Virginia.—Majority and Minority Report U. S. Senate on John Brown's Harpers Ferry Invasion.—Preliminary Report of the United States Census of 1860.—Message of the President of the United States and Diplomatic Correspondence for 1862.—Message of the President of the United States and accompanying documents December, 1863.—"View of Slavery by Bishop Hopkins."—"My Diary, North and South," by William Howard Russell.—"McClellan, who he is and what he has done."—Message of "Governor" F. H. Pierpoint, December 7th, 1863.—The Tribune Almanac for 1862, 1863 and 1865. General McClellan's Official Report.—Old Franklin Almanac for 1864.—Speeches of Honorable Henry May, of Maryland, in Federal Congress.—"Three Months in the Southern States, from April to June, 1863," by Colonel Fremantle, of the British Army.—Lot of newspaper clippings from papers of 1864 and 1865.—Lot of newspapers published during the war.—Seventeen Scrap Books, containing newspaper clippings extending over the whole period of the war, carefully arranged in chronological order and indexed.
It will be seen at a glance that the above contributions are very valuable. And are there not scattered all through the homes of our people similar, or even more valuable material, which they might send us? Remember that where our friends have valuable material which they are unwilling to give us, we would be very glad to receive it as a loan, promising to carefully preserve and return it whenever desired.
We are especially desirous of securing reports of the campaign of 1864, as our archives are more defective for that period than any other, owing to the fact that the Confederate Government made few publications of battle reports after Chancellorsville. And even where we have reports or other documents, it is important for us to secure duplicates, which we can always use to advantage.
We are desirous of securing even odd numbers of newspapers published during the war, to enable us to complete our files. And we would be especially pleased to secure files of our Southern Religious papers, sermons, tracts, &c., as we desire to put the Confederacy right on the record as to the character of our leaders, soldiers, and people, and the spirit in which they entered upon and conducted the war.
Our book notices are crowded out.