Southern Historical Society Papers/Volume 03/April/Editorial Paragraphs
An Extension of our Circulation is very desirable on many accounts. We can be useful only as our Papers are circulated; and we need a larger list of subscribers in order that we may have the means of properly carrying on our important work. Will not our friends generally help us in this matter? Let each subscriber endeavor to secure for us a new one. And let our present subscribers not fail to renew when their time is out. If we can have the cordial co-operation and active help of our friends, our capacity for usefulness will be greatly enlarged.
Donations to the Funds of the Society were contemplated in our original organization, but the condition of the South has been such that we have not made appeals in that direction.
We have received a large number of donations of books, MSS., documents, pamphlets, &c., of very great pecuniary value; but, with the exception of a liberal contribution of $1,000 from one large-hearted friend of the cause, we have received very little money except in payment of subscriptions. Now we begin to feel the great need of larger means with which to carry on our work—to purchase books, MSS., &c., which we cannot otherwise secure, to print more of our MSS., and to carry out various plans for the enlarged usefulness of the Society. We have to compete to some extent with the great historical societies which have their splendid buildings and ample endowments, and we really do not know how friends of the South could more judiciously invest funds just now than by contributions to this Society, which has for its object the preservation of the records, and the vindication of the history of the Confederacy.
We will say, then, frankly, that if there are those who are able and willing to help us, donations would be at this time particularly acceptable, and that any contributions made to us will be sacredly used in accordance with the wishes of the donors.
The Fire which Destroyed the Private Residence of the Secretary, over a month ago, was not alluded to in these columns, because we are not accustomed to introduce into them mere private matters. But as an impression has gone abroad that important papers belonging to the Society were destroyed, it becomes proper to say that the archives of the Society are kept in our office in the State Capitol—that they are under constant guard—and are as safe as the Library and archives of the Commonwealth.
While, therefore, the Secretary lost his private library, most of his furniture, &c., nothing belonging to the Southern Historical Society was either destroyed or injured.
The correction given below is a very proper one, though we are not quite sure whether the mistake was Mr. Hollyday's, or a typographical error:
Rev. J. William Jones, D. D.,
Secretary Southern Historical Society, Richmond Virginia:
Dear Sir—Mr. Lamar Hollyday in his narrative of the "Maryland troops in the Confederate Service," published in the March number of the Southern Historical Society Papers, states that Captain Latrobe, of the Third battery of Maryland artillery, was killed at Vicksburg, Mississippi. That is a mistake. His report of the Third Maryland artillery read thus: Captain Henry B. Latrobe, commissioned September 9th, 1861; left the service March 1st, 1863. Captain Ferd. O. Claiborne, promoted March 1st, 1863; killed at Vicksburg, Mississippi, June 22d, 1863.
Please make the above correction, and much oblige, yours truly,
William L. Ritter.
Baltimore, Maryland, April 5th, 1877.
Contributions to our Archives are always in order, and the kindness of our friends in this respect is most warmly appreciated. With no means of purchasing books or documents, the free will offerings of those interested in our work are filling our shelves with historic material which money could not buy. Since our last acknowledgment we have received among others the following:
From Rev. J. A. French—Letter book containing official copies of letters written by the Confederate Secretary of the Treasury. Letter file containing letters received in 1861 at Register's office Confederate Treasury Department.
From Colonel Charles Ellis, Richmond—A package of war newspapers carefully selected and preserved because of something valuable in each. "Ordinances adopted by the Convention of Virginia in secret session in April and May, 1861." Virginia "Ordinance of Secession." "Report of the Chief of Ordnance of Virginia (Colonel C. Dimmock), for the year ending September 30th, 1861." "Message of the Governor of Virginia" (Hon. John Letcher), December 7th, 1863. Letter from General C. F. Henningsen in, reply to the letter of Victor Hugo on the Harper's Ferry invasion. "Discourse on the Life and Caracter of Lieutenant-General Thomas J. Jackson," by General F. H. Smith, Superintendent Virginia Military Institute, read before the Board of Visitors, Faculty and Cadets, July 1st, 1863, together with proceedings of the Institution in honor of the illustrious deceased."
From the American Colonization Society—A full set of the annual reports, addresses, &c., of the Society. "Memorial of the Semi-Centennial Anniversary of the American Colonization Society, celebrated at Washington, January 15th, 1867."
From Judge W. S. Barton, Fredericksburg, Virginia—A bundle of official papers relating to the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, which were put into his hands as Judge Advocate of the Court of Inquiry which was ordered by the Confederate War Department to investigate those disasters. The package contains such papers as the following: Report of General R. Taylor of operations in North Louisiana from June 3d to 8th, 1863; correspondence between the Secretary of War and General J. E. Johnston, from the 9th of May to the 20th of June, 1863; correspondence between the President and and General J. E. Johnston; correspondence and reports showing the efforts made to provision Vicksburg and Port Hudson; reports of the ordnance Department as to the issues of ordnance, percussion, caps, &c., to Vicksburg and Port Hudson; and a number of letters, telegrams, reports, &c., bearing on the whole question of the defence and final capitulation of those posts.
From J. D. Davidson, Esq., Lexington, Virginia—A copy of the Augusta (Georgia), Chronicle for 1817.
From Norval Ryland, Esq., Richmond—Copy of the Richmond Dispatch, containing full account of the battle of Seven Pines.
From J. L. Peyton, Esq., Staunton, Virginia—"The American Crisis, or pages from the Note Book of a State Agent during the Civil War, by John Lewis Peyton." London: Saunders, Otley & Co., 1867 (two volumes).
From the Author (George Wise, Esq.,) Alexandria, Virginia—"History of the Seventeenth Virginia Infantry, Confederate States Army." Baltimore: Kelly, Piet & Co., 1870.
From A. Barron Holmes, Esq., Charleston, South Carolina—"Fort Moultrie Centennial," being a beautifully illustrated account of the celebration at Fort Moultrie, Sulivan's Island, Charleston (South Carolina) harbor on June 28th, 1876. "Judge O'Neale's Annals of Newberry District, South Carolina." "Logan's History of Upper South Carolina" (volume I). (Mr. Holmes frequently places the Society under obligations for similar favors).
From the Society of the Army of the Tennessee—Report of proceedings at tenth annual meeting held at Washington, D. C., on the occasion of unveiling the equestrian statue of Major-General James B. McPherson.
From Colonel F. H. Archer, of Petersburg—A bundle of very interesting original papers (reports, letters, telegrams, &c.) of operations arid movements about Suffolk, Smithfield, &c., in the spring of 1862.
From General Fitz. Lee—Sketch of the life and character of the late General S. Cooper, Senior General and Adjutant and Inspector-General of the Confederacy, together with a letter from ex-President Davis giving his impressions of General Cooper.
From General J. A. Early, General Fitz. Lee, General E. P. Alexander, General A. L. Long, General Cadmus M. Wilcox, Colonel Walter H. Taylor and General Henry Heth—Papers on the battle of Gettysburg. (These papers discuss the policy of invading the North, the plan of the campaign, the origin, conduct, events, result and causes of the result of the battle of Gettysburg and other points of deep interest, together with similar papers from other leading Confederates who were in a position to know whereof they affirm. This series of papers will do more to give to the world the true story of Gettysburg than anything that has yet been written, and with the full series of reports on the great battle which have already appeared, they will afford invaluable material to the historian who sincerely seeks after the truth. Among other points they settle beyond all controversy that General Lee had at Gettysburg only 62,000 effectives of all arms, while General Meade had 105,000 on the field, and at least 10,000 more within supporting distance).