Twelve confederate flags captured by Iowa men are in the collection of war relics, one of which is the first flag raised in South Carolina after her secession. Among war relics will be found one of John Brown's guns, the one used in Kansas, chains taken from the neck and legs of slaves, a confederate wooden mortar, pikes, swords, guns, etc. MUSEUM. The museum contains nearly 5,000 specimeans of miscellaneous character obtained by gift. The rooms of the Society are opened only two days in each week because of lack of funds wherewith to pay a permanent custodian. Students are admitted at other times for private study. The State University under whose auspices the Society is placed by Legislative act is unable to aid the Society, even though students find here sources of information not available elsewhere. A small fund at the disposal of the Society for the employment of a custodian who should be in attendance every day would be of great value to students gathered here from all parts of the State. DEATHS. HERMAN MORSE, aged 85 years, died April 24, 1893, at Independence, Iowa, where he had resided forty years. WM. M. STONE, formerly Colonel of the 22d Iowa Volunteers, lately Governor of Iowa, and more recently Commissioner of the General Land Office, died at Oklahoma City, O. T., July 18, 1893, in his 67th year. His name is illustriously associated with the uneven even number 22-the number of his regiment was 22, and the day of the month was 22, when in May, 1863, he led it in the charge at Vicksburg. A more extended notice of him, written by Hon. H. W. Lathrop, will appear in the next number of the RECORD. NOTES. EXCEPT Alaska, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin, Iowa is the only Territory or State in the Union without a permanent military command, the only Federal military forces within our borders being the few United States army officers acting as professors of Military Science in the State University and some of our colleges. The Hawkeye State does not need watching. Ex-UNITED STATES SENATOR GEO. G. WRIGHT and the late Governor Ralph P. Lowe were on the State Supreme Bench together. The clerk of the court was T. F. Withrow, whose wife assisted him in copying the opinions of the court. The hand-writing of the two judges mentioned, measured by a Spencerian standard of penmanship, was execrable-difficult or impossible to decipher. It was hard to say who should wear the belt for the worse hand, and they themselves were constantly in jocular contention on this point. At an evening party, where all were present, the ever-recurring topic being on again, Judge Wright (who had learned that Mrs. Withrow had said she could copy his writing as easily as Lowe's) shrewdly proposed to leave the question for final arbitration to the lady copyist. To the discomfiture of Judge Lowe, who had readily assented, she gave her decision against him; and when, being pressed for a reason, she said "Because Judge Wright always continues the sense," the laughter was boisterous and the future Governor's overthrow complete. WE have received from Col. Cornelius Cadle, the Recording Secretary, the "Report of the Proceedings of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee at the twenty-fourth meeting, held at St. Louis, Mo., November 16th and 17th, 1892." This is a neatly printed and durably bound octavo volume of 155 pages, beautifully illustrated with portraits of Gen. Wm. T. Sherman and Col. L. M. Dayton, and an engraving of the Society's Badge. The work, besides being the record of a single meeting, with its motions, resolutions, addresses and speeches, some of the latter containing flights of thrilling eloquence, is also, through an appendix, a history of the Society from its first organization at Raleigh, N. C., in 1865. It is a book worthy a place in any library and highly creditable to Col. Cadle, the compiler, who in this has been as accurate and faithful as in the war he was brave and intrepid. THE 24th Iowa was one of the few Iowa regiments which not only marched on land but sailed the seas. Having fought under General Grant in the western armies, in the autumn of 1863 it was ordered to take transport at New Orleans and sail up the coast to Baltimore, and from there go by Washington City to join General Sheridan's troops in the Shenandoah Valley. Gen. Ed Wright, now of Des Moines, was then its colonel. On reaching Washington he reported to the proper commander, who sent an aide to direct Col. Wright to bivouac in the street where he found him. In the presence of the aide Wright drew up his men in line and without further ceremony ordered them to break ranks and stack arms. The young aide expressed his surprise that the colonel did not throw out a guard. "Why," asked the colonel, is there any danger of attack?" "No," answered the aide, "but won't your regiment straggle away?" On the colonel's assurance that they would not, the aide allowed one of his worst passions to subside, warning the colonel he would be held responsible for the consequences of what seemed to him a breach of discipline, not knowing the "staying" qualities of Iowa soldiers. The 24th Iowa had "staid" before at Champion's Hill and Vicksburg and it afterwards "staid" at Fisher's Hill and Winchester. It is only by way of peroration that we add that it "staid" through the unrefreshing bivouac on the stony street of Washington, and when it saw the first beams of the rising sun glittering on the silvery dome of the capitol the next morning it was ready to march off to re-inforce Sheridan in the Shenandoah. HISTORICAL SOCIETY. OF IOWA. This society was instituted by the legislature of 1857. A library and cabinet are rapidly accumulating, and the HISTORICAL RECORD is issued quarterly. To gather the rapidly wasting historical material of the state, the curators of the society solicit the following contributions. 1. Old letters, journals and manuscript statements of pioneer settlers, relative to the early history and settlement of the state, with sketches of prominent citizens of Iowa, either living or deceased, and acts relative to the Indian tribes, chiefs and warriors; and also Indian implements, ornaments and curiosities. 2. Newspapers, exchanges or papers of old and curious print and date, pamphlets, magazines, catalogues of institutions of learning, minutes of ecclesiastical associations, conventions, conferences and synods, with their orgin and history. 3. Information respecting any ancient coins, or other curiosities found in the state. Drawings and descriptions of any ancient mounds or fortifications, with articles found in them. 4. Indian geographical names, names of streams and localities in the state and their significations. 5. Books of all kinds, and especially such as relate to American History. travels and biographies in general, and in the west in particular, family genealogies, maps, historical manuscripts, autographs of distinguishd persons, coins, medals, paintings, portraits, statues and engravings. 6. We solicit from historical societies and other learned bodies, that interchange of books and other articles by which the usefulness of institutions of this nature is so much enhanced, pledging ourselves to repay such contributions to the full extent of our ability. 7. The society particularly asks the favor of authors and publishers to present, with autographs, copies of their respective works for its library. 8. Editors and publishers of newspapers, magazines and reviews, will confer a lasting favor on the society by contributing their publications regularly for its library, or at least such numbers as may contain articles bearing upon Iowa history, biography, geography or antiquities; all of which will be carefuily preserved for binding. 9. Specimens of conchology, geology, mineralogy and natural history, relating to Iowa or other regions, are also desired. We respectfully request that all, to whom this notice is addressed, will be disposed to give to our appeal a generous response. It is very desirable that the donors should forward a specification of books or articles donated and sent to the society. We are making preparations for a picture gallery, and have already secur ed some valuable portraits from distinguished men. We have also some valuable articles for our cabinet of historical curiosities. The board of curators meets in the society's rooms, on the second Saturday evening of each month. THE IOWA HISTORICAL RECORD. This is a quarterly publication. Its object is to collect and preserve in a permanent form, facts connected with the history of the state. Of the various classes of historical facts, it will be its special endeavor to publish, 1 Ist. Such as relate to transactions of its early days, which are liable to be soon lost by the passing away of the participants. 2d. Descriptive sketches of localities in the olden time, as their primai features are pictured upon the memory of observers. 3d. Biographical sketches of prominent citizens. 4th. The origin, growth and developement of the Institutions of the state, with their bearing upon the various interests which have called them into existence. 5th. From time to time such of the hitherto unwritten history of the great war of modern times as relates to the valorous deeds of Iowa soldiers, practicable for introduction, or which seems necessary to preserve it from passing from the knowledge of men. 6th. Reminiscences of early settlers of every character of fact pertaining to pioneer life. To aid in the accomplishment of this purpose, contributions are requested of those who have in memory any portion of the early history of the state, and those having material for history, or authentic manuscripts, will confer a favor by forwarding them to the Secretary. The subscription price of the HISTORICAL RECORD is one dollar a year, in advance. The periodicals and newspapers sent us in exchange are placed on file in the Library Room of the Historical Society, bound as soon as volumes are completed, and will of themselves form a collection for reference such as is possessed by no other institution of the state, and furnish to the future a record of passing events of very great value. Hence editors of all the newspapers and periodicals published within the state are requested to place the RECORD upon the exchange list. All subscriptions, communications and donations to the Library and Cabinet should be addressed to M. W. DAVIS, SECRETARY, Iowa City, Iowa |