Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/559

 558 Southern Historical Society Papers,

LETTER FROM MAJOR CAMPBELL.

CHARLESTON, KANAWHA Co., W. VA.,

March yth, 1874.

Colonel GEORGE W. MUNFORD,

Secretary Southern Historical Society :

DEAR SIR, --Enclosed I send you a photographic fac-simile of an address to his men, and a memorandum or draft of instructions found on the person of Colonel U. Dahlgren, United States Army, when killed during his raid on Richmond in 1864. The original of these instructions were sent to my office through the Engineer Bureau and General W. H. Stevens, by Mr. Benjamin, Secretary of State, for copy, and some fifty copies were made under my imme- diate supervision.

You will perceive they are double fac-similes, the paper being written upon both sides, and by holding either side between the eye and the light, the reversed side can easily be perused. The signed address has been published, I believe, but the other paper, I think, has not been.

By inspection, these papers will give indisputable testimony as to their origin, which has been so pertinaciously and indignantly denied by Colonel Dahlgren' s friends.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

ALBERT H. CAMPBELL, Late Major Confederate States Engineers, In charge Topographical Department, Department of Va.

As for the charge that the signature in these photographs mispells the name Dalhgren instead of Dahlgren we have only to say that this is not true. An examination shows clearly that the signa- ture is U, Dahlgren, and that the apparent difference is caused by the striking through of a letter on the reverse side of the paper on which the disputed document was written.

The following letter from General J. A. Early, in transmitting a photograph copy to our office, makes this matter so clear that we insert it, although not intended for publication: