Seal Of The Confederacy

If relics could talk

John S. Mosby is no stranger to Civil War buffs, being a colonel and fighting in a number of the great battles that took place from 1861 to 1865. However, the story behind his shotgun starts years before his service in the war, and instead, in 1849 when he entered the University of Virginia at age 17, according to the Paxtons' research. John Mosby went on to join the militia in Abingdon and after the John Brown raid in 1859, and when Virginia knew that war was coming, he joined the Confederacy in Richmond. Because supplies were so low in the area at the time, a lot of men went with their own guns and weapons. There is no doubt in the Paxtons' minds that Mosby, incredibly proud of his shotgun, was no exception. When the Paxtons got the gun, it came with a message, "this is my first Cavalry gun," and John Mosby's signature, dated 1911. The signature has been further examined by the owner of Confederate State Arms Incorporated, the chief of forensics in Charlotte, N.C., as well as an expert that the Smithsonian uses when it comes to signatures. All are positive that the signature is real, and the Paxtons have made sure to save all the documents proving it. The story starts in 1846, the Paxtons say, when Jackson graduated from West Point and the men from his class were summoned to the Mexican-American War. It was there that Jackson began as a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Artillery Regiment, and throughout the three-year war was promoted twice, leaving as a decorated and praised first lieutenant. Later, at the assault on Chapultepec Castle, Jackson -- basically left alone as many other men had been wounded, killed or simply fled the scene -- moved a small cannon into position and created an advantage that later led to victory. He was eventually recognized by army commander Winfield Scott in Mexico City for his tactics at that battle, as well as his heroism in others. The buckle came attached to a blue piece of paper, something that was commonly done at the time in hopes to preserve artifacts. Two pieces of suture material keep the buckle in place with surgical square knots. A typed message also accompanies the relic, and it explains where the buckle came from, as well as whom it belonged to. John Mosby's signature, also verified by experts, is beneath the message. Luck became close with Mosby while fighting, and they remained friends. Both were at the battle in Manassas, along with Stonewall Jackson, of course. Luck also was at Appomattox for Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's surrender, as well as on site when Jackson was mortally wounded in 1863 -- he saved a piece of the man's uniform. He also collected buttons, flags and other trinkets during the war, many of which were at the auction where the Paxtons bought their artifacts. They found that items from Luck's collection also came attached to the same type of blue paper. Gov. John Letcher's office was in Richmond, and he also knew the Jacksons, the Paxtons explain. After Stonewall died, Letcher organized the Stonewall Jackson Monument Association in hopes to honor the man with a statue. Confederate soldiers sent in money to contribute, but after the fall of Richmond, the money and records were lost. The Paxtons believe that years later, Mosby and Luck, probably sat down together and went through everything they had from the war. That Luck was a doctor helps to explain the surgical square knot and suture material that ties items to the pieces of paper. They have asked many surgeons and experts on Civil War medicine, and they've verified the knot and the use of it. The Paxtons have gone to great lengths for their research. Over the years, they have traveled to Penn State's materials research lab to take a closer look at the buckle and suture material, U.Va.'s archives to look through Mosby's scrapbooks, libraries at Duke and the University of North Carolina, as well as local libraries and historical societies. "The items could be worth ... well, I don't care. They're priceless, they have no value without the history to back them up," he said. "It's like the buckle and shotgun have led us down a road and are telling their own story. They've led us to different things; it's like we're being shoved in a direction and history is sort of leading us along.

"That symbol - the Great Seal of the infant Confederacy - sent to it by ...

More images have arrived from the photo studio, including some digital images of the seal of the Confederate States of America that I mentioned in my  previous post on the Civil War Project  (above; Seals.XLIV.229).

The Library's collections (colony?) of seals are held by the former Department of Manuscripts, which for many years gathered together articles on items in its collections, and which are available in the 'Pamphlets' collection in the Manuscripts Reading Room.  A note attached to the seal (and reference in the Pamphlets card index catalogue), led me to Pamphlet 1072 (vol. LXXV), about fifty steps from my desk.  All very satisfyingly old-fashioned.

Bound in the 75th leather volume is Sigillologia.  Being Some Account of the Great or Broad Seal of the Confederate States of America.  A Monograph (Feb., 1869), which, writing during the Reconstruction period, recounts 'the extraordinary spectacle... of the efforts of an oligarchy, small in numbers, but powerful in influence, to establish another nation within the bounds of the Republic [during the Civil War]... and to give it the symbol of sovereignty in the form of a Great Seal.'  Provided by 'its nurse, England', the seal was believed lost and, Harper's continued, 'antiquaries of the future, will search in vain for an impression of an emblem of sovereignty of the 'C.S.A.'  None was ever made.  The broad seal of the Republic kindly covers the dishonored ashes of that child of sin'. 

During its first year, the Confederacy passed a law establishing a seal for the republic, deciding that the work would be executed in England.  James Mason, the Confederate's envoy in London, was sent a copy of the act, and a photograph of the equestrian statue of Washington in Richmond, D.C  (designed by Thomas Crawford).  The founder of the USA was also to be the symbolic founder of the Confederacy, surrounded by the agricultural products of the southern states.  Mason thought that cotton, rice and tobacco were 'distinctive products' of the Confederacy, and omitted wheat and corn, since these were produced in the north as well.  Finally completed in 1874, it was sent, along with wax, paper and an iron press (which, it seemed was then sent under seperate cover), in the care of Lieutenant Chapman via Halifax and Bermuda (where, to avoid the risk of Union interception, the press remained),  Chapman being 'charged, under no circumstances to run the risk of its being captured.