An Archival Mys-Tree

by Hannah Elder, Library Assistant

Happy spring, everyone! In honor of this new season, 我想分享一下我最近发现的一个利记APP官网手机版树木的秘密. 翻阅第七卷的时候 《利记手机官网》我发现了国安局和琼斯先生之间的一系列往来信件. D. 1863年葛底斯堡战役后，宾夕法尼亚州的麦康纳. The letters, transcribed in full in the Proceedings, 是否与白橡树树干的运输有关, riddled with bullets, 从战场上一座小山上的森林里. I was immediately intrigued.

第一封信是写给马萨诸塞州州长约翰. Andrew, reads:

Gettysburg, Penn., August 7, 1863

Hon. John A. Andrew, Governor of Massachusetts.

总督-我从狼山的森林里选出了, at our breastworks, a trunk of a white-oak tree, fearfully riddled with bullets, 以便展示在七月二日和三日的行动中枯萎的火枪火的效果.当敌人在我们的右边被严重击退的时候. In that wonderful strife, 马萨诸塞第二团有一个突出而光荣的角色, 高贵的死者的厚厚的坟墓雄辩地证明了这一点. This scarred memento I desire to present to the Massachusetts Historical society; and have it now at the depot of our railroad, ready for shipment. 你们能安排把它运到波士顿吗, 告诉我你准备好接受了吗? For the life of your brave sons, poured out freely upon our soil, 宾夕法尼亚将这片土地上生命的产物送了出去, 充分说明了这里的不屈不挠的斗争和光荣的胜利.

怀着崇高的敬意，

D. McConaughy

Later that month, the Society replied:

Historical Rooms, Boston, Aug. 27, 1863

Dear Sir – Your eloquent and acceptable letter addressed to Governor Andrew has by him been forwarded to the Massachusetts Historical Society; in whose behalf I have the honor to communicate the wish, 你会增加他们已经被赋予的责任感, by transmitting by express, if no other means offers, 葛底斯堡及其历史时刻的纪念物，你们好心地为他们提供了这些纪念物.

请寄给马萨诸塞州历史学会, Tremont Street, 波士顿我毫不怀疑它会准时到达目的地.

因为我不能以协会的名义发表权威言论, 他们没有机会对这件事采取行动, I shall not attempt to express, 我知道这是他们想要的, 他们将以诚挚的回应回应你们对这场新的独立战争中的伟大战役所表达的慷慨和爱国的感情. 我希望，当它被列入本协会收集和保存的宝贵的历史纪念物时，这些纪念物将得到更正式的承认.

Very respectfully your obedient servant,

Emory Washburn,

Chairman of Committee, &c.

这些信件讲述了1863年9月这棵树从宾夕法尼亚到波士顿的旅程. From Gettysburg, 这棵树被一辆敞篷火车运到费城, 它暂时由宾夕法尼亚历史学会保管吗, which received a similar tree from Mr. McConaughy. While it was stopped in Philadelphia, 它由一名警官看守，并为此制作了一个旅行箱. Next, 这棵树被放在一艘开往波士顿的轮船上, 在那里它受到了协会的热烈欢迎. 收到这棵树后，协会一致决定感谢D. McConaughy for his donation of the tree, 感谢宾夕法尼亚历史学会对这棵树的照料, 以及北部中央铁路和宾夕法尼亚铁路, along with the steamship Saxon, for transporting it free of charge.

看完这篇文章，我有很多疑问——那棵树还在收藏中吗? What exactly did “trunk of a tree” mean? How had we stored and preserved it? So I took a look through our catalog, ABIGAIL，并询问了MHS的几名工作人员，但无法找到这棵树. 它似乎在某个时候离开了收藏，但没有人确定利记APP官网手机版时候. 是时候挖掘一下机构档案了! I looked through the library records; the “Library Letters,” correspondence detailing gifts to the library; the Cabinet Book, which recorded the donations of artifacts to the collection; and curatorial records, but had no luck.

Page of Cabinet Book — 我希望在《利记APP官网手机版》中找到这棵树的记录

接下来，我尝试了19世纪中后期的各种收藏目录. And I found it! In the 1885 绘画、雕刻、半身像目录 & 麻萨诸塞州历史学会内阁的杂项物品, the tree is listed as Entry 119. 目录记录直接引用了史密斯先生的首信. McConaughy and notes its presence in the Proceedings. 我兴奋地发现这棵树也出现在1893年版本的目录中, 但那个目录只是1885年目录的注解版本. The entry for the tree was unchanged.