Cases contain several thousand specimens," and also a very 

 beautiful and valuable collection of shells from Miss A. M. 

 Annelly, of this City. Of these splendid gifts the Trustees 

 enthusiastically say : ' 'These additions to our treasures, we 

 believe, make our conchological collection the amplest and 

 richest in the Western World." 



Prof. Holmes continued his work with unabated zeal until 

 his appointment as Chief of the Nitre Bureau of the Confed- 

 erate States, the duties of which position compelled his re- 

 moval from the City. 



On September 8, 1863, a meeting of the Board of Trustees 

 was held, at which it was determined that the College Li- 

 brary should be removed to Camden and the Museum to Ab- 

 beville, S. C, and Mr. Holmes was requested to come to 

 Charleston to confer with the Standing Committee and to 

 superintend the removal of * 'such parts of it as it may be 

 practical or expedient to remove." Mr. Holmes responded 

 promptly and after consultation with him it was deemed 

 best that : 



' 'The village of Edgefield or some safe building near it should be the 

 place of deposit. * * * The cases were to be sent by Rail to Aiken 

 and wagoned thence about 20 miles. The larger articles were to be left 

 in the Museum in Charleston, and a few were to be buried. The ai'- 

 rangement was carried out by Prof. Holmes in Sept. and Oct., 1863. 



"A fire occurred in Edgefield in the fall of 1865, in a building in which 

 a part of our Boxes were stored, and the contents of two boxes were de- 

 stroyed. In this fire Professor Holmes lost a valuable library of scien- 

 tific works. 



"As soon as circumstances permitted Prof. Holmes was authorized to 

 remove back to Charleston the articles sent away. These contained in 

 198 Boxes have been received, opened and replaced in their cases. The 

 more careful distribution and labelling of the specimens has been com- 

 menced, but will require considerable time. The boxes were wagoned 

 from Edgefield to Orangeburg, and then brought by the Railroad to 

 Charleston, by the latter without charge. 



' 'A considerable part of the Museum thus cared for consists of the 

 valuable donation of J. H. Couper, Esq., who in the dispensations of 



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