194 PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 



The Secretaiy presented to the Board the following communications : 



War Department, 

 Washington City, January 26, 1863. 



Sir : I have this day requested Hiram Barney, esq., collector of the port of 

 New York, to send to you the books, maps, papers, and other articles, now in 

 his possession, taken by the United States forces in South Carolina, to be held 

 in the Smithsonian Institution, subject to the orders of this department. I 

 would be pleased to confer with you in regard to this matter if you will be so 

 good as to call at this department Tuesday, at three o'clock p. m. 

 I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



EDWIN M. STANTON, 



Secretary of War. 

 Professor Joseph Henry, 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



War Department, 

 Washington City, January 29, 1863. 



Sir : The Secretary of War directs that you take possession of the books and 

 papers of Bishop John Johns, at his late residence at Fairfax Seminary, and 

 transmit them under sufficient guard to Professor Henry, at the Smithsonian 

 Institution, in this city. 



Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, 



EDWARD CANBY, 

 Brigadier Gneral United States Volunteers. 



Brigadier General J. P. Slough, 



United States Volunteers, Military Governor of Alexandria. 



Professor Henry stated that in his interview with the Secretary of War the 

 latter had requested that an inventory of the books, &c, should be made, and 

 that they should be carefully preserved in a room by themselves. The Secre- 

 tary, on behalf of the Regents, provisionally agreed to these propositions on 

 condition that the expense of the shelving and fitting up of the room, and the 

 preparation of the list, should be at the expense of the government. 



The Board of Regents acquiesced in the propriety of taking charge of these 

 libraries, and of carefully preserving them until the termination of the present 

 war. 



The Secretaiy stated that the libraries had been received — the one from 

 South Carolina, in thirty-three boxes and one bundle, by the transportation 

 company from New York, and that of Bishop Johns, in loose volumes, by army 

 wagons from Alexandria. It is proposed to place these libraries in the unoc- 

 cupied apartment in the south tower above the Regents' room. 



The following extracts from the correspondence of the Institution were then 

 presented, after which the Board adjourned, to meet again, if necessary, at the 

 call of the Secretary. 



Western Union Telegraph Company, 

 Secretary's Office, Rochester, N. Y„ April 21, 186?. 

 Dear Sir : Your favor of the 15th instant, enclosing circular, is received. 

 I recommend that you get one hundred copies of your circular printed and send 

 them to E. Creighton, esq., Superintendent of the Pacific Telegraph, Omaha. 



