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Immediately to the north of Capitol Square stands the City Hall, an ugly building, in the cellar of which is the Police Court presided over by the celebrated and highly entertaining Judge Crutchfield, otherwise known as “One John” and “the Cadi”—­of whom more presently.  A few blocks beyond the City Hall, in the old mansion at the corner of East Clay and Twelfth Streets, which was the “White House of the Confederacy,” the official residence of Jefferson Davis during the war, is the Confederate Museum—­one of the most fascinating museums I ever visited.

Not the least part of the charm of this museum is the fact that it is not of great size, and that one may consequently visit it without fatigue; but the chief fascination of the place is the dramatic personalness of its exhibits.  To me there is always something peculiarly engaging about intimate relics of historic figures, and it is of such relics that the greater part of the collection of the Confederate Museum consists.  In one show case, for example, are the saddle and bridle of General Lee, and the uniform he wore when he surrendered.  The effects of General Joseph E. Johnston are shown in another case, and in still another those of the picturesque J.E.B.  Stuart, who, as here one may see, loved the little touch of individuality and dash which came of wearing a feather in a campaign hat.  So also one learns something of Stonewall Jackson when one sees in the cabinet, along with his old blue hat and other possessions, the gold spurs which were given to him by the ladies of Baltimore, beside the steel spurs that he wore.  All Jackson’s personal effects were very simple.

One of the most striking relics in the museum is the Great Seal of the Confederacy, which was only returned to Richmond within the last few years, after having been lost track of for nearly half a century—­a strange chapter in the annals of the Civil War.

Records in the Library of Congress, including the Confederate state papers purchased by the United States Government in 1872, of William J. Bromwell, formerly a clerk in the Confederate State Department, brought to light, a few years ago, the fact that the seal was in the possession of Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge, U.S.N., retired.

At the time of the evacuation of Richmond, Bromwell carried off a number of the Confederate state papers, and Mrs. Bromwell took charge of the seal, transporting it through the lines in her bustle.  When later, through Colonel John T. Pickett, Bromwell sold the papers to the Government, Rear Admiral Selfridge—­then a captain—­was the officer assigned to go to Hamilton, Ontario, to inventory and receive them.  It is said that Pickett gave the seal to Selfridge at about this time, first, however, having a duplicate made.  This duplicate, or a copy of it, was later offered for sale as the original, but was found to be spurious.  When examination of the Pickett