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 papers by Gaillard Hunt, of the Library of Congress, finally traced the original seal to Rear Admiral Selfridge, an effort was made to buy it back.

In 1912 three Richmond gentlemen, Messrs.