Civil War items included in auction of 19th-century artifacts

MOUNTAIN CITY - Jack Tatum doesn&#39;t want to part with his collection of 19th-century artifacts, including an original 1852 edition of ``Uncle Tom&#39;s Cabin,&#39;&#39; but at 85, he feels he doesn&#39;t have a choice. <br> <br> Tatum, from nearby Clarkesville, spent 60 years collecting the more than 500 items which are going to be auctioned February 16. <br> <br> Also included are vivid letters written by four Georgia brothers in the Confederate Army, Civil War diaries and other vintage books, including Harriet Beecher Stowe&#39;s ``Uncle Tom&#39;s Cabin,&#39;&#39; an anti-slavery novel that galvanized much of the world against the South&#39;s ``peculiar institution.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> There&#39;s also a handful of Civil War swords and muskets, and a loose-leaf notebook that documented the sale of slaves. <br> <br> Greg Peters, whose Golden Memories Auction Company in Mountain City is handling the sale, expects about 200 bidders.