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Page 18
In answer to this inquiry let me say: The immense supply of
cannon--to speak of them first--which that stupendous thief Floyd
traitorously placed in the Southern forts and arsenals during his
term of office, made a very good beginning for this arm of the
service. It was also said by Southern officers, that a large number
of guns which had been used in the Mexican war were still stored in
the South,--I have heard, at Point Isabel. These were soon brought
into use. Many old Mexican and Spanish brass guns were recast into
modern field-pieces. These were said to have made the finest guns in
the Rebel service, because of the large percentage of silver
contained in the metal.
Very early in the rebellion, an extensive establishment for the
manufacture of field artillery existed in New Orleans, which sent
out beautiful batteries. These batteries I saw in various parts of
the army. This factory was under the superintendence of Northern and
foreign mechanics. Memphis supplied some thirty-two and sixty-four
pounders, also a number of iron Parrott guns. These were cast in
the navy yard by the firm of Street & Hungerford. At Nashville,
Tennessee, the firm of T.M. Brennan & Co. turned out a large amount
of iron light artillery of every description; and shortly before
Nashville was evacuated, they perfected a fine machine for rifling
cannon, which I examined. They sent a spy North, who obtained, it
was said, at the Fort Pitt foundery the drawings and specifications
which enabled their workmen to put up this machine. This expensive,
and to them valuable machine, was removed to Atlanta, Georgia. In
escaping home I came through Nashville a few weeks since, and saw
about a dozen large cannon still lying at this foundery, which the
sudden flight of the Rebels from Nashville prevented them from
rifling or carrying away. All know that the Tredegar Iron Works in
Richmond, Virginia, is an extensive manufactory of guns of large
caliber. Indeed, every city of the South, having a foundery of any
size, boasts of furnishing some cannon.
Many of these guns were defective and even dangerous. One battery
from the Memphis foundery lost three guns in a month by bursting,
one of them at the battle of Belmont, November 7th. After the Rebel
reverses at Forts Henry and Donelson, and the retreat from Bowling
Green and Nashville, when General Beauregard took command of the
army of the Mississippi valley, he issued a call to the citizens for
bells of every description. In some cities every church gave up its
bell. Court-houses, factories, public institutions, and plantations,
sent on theirs. And the people furnished large quantities of old
brass of every description--andirons, candlesticks, gas fixtures,
and even door-knobs. I have seen wagon loads of these lying at
railroad depots, waiting shipment to the founderies. _The Rebels are
in earnest._
But the finest cannon have been received from England. Several
magnificent guns of the Whitworth and Blakely patents I have seen,
or heard described as doing good execution among the "Yankees." How
many have been imported I can not tell, but surely a large number.
In explanation of my ignorance upon this point, let me state this
fact. For some months after the blockade was declared, vessels from
Europe were running it constantly, and the Southern papers
boastfully told of their success. The Confederate authorities saw
the evil of this publicity, and many months ago prohibited the
notice of such arrivals. Hence we see no mention of them recently,
but it is a great mistake to imagine that there are none. The
constant arrival of new European arms and ammunition, the private
talk in well-informed circles, the knowledge of the latest European
news, and especially the letters from Confederate emissaries
regularly received in the South, convince me that the blockade is by
no means perfect. From the innumerable inlets all along the
southeastern coast, and the perfect knowledge possessed of these by
Rebel pilots, it is perhaps impossible that it should be so. The
wisdom of the South in compelling the papers to omit all mention of
the facts in this case, is most unquestionable. Well would it be for
the North if the press were restrained from publishing a thousand
things, which do the readers no good, and which constantly give aid
to the Rebel leaders.
As to small-arms, the energies of the South have been more fully
developed in their manufacture than is dreamed of by the North. As
early as April, 1861, Memphis had commenced the alteration of
immense quantities of flintlock muskets, sent South during Floyd's
term as Secretary of War. I saw this work progressing, even before
Secession was a completed fact there. New Orleans turned out the
best rifles I ever saw in the South. They were similar to the French
Mini� rifle, furnished with fine sword-bayonets. The Louisiana
troops were mostly armed with these. At Nashville and Gallatin,
Tennessee, rifles were also made, and I suppose in every
considerable city in the South. In addition, it should be known that
thousands of Government arms were in the hands of the people, all
through the Southern States; how they procured them I do not know.
These were gathered up and altered or improved, and issued to the
troops. Many of the regiments went into the field armed with every
description of guns, from the small-bore squirrel-rifle and
double-barreled shot-gun to the ponderous Queen Bess musket and
clumsy but effective German Yager. The regiments were furnished as
fast as possible with arms of one kind, and the others returned to
the factories to be classified and issued again. Sword-bayonets were
fitted to double-barreled shot-guns, making them a very effective
weapon. Others were cut down to a uniform length of about
twenty-four inches, and issued to the cavalry. Common hunting-rifles
were bored out to carry a Mini� ball, twenty to the pound, and
sword-bayonets fitted to them. One entire brigade of Tennesseans,
under General Wm. H. Carroll, was armed with these guns.
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