Impressions of a Confederate New Yorker

Perhaps one of the most authoritative opinions of Confederate preparedness came from “An Impressed New Yorker,” otherwise unnamed, who published in 1862 Thirteen Months in the Rebel Army. The prevailing attitude was one of great optimism, the success of Southern arms, and ultimate recognition of the Southern Confederacy by the great nations of Europe:
During the six weeks I was attached to the Ordnance Department (as a brevet second lieutenant) I learned some facts which it were well for the North to know. Since reaching home I hear wonder expressed at two things: the vast energy of the South; and their unexpected resources, especially in the procuring of cannon, small-arms and ammunition. How have they secured and manufactured an adequate supply of these, during such a protracted and destructive struggle?

In answer to this enquiry 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 branch of the service. It was also said by Southern officers that a large number of guns 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 modem 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 32 and 64 pounders, also a number of iron Parrott guns. These were cast in the navy yard firm of Street & Hungerford. At Nashville, Tennessee, the firm of T. 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 foundry 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 in this foundry, which the sudden flight of the rebels from Nashville had prevented them from rifling or carrying away. All know that the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Va., is an extensive manufacturer of guns of large caliber. Indeed, every city of the South having a foundry of any size, boasts of furnishing some cannon.
Many of these guns were defective and even dangerous. One battery from the Memphis foundry lost three guns in a month by bursting, one of them at the Battle of Belmont, November 7. 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. Courthouses, 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 at the railroad depots, waiting shipment to the foundries. The rebels are in earnest.
But the finest cannon have been received from England. Several magnificent guns of the Whitworth and Blakeley patents I have seen, or heard described as doing good execution among the “Yankees.” How many have been imported I cannot tell, but surely a large number.
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 Minie 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 shotgun 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 shotguns, 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 Minie ball, twenty to the pound, and sword bayonets fitted to them. One entire brigade of Tennesseans, under General William H. Carroll, was armed with these guns.
When recovering from sickness at Nashville I spent hours of investigation in the basement of the capitol, used as an armory, where an immense amount of this work has been done. At Bowling Green I saw many thousands of rifles and shotguns which had been collected for alteration, and the machine shop of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was used as an armory. Many of these guns were destroyed and others left when the town was evacuated. Nor should it be forgotten that almost every man of any position owned a pair of Colt’s repeaters, many of them of the Army and Navy size. These were eagerly bought up by the Confederate authorities, who paid from thirty to sixty dollars apiece for them. They were for the cavalry service. Add to these facts, that every country blacksmith made cutlasses from old files, & etc most of them clumsy but serviceable weapons in a close encounter. Artillery and cavalry sabers were manufactured at New Orleans, Memphis, and Nashville, and probably at other places.
In short, at the beginning of the year 1862, there was rather a surfeit than any scarcity of arms all over the South
. . . the largest supply of small arms comes from England and France. I have repeatedly heard it said that 300,000 stand of arms have been received from abroad; that 65,000 came in one load by the Bermuda.
The imported guns are principally Enfield, Minie, and Belgian rifles. The first Enfields received had been used somewhat, probably in the Crimean and Indian Wars. The crown marks on the first importations were stamped out with the initials of those who had bought them from the government; the later arrivals exhibit the crown marks uneffaced. I have seen Enfield rifles of the manufacture of 1861 and 1862, with the stamp of the “Tower” on the lockplate! Officers, in opening and examining cases of these, would nod significantly to each other, as much as to say, "see the proof of England’s neutrality!” The French and Belgian rifles, among the best arms made, are mostly of recent manufacture, and elegantly finished . . . with the cargoes of arms, ammunition was supplied at the rate of a thousand rounds for each gun ... I often issued boxes of ammunition, which were put up in London for the Enfield rifle. The fixed ammunition of England is said by Southern officers to be the finest in the world. But much was also made at home. The largest laboratory for making cartridges, of which I had any knowledge, was in Memphis, afterward removed to Grenada, Mississippi. Powder mills were established at various points, one of the largest at Dahlonega, Georgia; and old saltpeter caves were opened, the government offering forty-five cents per pound for saltpeter, and exempting all persons employed in its manufacture from military duty. Percussion caps were made in Richmond early in 1861, and great numbers were smuggled through the lines, in the early part of the War. As to the supply of ammunition, my opinion is, that the South will not lack while the rebellion lasts.

Regiments went into battle armed with shotguns. Ranged beside two shot pouches and two typical sporting powder flasks are Lefaucheux double pinfire gun such as achieved limited sale pre-War through New York agents Hartley, Schuyler and Graham, and was esteemed by French-ancestry Southrons resident in Louisiana. Middle is true “sawed off shotgun” by Ezekiel Baker, having heavy 10" barrels bored for shot or ball. Piece has single non-selective trigger, made in 1850! Bottom is Greener 10 bore waterfowler popular along eastern shore and Mississippi flyway. Cut to 20" and occasionally fitted with bayonet, such first quality sporting arms made Southern cavalryman formidable fighter.

Country blacksmiths beat out old files into “side knives” which every Confederate wore to show how ferocious he was. Occasionally regiments went into battle with nothing but knives until they got good sense. Basket hilt sword is cutlass copying British pattern adopted by C.S.N.