Note: The following information is from the Army Official Records.
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CONFEDERATE AUTHORITIES. PAGE 955-128
[Series IV. Vol. 2. Confederate Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 128.]
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPT.,
ORDNANCE BUREAU,
Richmond, November 15, 1863.
Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War:
SIR: Since the last report rendered from this office the department has
been chiefly engaged in the supply of the armies in the field. Very little
time has been devoted to scientific reaches or experiments. The wants
of the armies have been met successfully, and the condition of the
department and its ability to meet demands upon it is better than it was
a year ago. The period embraced within this report is from September
30, 1862, to September 30, 1863.
IMPORTATIONS.
The Bureau has purchased through its agents abroad under your orders
four steamers, the Columbia, R. E. Lee, Merrimac, and Eugenie, and
at home the steamer Phantom, which have been industriously engaged
in carrying out cotton and bringing in supplies. The particulars of this
duty will be detailed to you by Maj. T. L. Bayne, charged specially
with the conduct of these steamers and with that of others partially
owned by the War Department. Without these important adjuncts, the
first of which was purchased by Maj. Caleb Huse at his own instance,
this department could not have attained its
PAGE 956-128 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.
[Series IV. Vol. 2. Confederate Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 128.]
present ability to respond to all calls made upon it. They have also
material assisted the operations of the Quartermaster, Medical, and
Engineer Departments, Maj. Huse having, with happy inspiration and
under the extended instructions of Secretary Walker, assumed the
responsibility of making heavy purchases for the Quartermaster and
Medical Departments without special orders from the chiefs of those
departments. The number of small-arms imported through these
steamers from September 30, 1862, to September 30, 1863, is 113, 504.
Large quantities of saltpeter, lead, cartridges percussion-caps, flannel
and paper for cartridges, leather, hardware, &c., have also been received
in them. Three 8-inch rifled and two 24 3/4 inch rifled Blakely guns
have been imported. The weight of the latter, with its carriage complete,
is about 55 tons. The weight of its solid shot about 650 pounds and of
its shell 470 pounds. A steamer, the Ella and Annie, was engaged in
August last to carry a portion of the arms and other supplies lying at
Bermuda direct to the coast of Texas. She was driven back to Bermuda
when three days out and forced to land her cargo for repairs and was
unable to prosecute her trip. Maj. Huse was directed on the 24th of
May last to ship 12,000 infantry and 3,000 or 4,000 cavalry arms,
together with necessary supply of ammunition for them, directly to
Texas. He has been unable to comply with this order for want of funds,
but recent remittances will, I hope, enable him to send the arms and
other most necessary stores. I am advised of the landing of one or two
ships on the coast of Texas containing stores, but information is not
sufficiently definite to state how many arms have been delivered. The
chief ordnance officer in the Trans-Mississippi Department has been
provided with cotton for purchase of ordnance stores, and has been
ordered to act directly under instructions of Lieut. Gen. E. Kirby
Smith in procuring them. In the meantime Maj. T. H. Price, late chief
ordnance officer of Gen. Price, is engaged in crossing the Mississippi
with such supplies as he can under instructions from here.
ARTILLERY.
The supply of field, siege, and sea-coast artillery has been produced
with very partial exceptions in the arsenals and workshops of the
Confederacy; that of sea-coast guns mainly from the Tredegar Works.
The whole number fabricated reaches 113, of which 31 were of the
heavier class. The number purchased was 239, of which 46 were large
guns. The army is now adequately supplied on this side of the
Mississippi River with artillery quite equal to that possessed by the
enemy. It will be seen by reference to the summary of operations at the
1st of October, 1862, with appropriate supply of carriages, ammunition,
harness, &c. The quality of the ammunition has been greatly improved
in spite of the increasing obstacles of deficient labor and material. Maj.
J. W. Mallet, superintendent of laboratories, has devoted much of his
time to this subject, and assisted by the officers in command of arsenals,
has produced marked improvements in the ammunition fabricated. A
rigid system of inspection has been introduced which will continue to
insure good results at the laboratories.
SMALL-ARMS.
Notwithstanding the heavy losses of arms at Vicksburg, Port Hudson,
and at Gettysburg, computed at not less than 75,000 stand, the
CONFEDERATE AUTHORITIES. PAGE 957-128
[Series IV. Vol. 2. Confederate Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 128.]
supply on hand has been steadily increasing. The armories at Richmond,
Fayetteville and Asheville have produced an aggregate of about 28,000
small-arms within the years. Those procured at private establishments
will swell this number to full 35,000 (it may be fairly assumed that this
number will be increased to 50,000 during the year ending September
30, 1864.) Of these about 30,000 are infantry and 5,000 cavalry arms,
including among the latter 3,000 Sharps carbines; the remainder are
muzzle-loading of the uniform caliber of 5775, adopted for all
muzzle-loading arms, whether for infantry cavalry, or artillery.
Revolver pistols are fabricated under contract at Macon, Columbus, and
Atlanta, Ga.; the number produced is about 500 per month now; this
will be increased to 1,000 per month in the course of three or four
months.
The supply of sabers produced under contract is abundant, though the
style of workmanship admits of great improvement. Steps were early
taken to establish another armory on an adequate scale; the site chosen
was at Macon, where a plot of ground was given to the Confederate
States for the purpose. Good progress has been made with the buildings,
and superintendent James H. Burton has just returned from Europe,
where contracts have been made for the necessary machinery. A portion
will be delivered in December. Meantime, with the tools and machinery
saved from places abandoned to the enemy, work is progressing on such
part of the gun-making machinery as can be made in this country. This
armory will, when completed, be able to turn out from 1,500 to 2,000
stand per week, a portion of the machinery will be in position by the 1st
of July next, if it should fortunately escape capture, and the whole
establishment will, I hope, be completed as far as now intended in nine
to twelve months permanently, the construction of store-houses,
outhouses, &c., being deferred to better days.
POWDER MILLS AND PERMANENT LABORATORY.
The Government powder mills at Augusta, Ga., have been completed,
and have kept up an adequate supply of powder, notwithstanding the
vast consumption and loss at Charleston, Vicksburg, and Port Hudson.
Full 200,000 pounds of cannon powder alone were lost and consumed
at Charleston alone between the 1st of July and 30th of September. The
resources required to meet the regular wants of our armies may be
judged of when the fabrication of small-arm cartridges at the several
arsenals has been 36,366 rounds in the year, and 298,305 rounds for
field, siege, and heavy artillery have been made and issued. To the
energy and good management of the Niter and Mining Bureau have been
largely due the supply of saltpeter, lead, iron, and copper needed in our
powder mills, laboratories, and foundries. The permanent laboratory, to
serve as a guide to other laboratories in war and adequate to all or wants
in time of peace, has been pushed toward completion and will next
season be ready for partial occupation. It is placed also at Macon and
is under the special charge of the superintendent of laboratories, Maj.
J. W. Mallet.
ARSENALS, ARMORIES, ETC.
The following are the principal establishments of the Ordnance
Department. These employ 5,090 persons, of whom two-third are
non-conscripts, disabled soldiers, boys, females, and slaves.
PAGE 958-128 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.
[Series IV. Vol. 2. Confederate Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 128.]
Richmond Arsenal, Richmond, Va., Lieut. Col. W. L. Brown;
Richmond Armory, Richmond, Va., Superintendent W. S. Downer;
harness shops, Clarksville, Va., Superintendent W. S. Downer; Danville
Depot, Danville, Va., Capt. E. S. Hutter; Lynchburg Depot,
Lynchburg, Va., Capt. G. T. Getty; arsenal and armory, Fayetteville,
N. C., Maj. F. L. Childs; foundry, Salisbury, N. C., Capt. A. G.
Brenizer; Charleston Arsenal, Charleston, S. C., Maj. J. T. Trezevant,
arsenal, foundry, and powder mills, Augusta, Ga., Col. G. W.
Rains; Atlanta Arsenal, Atlanta, Ga., Col. M. H. Wright; Macon
Arsenal, Macon, Ga., Lieut. Col. R. M. Cuyler; Macon
Laboratory, Macon, Ga., Maj. J. W. Mallet; Macon Armory, Macon,
Ga., Superintendent J. H. Burton; Montgomery Arsenal, Montgomery,
Ala., Maj. C. G. Wagner; Columbus Arsenal, Columbus, Ga., Maj.
F. C. Humphreys; Selma Arsenal, Selma, Ala., Lieut. Col. J.
L. White.
At the arsenals, armories, workshops, and depots the following are a
few of the principal items produced and issued during the year:
R P F ITA
Heavy Artillery.......... ....... 46 31 77 Siege artillery and...... ....... 20 3 86 artillery of reserve. Field artillery.......... 12 173 79 514 Siege and sea-coast...... ....... 159 91 239 carriages. Field carriages,......... 567 404 302 934 caissons, battery wagons, forages, &c. Cavalry saddles.......... 1,763 30,381 6,866 49,357 Saddle blankets.......... ....... 45,073 2,315 16,625 Artillery harness........ 373 2,729 2,453 4,221 (2-horse). Horsehoes (lbs.)......... ....... 108,721 120,798 266,951 Horseshoe nails.......... ....... 16,700 6,818 18,343 (lbs.). Bridles.................. 600 31,379 4,478 1,180 Halters.................. 162 39,172 16,472 396 Small-arms............... 127,862 16,246 27,752 145,292 Sabers and swords........ 3,397 43,559 .......... 35,144 Saber-belts.............. ....... 22,155 14,054 30,770 Cartridge-boxes.......... 2,123 126,733 34,666 171,251 Cartridge-box belts...... 4,046 109,352 61,766 104,443 Waist-belts.............. 2,875 132,671 72,750 178,592 Cap-pouches.............. 1,442 157,402 41,189 185,661 Bayonet-scabbards........ 1,675 114,858 15,379 167,018 Knapsacks................ ....... 108,489 27,928 134,100 Haversacks............... ....... 46,383 226,450 227,020 Canteens................. 1,278 73,422 85,291 212,270 Siege and sea-coast...... 246 174,329 35,335 76,451 ammunition. Field ammunition......... 5,638 178,111 262,970 318,297 Small-arms cartridges.... 940,440 81,750 36,531,466 44,933,907 Friction-primers......... ....... 16,099 288,526 812,557 McEvoy-igniters.......... ....... 78,806 .......... 79,846 Percussion-caps.......... ....... 472,500 46,500,099 55,478,092 (musket). Percussion-caps.......... ....... 979,750 3,358,300 4,844,850 (sporting). Powder (loose)........... ....... 40,175 1,417,882 1,638,298
R=Repaired. P=Purchased. F=Fabricated. ITA=Issued to Army.
Pounds. Powder consumed in laboratories... 1,235,449 Lead consumed in laboratories..... 1,521,575
A large portion of the purchases, repairs, and some fabrications do not
appear on this statement, being done through other agencies than the
arsenals. There are no sufficient returns from the Trans-Mississippi
Department, and this statement relates exclusively to the operations on
this side of the Mississippi. The officers serving as chief ordnance
officers with the principal armies in the field--Lieut. Col. B. G.
Baldwin and Lieut. Col. H. Oladowski--have, by their untiring
energy, succeeded in establishing, against great difficulties, some degree
of order within their sphere of duties, despite the loose organization of
the Department which materially interfered with the exact performance
of duty by inspiring loose notions of responsibility to superiors.
CONFEDERATE AUTHORITIES. PAGE 959-128
[Series IV. Vol. 2. Confederate Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 128.]
ORGANIZATION.
Congress has by two acts authorized the appointment of 150 officers of
artillery for ordnance duties. Under the second of these two acts the
appointments were made after examination, and a select body of men
obtained. By orders from the War Department no appointments are
made of ordnance officers except after due examination. Under the
second act alluded to the whole number of officers were distributed into
4 lieutenant-colonels (one to each army in the field), 9 majors (one to
each army corps), 65 captains, 40 first lieutenants, and 32 second
lieutenants. Besides these provisional officers there were a large
number of officers of the Regular Confederate Army on ordnance duty
whose rank depends on the position they hold for the time being. The
provisional organization is thus permanently distinct from the artillery
proper, and it were better this permanent distinction should be
incorporated into a law recognizing and organizing an ordnance
department. Such a law appears to me necessary to the proper execution
of the duties with which this Bureau is charged. It would give character
to this body of officers by recognizing it as a distinct branch of the
service, the members having promotion as ordnance officers for duty
performed as such. I earnestly commend this subject to your
consideration. I recommend that the law of April 19, 1862, be so
amended as to admit of the appointment of one ordnance sergeant to
each division in the field. The division ordnance officer needs such
assistance. I beg leave also to recommend that authority be obtained to
place officers of the provisional ordnance on temporary rank in the same
manner as is allowed in the case of officers of the Regular Confederate
Army and in case officers of the Engineer Corps. (See acts of Congress
of May 21, 1861, and September 23, and December 31, 1861.) Some
action seems necessary to insure the return of officers having temporary
rank to their original rank when they are detached from the temporary
duty for which temporary rank was given. This was doubtless the
intention of the law, but I know of no instance in which it has been
carried out.
Respectfully submitted.
J. GORGAS,
Col., Chief of Ordnance.