Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 11.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[702]

In obedience to orders from the Brevet Major-General commanding corps, I assumed the command of the city on Monday the third instant, and commenced destroying everything which could be of benefit to the enemy.

The following is a partial list, which was not made complete, as in many cases the whole property could not be destroyed in the limited time allowed:

1. Selma Arsenal — Consisting of twenty-four buildings, containing an immense amount of war material and machinery for manufacturing the same. Very little of the machinery had been removed, although much of it was packed and ready for shipment to Macon and Columbus, Georgia. Among other articles here destroyed were fifteen siege guns and ten heavy carriages, ten field pieces, with sixty field carriages, ten caissons, sixty thousand rounds artillery ammunition, one million rounds of small arms ammunition, three million feet of lumber, ten thousand bushels coal, three hundred barrels resin, and three large engines and boilers,

2. Government Naval Foundry — Consisting of five large buildings, containing three fine engines, thirteen boilers, twenty-nine siege guns, unfinished, and all the machinery necessary to manufacture on a large scale naval and siege guns.

3. Selma Iron Works-Consisting of five buildings, with five large engines and furnaces, and complete machinery.

4. Pierces Foundry, Nos. 1 and 2--Each of these contained an engine, extensive machinery, and a large lot of tools.

5. Nitre Works — These works consist of eighteen buildings, five furnaces, sixteen leaches, and ninety banks,

6. Powder Mills and Magazine — Consisting of seven buildings, six thousand rounds of artillery ammunition, and seventy thousand rounds small arms ammunition, together with fourteen thousand pounds powder.

7. Washington Works — Small iron works, with one engine.

8. Tennessee Iron Works — Containing two engines.

9. Phelan and McBride's Machine Shop, with two engines.

10. Horse Shoe Manufactory — Containing one engine; about eight thousand pounds of horse shoes from this establishment were used by our army.

11. Selma Shovel Factory — This factory contained one steam engine, eight forges, and complete machinery for manufacturing shovels, railroad spikes, and iron axle-trees for army wagons.

12. On the Alabama and Mississippi Railroad--One roundhouse, one stationary engine, and much standing machinery, together with twenty box and two passenger cars.

13. On the Tennessee Railroad--One roundhouse, with machinery, five locomotives, one machine, nineteen box and fifty platform cars.

14. In the Fortifications--One thirty-pound Parrott gun, four ten-pound guns, eleven field pieces, ten caissons, two forges, and five hundred rounds of fixed ammunition.

A portion of the guns destroyed in the arsenal were those captured on the fortifications at the time of the assault. The machinery, engines, and the trunnions of the guns were broken before being burned.

The arsenal buildings were of wood, with but few exceptions, the foundry buildings were of brick. Together with all other buildings enumerated these were completely destroyed, without firing other than public buildings. Several buildings were fired on the evening of the second instant, and quite a number of private dwellings were thereby consumed. This burning being done without authority, destroyed supplies which would have been useful to the army, and did no particular damage to the enemy.

I cannot estimate, in dollars, the value of the public property here destroyed; but all can readily see that the value in a mechanical, social, and war point of view is almost inestimable.

Respectfully submitted,

Major — I have the honor to report that the Pontoon train (fifty-eight wagons) loaded with thirty canvas pontoons, together with the lumber necessary to lay a bridge, at least four hundred feet long, also the pontoniers, consisting of the Third battalion of the Twelfth Missouri cavalry volunteers, under my command, left Eastport, Mississippi, at 8 o'clock A. M., on the twentieth of March, 1865. (The teamsters were all detailed from the battalion of pontoniers, which consisted of two hundred and five (205) men, and five (5) line officers, besides Lieutenant Acting Assistant Quartermaster.) The Twentieth marched by the way of Iuka to Bear river, escorted by the Second battalion of the Twelfth Missouri cavalry. The distance was about fifteen miles. We arrived at the river at about five o'clock, and finding it not fordable, laid pontoon bridges across it, of one tressel and thirteen boats.

Twenty-first. We took up the bridge, and travelled six miles, the roads in very bad condition, it having rained the night before, making the roads very muddy. The men had to lift a great many of the wagons out of the mud. The mules in the train were small, and in not very good order.

Twenty-second. Travelled about ten miles, halted early, passed through Dickson station.

Twenty-third. Roads were very miry, had to travel very slow, and across all low places had the men corduroy the road; also passed over