Artillery at the Southern arsenals.
By Captain Graham Daves.
Sir: Is not the publication of General Gorgas' papers on the Confederate Ordnance Department, edited by Colonel W. Allan, to be continued?
‘Paper I,’ in the January number of the Historical papers, contained so much of interest and information that many of your readers are quite impatient for the remaining numbers.
In reference to the artillery in service at the beginning of the war, General Gorgas probably did not mean to be understood quite literally, when he wrote:
‘There were no batteries of serviceable field artillery at any of the Southern arsenals.’
At the Fayetteville, N. C., arsenal, there was a fine battery of brass field pieces—four six-pounder guns, and two twelve-pounder howitzers, with forge and battery wagon complete.
When the arsenal was surrendered to the State forces, this battery was turned over to the ‘Ellis Light Artillery Company,’ of Raleigh, first commanded by Captain S. D. Ramseur, who, as Major-General commanding division, was killed at Cedar Creek, in the Valley, in October, 1864.
The battery first saw service near Norfolk and on the Peninsula, and was subsequently known as Manly's Battery (Captain B. C. Manly), of Cabell's Battalion, Army of Northern Virginia.
In time the company no doubt fell heir to twelve-pounder ‘Napoleons,’ or to rifled pieces, but guns of that kind were not much known in the early days of 1861, and a company provided with a complete battery of guns of almost any calibre, with necessary appurtenances, was then thought to be very well equipped.
Respectfully,
