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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/24469-8.txt b/24469-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..74b477c --- /dev/null +++ b/24469-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1616 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Supplies for the Confederate Army, by Caleb Huse + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Supplies for the Confederate Army + How they were obtained in Europe and how paid for. + +Author: Caleb Huse + +Release Date: January 31, 2008 [EBook #24469] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPPLIES FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Caleb Huse] + + + + +DEAR SIR:-- + +In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitably +entertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks," on the Hudson, +just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatly +interested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences as +agent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate States +during the Civil war. + +I was so impressed by this unique bit of history that I succeeded, after +much urging, in inducing him to write it, believing that it should be +preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish it. + +His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume, +but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for. + +I am sending you herewith a copy of this pamphlet. If you wish to keep +it, please send 25 cents in enclosed coin card. If you do not want it, +please return it flat by pasting the enclosed stamped and addressed +envelope on the enclosing envelope. + + Yours truly, + + J. S. ROGERS. + + Room 118, Barristers Hall, + 15 Pemberton Square, + Boston, Mass. + + + +THE SUPPLIES + +FOR THE + +CONFEDERATE ARMY + + +HOW THEY WERE OBTAINED IN EUROPE +AND HOW PAID FOR + + +PERSONAL REMINISCENCES AND +UNPUBLISHED HISTORY + + +BY + +CALEB HUSE + +MAJOR AND PURCHASING AGENT, C. S. A. + + +BOSTON + +PRESS OF T. R. MARVIN & SON + +1904 + + + + +BY JAMES S. ROGERS + +BOSTON, MASS. + + + + +In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitably +entertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks," on the Hudson, +just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatly +interested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences as +agent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate States +during the Civil war. + +So impressed were they by this unique bit of history that they +succeeded, after much urging, in inducing him to write it, believing +that it should be preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish +it. + +His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume, +but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for. + +If the cost of publication is not met by the nominal price charged for +this pamphlet, the satisfaction of preserving the record in print will +compensate for any loss sustained by the + + TWO FRIENDS. + + _August, 1904._ + + + + +REMINISCENCES + + +On my return in May, 1860, from a six months' leave of absence spent in +Europe, I found an appointment as professor of chemistry and commandant +of cadets in the University of Alabama awaiting my acceptance. During my +absence the President of the University and a committee of the Board of +Trustees visited West Point and the Virginia Military Institute and, +pleased with the discipline of both institutions, decided to adopt the +military system, and applied to Colonel Delafield, then the +Superintendent at West Point, for an officer to start them. Col. +Delafield gave them my name but was unable to say whether or not I would +resign from the army. I was then a first lieutenant of artillery; and, +as such, was on the rolls of the garrison of Fort Sumter. + +I accepted the position and began my duties in September. My leave of +absence had expired in May; but the authorities of the University, +fearing that I might regret severing irrevocably my connection with the +army--which I had entered as a cadet at sixteen--obtained from the +Secretary of War an extension of the leave till May, 1861, when I was to +resign if all was satisfactory at that time. + +It is proper to mention here that the introduction of military drill and +discipline at the State University had no connection whatever with any +secession movement in Alabama, and the fact that a Massachusetts-born +man and of Puritan descent was selected to inaugurate the system, will, +or ought to be, accepted as confirmatory of this assertion. + +Discipline was almost at an end at the University, and in seeking ways +and means for restoring it, the attention of the Faculty and Trustees +was directed to the Virginia Military Institute which had been in +successful operation for about fifty years. As this institution had been +organized by a graduate of West Point, and in some respects resembled +the United States Military Academy, it was hoped that in Alabama good +results might be secured by the adoption of similar methods. + +Military drill is taught at the present time in many schools and +colleges, but the intention of the Alabama University authorities was +not merely to drill students, but to hold them under military restraint, +as is effectually done at West Point, and, I may add, as cannot be done +in any college designed to qualify young men to become civilian members +of a great republic. + +West Point and Annapolis have proved themselves noble institutions for +the purpose for which they were designed--that of training young men to +become officers over other men--but the mission of these schools is not +to fit young men for civil life. Their methods cannot be grafted upon +literary or technical civil institutions, and it is not desirable that +they should be applied to civil colleges or schools of any kind. But the +University of Alabama was a military college so far as concerned +discipline, and to this end I was given a Colonel's commission by the +Governor of the State, with two assistants, one a major, the other a +captain. Tents, arms and infantry equipments were purchased of the +United States Government, and a uniform similar to that of the West +Point cadets was adopted. The students were assembled on the first of +September, and a camp established on the University grounds. Drills were +inaugurated at once and regular camp duties were required and performed. + +Everything seemed to be progressing very satisfactorily till one day, +some three weeks after the pitching of the camp, the President of the +University (Dr. Garland) desired to see me at his office. On entering I +found him and a trusted professor awaiting my coming, with disturbed +looks. No time was wasted in the preliminaries; Dr. Garland came to the +point at once by telling me that there was a mutiny brewing in my camp +which it would be impossible for me to quell. He then explained that the +cadets were dissatisfied because I was a northern-born man; that they +called me a d----d Yankee, and intended running me out of the State. He +thought they would be successful, for the ringleaders were old students +who had given a great deal of trouble before I came, and, what made the +matter worse, these students were sons of influential men in the State, +and the mothers of the mutineers were encouraging them. + +I asked if any of the Trustees or the Faculty wished me to resign and +was assured of the contrary. I then said that, but for one thing, I +should have no hesitation in resigning. The cadets, backed by their +families, had threatened to run me out of the State; I should put upon +them the responsibility of executing their threat; I should not resign. +I went back to camp and never heard anything more about the "mutiny." + +I mention this incident only to show the feeling existing in an extreme +southern State at that time--less than two months before the election of +President Lincoln. + +The story of the intended mutiny was well founded, and was only one +phase of the general feeling of unrest throughout Alabama. But, even at +that time, which was within six weeks of election day, the idea of +secession did not prevail. Probably had its people been called upon to +vote on the question, there would have been a very large majority +against secession. After the election in November the unrest manifestly +increased, and conservative men began to consider secession possible and +even probable. + +At the University there was no excitement. Instruction went on as usual +and the era of orderly deportment, begun in camp, continued, much to the +satisfaction of every one and especially to the citizens of Tuscaloosa. +But military discipline, to which, as admitted by every one, the +improved deportment was due, added to the outgo of the University +without materially increasing its income, and the only hope of obtaining +money to meet the increased expenses was through an appropriation by the +Legislature. To secure this, President Garland proposed that the +battalion of Cadets--for so the students were called--should go to +Montgomery and be reviewed by the Governor and by the Legislature, which +was then in session. + +This idea was strongly opposed not only by members of the Faculty but by +men whose sons were in the University. The fear prevailed that the +students would be unmanageable under the many temptations which +Montgomery would afford, and that even the well-meant hospitality of the +citizens, which was sure to be generous, would cause trouble. Whether to +make the trip or not was left to my decision. I decided without +hesitation in favor of the expedition, and arrangements were made for +two steamboats, one to take us down the Black Warrior, the other for the +journey up the Alabama to Montgomery. + +In Mobile the cadets were cordially received, and conducted themselves +to my entire satisfaction. On the steamboats their behavior was all that +could be desired, and in Montgomery everybody was proud of their +appearance and deportment. For sleeping accommodations the cadets +carried their own blankets and turned in on the floor of a large hall. +Camp discipline was maintained and perfect order prevailed. + +The battalion was reviewed in front of the State House by the Governor +and both Houses of the Legislature, and everything passed off most +satisfactorily. In the evening, after the review, a committee of the +Legislature called on me and asked what I wanted. The reply was: An +annual appropriation so long as the military organization was maintained +at the University. + +I remember that a cousin of Senator John P. Hale of New Hampshire (one +of the most pronounced abolitionists of the country) was a member of +the committee. He said to me: "Now you come up to the House tomorrow and +see how we will put this matter through." I did so, and certainly it was +"put through," for, while I was there the bill was given all its +readings--the rules being suspended for the purpose--and it was taken to +the Senate and similarly rushed. The Governor signed it, and the next +day the cadets started on their return home. + +We had left Tuscaloosa in a heavy rain-storm, escorted to the +steamboat--some two miles--by the Montgomery Guards. The trip had been +entirely successful and there had not been a case of misbehavior from +start to finish. Of course drinking was the one thing to be feared, and +when one considers all the temptations on the steamboats and in Mobile +and Montgomery, it is a little remarkable that there were no infractions +of the rules, one of which was that no cadet should enter a bar-room on +pain of instant dismissal. + +As already stated, I went to the University of Alabama under leave of +absence which was to terminate in May, 1861. In February I received an +order revoking the unexpired portion of my leave and directing me to +report for duty in Washington. I replied that my leave was granted with +the understanding that I was to resign at its expiration, and as I saw +no reason to alter my determination, I offered my resignation. There was +no expectation on my part that my future would be any other than such as +my position as professor in the University of Alabama would occasion. + +My resignation was accepted February 25th. In April--I think it was +April 1st--I received a telegram from the Confederate States Secretary +of the Navy Mallory, to "come to Montgomery and take a commission for +active service." I think I am quoting the words of the message. I +started without delay, and on arriving in Montgomery was introduced to +Secretary of War Walker, who soon said to me: "The President has +designated you to go to Europe for the purchase of arms and military +supplies; when can you go?" I replied that, of course, I could go +immediately, but if any preparations were to be made which would +require time, I should like to return to my family before starting. +"Take ten days," said he. "Be back here at the end of that time." I was +then introduced to Col. Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, to whom I was to +report. + +I returned to Tuscaloosa and early in the morning of the tenth day of my +leave of absence, I drove into Montgomery on the top of a stage-coach. +When near the town we met a man on horseback who shouted that Beauregard +had opened fire on Sumter. By this I know that it was April 12th. There +was naturally much excitement in Montgomery, especially about the War +and Navy Departments. + +On reporting to Col. Gorgas, I found that no arrangements had been made +for my going to Europe. I had no orders and did not know what I was to +do for money. I called on the Secretary of the Treasury, Meminger, but +he knew nothing about my going abroad. "When are you going?" said he. I +replied that if I expected to get through the North, I had no time to +lose; and it was finally arranged that he should provide me with money +for my trip to New York, where I should receive funds for my journey to +Europe. During my interview he remarked that he had no money; and it +would appear that the statement was literally true, for it is difficult +to conceive from what source, so soon after its organization, a new +Government could derive any revenue. + +Before leaving Montgomery, Mr. Davis called me to his office and asked +me to be seated while he received his callers, saying he wanted to talk +with me about my mission, and that ideas would come to him between his +interviews with his callers. I took the chair assigned me, and while he +was reading the pile of letters which lay open before him, the callers +began to come in. I do not recall any of the conversation which took +place, but I remember clearly one incident which some may say was +characteristic of the man. Looking over a letter of four full-sized +pages, and standing up with some show of irritation, he said, "I wish +people would not write me advice," and he tore the letter in two; and, +repeating the remark, tore it into small bits which he threw upon the +floor. He mentioned the name of the writer, who, I knew, was a friend +and neighbor. + +I may be permitted to narrate a personal incident which occurred before +I left Montgomery. One evening about sunset, while I was waiting in the +office of the Secretary of War, for the comparatively insignificant sum +of money to be provided for my expenses to England, Mr. Davis greeted me +as Major. I replied: "I might ask, Mr. President, in what regiment," +having in mind the well known anecdote of the subaltern who, on handing +the Emperor Napoleon his chapeau which had fallen, was thanked under the +title of captain. Mr. Davis then explained the principle he had laid +down for himself in appointing officers who had been in the U. S. army. +It was to advance no one more than one grade. He said that Beauregard +was only a captain of engineers, and had been made a brigadier general; +but in this, the rule had not been violated, for, by serving at West +Point as superintendent although for a few days only--five, as shown by +the records--he was a colonel in the army, and had, therefore, been +advanced but one grade. Mr. Davis remarked that there were officers +enough for all field purposes, but the trouble was to find men qualified +to prepare the army for its work. + +I had arranged to pass through Charleston in order that I might visit +Sumter and see the effect of the artillery fire upon it. Arriving in +Charleston in the evening I went to Morris Island the following morning, +and from there in a row-boat to Sumter, accompanied by two young +artillery captains. We were all young in those days; I was just thirty, +and these young men were my juniors by some years. They had both been +under my instruction as cadets at West Point when I was on duty there, +but I cannot now recall their names. On our return from Sumter, we three +lay on the warm sand near the shore, and naturally the conversation was +chiefly on the events of the last few days. In the course of our talk, I +remarked, "What in the world made Anderson surrender the fort?" For in +my opinion it was no more damaged for defence than a brick wall would +be by a boy's snapping marbles against it. As for anything the +Confederate artillery could bring to bear upon it, it was literally +impregnable--as shown by the fact that with all the resources of the +United States army and navy it was never retaken. The wooden quarters +had taken fire, and, for a time doubtless, the fort was a very +uncomfortable place, and it was feared that the magazine would explode. +But when Anderson surrendered all that danger had passed. + +Major Anderson was a gallant officer who had proved his efficiency and +bravery in the Mexican War, for which he was rewarded with two brevets; +but for one who saw Sumter as I did, shortly after its surrender, when +nothing had been changed since Anderson saluted his flag and marched his +command on board the Confederate steamer Isabel, it is impossible to +understand why the surrender should have been made when it was. +Eventually his command might have been starved out. But although for +several days it was short of some kinds of desirable food, and destitute +of fresh provisions, there remained several barrels of pork which he +took with him when he left. Not only was no assault ever made, but the +enemy had no boats or scaling ladders with which to attempt an assault, +as Anderson must have known. + +If the United States Government deliberately intended to force a war and +thus settle once for all the entire question between the North and the +South, no strategy could have been more effectual than that of +sacrificing Sumter exactly as it was sacrificed. The whole affair could +not have been arranged with greater shrewdness and finesse. Anderson and +his officers--without an exception, gallant and competent--were made to +appear as heroes and, in a sense, they were; the North was completely +_unified_, and the same can be said of the South. The lines were now +distinctly and definitely drawn, and every man from Maine to Georgia +must declare for the Government or against it. War began such as no man +could have foretold and such as could not cease till one side or the +other should be completely exhausted. + +From Charleston I went to Baltimore by the Bay Line steamers from +Norfolk, arriving on Sunday morning--the day that the men who had been +killed the Friday previous were to be buried. The excitement was +intense, but the city was quiet--uncomfortably quiet. No one knew what +next to expect. I was for my own part, concerned only about getting to +New York. There were no trains running, bridges having been burned, and +no one could say when railway traffic would be resumed. + +There were a few other travelers bound northward who were eager to +continue their journey. Two of these--young men from +Charleston--approached me cautiously with a proposal that we three +should hire a carriage to take us to York, Pa., and we arranged to go. +Before we were ready to start, an elderly gentleman asked to be +permitted to join the party. He was a large, handsome man, and was +anxious to get to Philadelphia as soon as possible, to see a daughter +who lay at the point of death. The new comer would be a serious addition +to the weight in our carriage, but I had reason to be thankful that we +accommodated him, as will appear later. + +After starting, it was determined--why I cannot now say--to go to Havre +de Grace, instead of York. On our arrival in the evening, we found the +ferry boat had been taken to convey troops to Annapolis, and there was +nothing to be done but wait. We all found comfortable lodgings at a +small hotel, and in the morning a flat boat took us across to +Perryville. + +Among the passengers were several men and women who, as soon as the boat +landed, collected on the piazza of a little country hotel near the +landing and began singing patriotic songs. They were apparently +overjoyed at their escape from the south-land. + +At Perryville there was a large wooden shed which served as a railway +station; employees were standing about, but none could give any +information concerning the trains, all of which, they said, had been +taken by the Government. Before noon, however, a long train came +thundering into the station, and immediately men in uniform poured out +of the cars and ran to the water-side, where they bathed their faces and +hands. They were going to the front. The same train was soon ready to +return to Philadelphia and all who desired to go were accommodated. + +It was impossible to get farther than Philadelphia that day. The next +morning, on taking my seat in the train, I recognized the gentleman +directly behind me as the Hon. Caleb Cushing. I did not accost him, not +caring to meet acquaintances just then, and, moreover, I had no reason +to think that he knew me, for although we were born in the same +town,--Newburyport, Mass.,--he was a distinguished public man when I was +a boy. + +The route from Philadelphia to New York was by the way of Camden to +South Amboy, and thence by steamboat. The latter was a ferry boat with +room for teams on each side of the engine. There were no teams on board, +and, as I had been sitting for some time, and now that we were nearing +New York where I was likely at any moment to meet an acquaintance, I was +a little nervous, I walked about the lower deck. In doing so I met Mr. +Cushing face to face. He was passing the time in a similar manner. I +lifted my cap, as I would to any superior officer, or public man. +Immediately Mr. Cushing stopped and said: + +"Good morning, Mr. Huse, you are with the South, I understand." + +For the moment I was staggered, but quickly calling to mind that Mr. +Cushing had been chairman of the Charleston Democratic Convention which +nominated John C. Breckenridge for President, I replied: + +"Yes, sir, what chance do you think the South has?" + +"What chance can it have?" he said, "the money is all in the North; the +manufactories are all in the North; the ships are all in the North; the +arms and arsenals are all in the North; the arsenals of Europe are +within ten days of New York, and they will be open to the United States +Government, and closed to the South; and the Southern ports will be +blockaded. What possible chance can the South have?" There was nothing +for me to say in reply, and I probably did the best I could have done +under the circumstances. Looking him squarely in the eye, I lifted my +cap and said: "Good morning, Mr. Cushing." I never saw him afterwards. + +On landing at the Battery, I gave my baggage checks to an expressman, +taking his receipt and telling him to hold the baggage till called for. +As it might be very important not to be recognized, I took the +precaution to leave no trail by my baggage, which was taken to Liverpool +later by one of the young men who had been my carriage companion from +Baltimore. I went at once to the Bank of the Republic, where I was to +find letters which would enable me to obtain money for my voyage. + +I was told to call for Mr. S----, the cashier of the bank. On his coming +to the window, I asked if he had any letters from Montgomery. His face +immediately showed real fear. Opening a door near by, he said, "Come +in," and I found myself in the bank parlor. He immediately locked the +door, pulled down the window shades and then asked, "Now what is it?" + +In the brief time occupied in drawing down the shades, etc., I +determined what to do, and replied,-- + +"I see, Mr. S., that you are much agitated by my visit, and I will not +further compromise you by giving you my name; but if you have any +letters from Montgomery, which you do not recognize, will you be good +enough to send them around to Trenholm Brothers, in Pine Street." + +He assured me he would, and I bade him good morning. As I was leaving he +said there was intense excitement on the street; Anderson's command had +just marched up Broadway and aroused the greatest enthusiasm. I had +observed a small United States flag near the entrance, and Mr. S. said +he believed if that flag were not at the door, the mob would attack the +bank. + +At the office of Trenholm Brothers I inquired for Mr. Wellsman, and was +shown into an inner room where I met a large, middle-aged man bearing a +striking resemblance to the white-haired gentleman who had been one of +the party from Baltimore to Havre de Grace. I introduced myself by +saying that Captain Wellsman was my travelling companion from Baltimore +on Sunday. + +"He is my father," said Mr. Wellsman. I told him of meeting Capt. +Wellsman at the Philadelphia station that morning, and that he asked me +to say he had found his daughter much better than he expected, and they +now had hopes of her recovery. I then explained to him that I was an +officer of the Confederate States Army, on my way to Europe to purchase +arms and other army supplies; that I was to be provided with funds +through Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and expected to get money +from Trenholm Brothers for the expenses of the voyage. Mr. Wellsman had +no letters for me, and had received no information from Montgomery +concerning me. Having no money for my voyage, the situation was becoming +serious. + +Excusing himself after a short time, Mr. Wellsman left the office, and +returning within half an hour, was even more alarmed than Mr. S. had +appeared to be. He said the excitement was very great, and that he +believed if the crowd discovered my business, they would hang me to a +lamp-post; I must not leave the office till I started for the train. +What did I propose to do? I ought not to think of sailing from New York. + +I replied that I would go to Canada and take the steamer from Montreal. +But I could not sail from anywhere without money. + +"You can have the money," said Mr. Wellsman. "How much do you want?" + +"Five hundred dollars." + +"And you want it in gold?" + +"Yes." + +He procured the gold, ordered some lunch to be brought, and about three +o'clock I started for the Erie Railway station. Sometimes we entertain +angels unawares. Captain Wellsman seems to have been a veritable angel. +The simple, verbal message that I carried to his son served me as a +letter of credit. Without it, I cannot now see what I could have done. +Ten years after the war, when I met an old friend, he assured me that he +would have had me arrested, had he known my mission while I was in New +York. + +When I left the office of Trenholm Brothers, a man on the sidewalk +signaled to another on the opposite side of Pine street, and one of +these men sat opposite me on the ferry-boat. Whether or not they were +shadowing me I never knew. I saw nothing more of them after leaving the +boat, and had no further adventures till I reached Turner's, where +trains stop for supper. In the restaurant, I recognized a number of +friends, and my only prudent course was to go without my supper or seek +it elsewhere. I chose the latter, and got what I could at a bar near by. + +I had no baggage--not even an overcoat--and the night was cold. I was in +an ordinary day-coach on my way to Hamilton, Canada. Through trains were +not so frequent then as now, and in Buffalo I had to wait some time, +much of which I passed in seeing the town. While walking in a retired +part of the city, I just escaped meeting an officer of the army whom I +knew, by turning down a cross street. + +At Hamilton I purchased clothing for the voyage, and was disappointed to +find that I should have to wait several days for the next steamer from +Montreal; I therefore decided to sail from Portland, but delayed +purchasing my ticket till I could take the last train that would reach +that city in time to board the steamer. This train went only to State +Line on the day it left Hamilton, where I stopped over night. I remember +the place from the fact that, although late in April, I was obliged to +break the ice in my pitcher the next morning, when I started on what +proved to be my last journey in the United States for several years. At +nearly every stopping place on the way to Portland, men in uniform and +fully equipped entered the cars. We were picking up a regiment under +orders for the front. + +We finally arrived, and my ship was in sight at anchor. I confess to a +feeling of relief when I stepped on board from the tug, and that feeling +was enhanced when we weighed anchor and the screw began pushing us out +into the neutral territory of the broad Atlantic. + +There were few passengers, and the voyage was without incident save one +of no importance except as tending to confirm the theory of transmission +of thought without language. My table-neighbor was a young sea-captain +from Maine, who was returning to his vessel, which he had left in +Liverpool some weeks before, to confer with the owners. + +One day at dinner, without any previous conversation whatever to lead +even indirectly to such a remark, he said: "I believe you are going to +Europe to buy arms for Jeff. Davis." + +I was in the act of taking a piece of potato on my fork, and, to gain +time before answering, I passed the potato to my mouth and then made +about as foolish a reply as was possible, saying, "If he wanted arms he +would be likely to select a man who knew something about arms." The +captain immediately remarked, "Sometimes those fellows that know the +most, say the least." I could think of nothing to say to advantage, and +said nothing; the matter was never referred to again. + +On arriving in London I went to what was then a favorite hotel for +Americans,--Morley's in Trafalgar Square. The remark of the ship-captain +interested me, and I resolved to probe the matter a little by calling on +a gentleman with whom I had conversed more freely than with any other +passenger. He was a lawyer from Portland, who in his younger days had +taught school in Mississippi. He was stopping at a near-by hotel on the +Strand. On meeting him, I asked if he knew the object of my visit to +Europe. He replied he had not the slightest idea why I was there. I then +told him of the captain's remark, and that his surmise was correct. I am +very sure that, during the voyage, I said nothing from which the nature +of my business could be inferred; and as for papers, I had received none +since leaving Montgomery. + +My orders were to purchase 12,000 rifles and a battery of field +artillery, and to procure one or two guns of larger calibre as models. A +short time before the beginning of the war, the London Armory Company +had purchased a plant of gun-stocking machinery from the Ames +Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Mass. Knowing this, I went to the +office of the Armory Company the day after my arrival in London, with +the intention of securing, if possible, their entire output. + +On entering the Superintendent's office, I found there the American +engineer who superintended the erection of the plant. I had known him in +Chicopee. Suspecting he might be an agent for the purchase of arms for +the United States Government, I asked him, bluntly, if he was, and +added, "I am buying for the Confederate Government." Such a disclosure +of my business may seem to have been indiscreet, but at that time I +thought it my best plan, and the result proved that I was right. He made +no reply to my inquiry, but I was satisfied my suspicion was correct and +resolved on the spot, to flank his movement if possible. + +As he had entered the office first, it was in order for me to outstay +him, which I did. On his leaving, I asked for a price for all the small +arms the Company could manufacture. + +The Superintendent said he could not answer me, but would refer me to +the Chairman of the Company,--President, we should call him--and would +accompany me to his office. There I repeated my inquiry for a price for +all the arms the Company could make for a year, with the privilege of +renewing the order. The President was not prepared to give me a price, +but would do so the next day. On calling at his office the following +day, he told me that the Company was under contract for all the arms it +could turn out, and considering all the circumstances, the Directors +felt they ought to give their present customer the preference over all +others. + +Confirmed in my belief that my competitor was no other than the man whom +I had encountered the day before, I was now more determined than ever to +secure the London Armory as a Confederate States arms factory. The +Atlantic cable was not then laid, and correspondence by mail required +nearly a month--an unreasonable time for a commercial company to hold in +abeyance a desirable opportunity for profit. Within a few days I +succeeded in closing a contract under which I was to have all the arms +the Company could manufacture, after filling a comparatively small order +for the United States agent. This Company, during the remainder of the +war, turned all its output of arms over to me for the Confederate army. + +Baring Brothers were, at that time, the London financial agents for the +United States Government, and they would unquestionably have been +supported and gratefully thanked, had they assumed the responsibility of +contracting for all the arms in sight in England. Any army officer, fit +for such a mission as that of buying arms for a great Government at the +outbreak of a war, would have acted, if necessary, without instructions, +and secured everything that he could find in the line of essentials, +especially arms, of which there were very few in the market. There were +_muskets_ enough to be had for almost any reasonable offer, but of +modern Enfield or Springfield rifles--which were practically the +same--there were only a few thousand in England, and none elsewhere +except in Austria, where all were owned by the Government. And, +according to Mr. Cushing, these would be available by the United States +but impossible of purchase by "the South." Yet even so high an authority +as Ex-Attorney General Cushing proved to be wrong in his assumption, as +will be shown below. + +Any young, intelligent West Point graduate holding an army commission +and as fearless in assuming responsibility as the average "graduate," +would not only have prevented my making this important contract, but +would have blocked my efforts in every direction; for in all Europe the +supply of arms ready for use or possible of manufacture was very +limited. Such an officer would have secured everything worth having--in +other words, all the best--and only inferior arms of antiquated model +would have been left for the Confederacy. The effect would have been not +only to give the United States good arms in profusion, but utterly to +discourage their opponents by the inferiority of their weapons. + +Mr. Davis did not make the great mistake of sending a civil agent to +purchase supplies--a duty as thoroughly military as any that could be +named--nor the still greater blunder of setting several men to do what +one man, with uncontrolled authority, could do so much better. Doubtless +he could have found men who would have performed the duty as well as did +the young officer whom he selected, and some who would have done their +part better; but, during the whole war, no change was made, although not +to remove him often required that firmness--not to say obstinacy--which +was a prominent trait of Mr. Davis's character, and which, right or +wrong, but especially when he was right, he exercised to a remarkable +degree. + +When I arrived in England, the Confederate States Government was already +represented by Hon. William L. Yancey, Commissioner to England; his +secretary, Mr. Walker Fearn, afterwards United States Minister to +Greece; Judge Rost, of New Orleans, Commissioner to France, with his son +as secretary; and Mr. Dudley Mann, commonly known as Col. Mann, who held +an appointment as Commissioner, but to what country I do not know. +Later, Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, afterwards United States Secretary of the +Interior, and later still Justice of the United States Supreme Court, +was appointed Commissioner to Russia, but he went no further than Paris, +and returned to Richmond before the end of the war. Commander James D. +Bulloch, previously of the United States Navy, whose sister was the +mother of President Roosevelt, was in charge of all naval matters. +Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool, were the fiscal agents. + +All these representatives worked in complete harmony, without jealousy +or clashing of opinion; each was ready to assist the others in every way +possible. They were all cultured men, of agreeable personality, and as +far removed from the _genus homo_ which has been designated as +"hot-headed Southerner," as can well be imagined. They lived +unostentatiously, in modest, but entirely respectable lodgings in the +West End, London, except Judge Rost, who resided in Paris, and Commander +Bulloch, who made his headquarters in Liverpool. None of the +representatives of the Confederate Government required much money in the +discharge of his duties, except Commander Bulloch and myself. We were +both to look to Fraser, Trenholm & Co., for all the money we were to +expend, as indeed were all the diplomatic agents. + +The fiscal system was, almost of necessity, of the most simple +character. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool, John Fraser & Co., of +Charleston, S. C, and Trenholm Brothers, of New York, were practically +one concern, and the senior member of John Fraser & Co., Mr. William +Trenholm, became Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury early in +the war. Mr. Wellsman, senior member of Trenholm Brothers, in New York, +joined the Liverpool house, the senior member and manager of which was +Charles K. Prioleau, formerly of Charleston. There was no loan to +negotiate; for the Confederacy--recognized only as belligerents--had no +credit among nations, and no system of taxation by which it could hope +to derive any revenue available for purchasing supplies abroad. But it +possessed a latent purchasing power such as probably no other Government +in history ever had. + +The cotton crop of its people was a prime necessity for the +manufacturing world outside, and, for want of machinery, was utterly +valueless in all the Southern States except Georgia, where there were a +few small factories. Almost immediately after the outbreak of +hostilities the Confederate authorities began to buy cotton, paying in +such "money" as it had; that is to say, its own promises to pay whenever +it could. Some of these promises bore interest and were called _bonds_; +some bore no interest, and these constituted the currency of the +country. + +The cotton, as it lay on the plantations or in the warehouses, was for +sale, and the Government was almost the only buyer. To all others there +was a difficulty, amounting almost to impossibility, in getting cotton +to market. Some, no doubt, was smuggled across the border, to the +advantage of "patriots" of each side; but this outlet for a bulky +article like cotton was altogether inadequate, and, practically, every +one was compelled by the very condition of affairs, without the +application of even moral force, to sell to the Government and receive +in payment the best that the Government had to offer; namely: its own +promises to pay, which, whether stated as a condition of the promise or +not, could not be made good till after the favorable close of the war. +If the South failed, the promises would be valueless; if it succeeded, +the obligations would be met as promptly as possible. The situation was +accepted by the people, and the Government acquired cotton and shipped +it to Nassau, Bermuda, and Havana as fast as it could. + +To get cotton through the blockading squadron called for daring and +skill; but there seems to have been no lack of either, and it was not +long before every steam vessel that could carry even a few bales, and +was sea-worthy enough to reach Nassau, was ready with a crew on board, +eager to sneak out any dark night and run to a neutral port,--generally +Nassau. + +For a long time this traffic went on almost without a capture, and the +Confederate Government not only deposited in places of safety large +quantities of a commodity in general demand throughout the world, but +also had the satisfaction of seeing its property advance rapidly in +value as the war went on, and its necessities increased. The cotton thus +shipped was all consigned to Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and the +consignments for the army, navy and diplomatic departments were +carefully kept separate. There was, therefore, no clashing of interests +between the army and navy, as to disposition of proceeds. The +requirements for the diplomatic agents were trifling compared with those +of the army for supplies and the navy for building, equipping and +manning ships. + +I had not been long in England before the sinews of war began to be +available, and I found myself able to meet my engagements in a manner +entirely satisfactory to my creditors. To buy supplies was simple +enough; but to ship them was another matter. As was to be expected, +detectives employed by the U. S. Government as well as volunteer spies +were about me. Efforts were made to intercept telegrams and to tamper +with employees, but few of these attempts at stopping Confederate army +supplies were successful. + +One success scored by the United States was the capture of the "Stephen +Hart," a schooner of American build, but purchased by an English house +and put under the British flag for Confederate use. The proof that she +was loaded with army supplies destined for the Confederate States was so +complete that no expense was incurred in defending the rights of the +quasi British owners. It was a mistake to ship such supplies by sailing +vessels, and there were other errors of judgment which were not +repeated. + +After the "Stephen Hart" episode, all army supplies were carried by +steamer, either to a Confederate port direct, or to Nassau or Bermuda. +There was little difficulty in chartering steamers to carry supplies to +"The Islands." Generally both ship and cargo belonged in good faith to +British subjects; and, as the voyage was from one British port to +another, the entire business was as lawful as a similar shipment would +have been from London to Liverpool. But one of the most innocent +shipments was not only captured, but the capture was confirmed, and +there was not on board one penny's worth of property belonging to the +Confederate States or to any American citizen. The ship "The +Springbock," was loaded by a firm from whom I had purchased many +supplies; but in this instance, the cargo was to be sold in Nassau, and +there was nothing of a suspicious character on board, excepting some +brass buttons bearing the device "C. S. A.," and these buttons were put +on board the last day against the wishes of one of the partners who +feared they would be considered as tainting the whole cargo. And so the +United States Court decided. Everything else on board was likely to be +wanted in any country whose ports had been blockaded for several months, +but none of the articles were such as could be classed as _military_ +supplies. + +To get the supplies from "The Islands" to the main land required +sea-worthy steamers of light draught and great speed. Many such vessels +were purchased and sent out under captains who were equal to any +emergency, among whom were several former U. S. Navy officers. Some of +these steamers had been private yachts, as for example the "Merrimac;" +(there were two "Merrimacs"); some were engaged in trade between British +ports, as the "Cornubia;" some were taken from the Channel service +between England and France, as the "Eugenie;" and some were built for +opium smuggling in China. Later in the war, steamers were built +expressly for the service. + +During the first two years, the captures were so infrequent that, it may +be safely stated, never before was a Government at war so well supplied +with arms, munitions, clothing and medicines--everything, in short, that +an army requires--with so little money as was paid by the Confederacy. +The shipment from England to the Islands in ordinary tramp steamers; the +landing and storage there, and the running of the blockade, cost money; +but all that was needed came from cotton practically given to the +Confederate Government by its owners. + +The supplies were, in every instance, bought at the lowest cash prices +by men trained in the work as contractors for the British army. No +credit was asked. Merchants having needed supplies were frankly told +that our means were limited, and our payments would be made by cheques +on Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, an old established and +conservative house. The effect of such buying was to create confidence +on the part of the sellers, which made them more anxious to sell than +were we to purchase. When the end came, and some of the largest sellers +were ruined, I never heard a word of complaint of their being +over-reached or in any manner treated unfairly. + +As long as the system thus described continued, the South not only +equipped an army able to cope with the colossal forces constantly +advancing upon it, but it accomplished this without distressing its +people with taxes. And thus, in part, was answered Mr. Cushing's +apparently unanswerable exclamation: "What _possible_ chance can the +South have?" + +But the supply of acceptable arms was not equal to the demand. The +civilized powers had but recently been equipped with modern arms. The +United States had the Springfield; England had the Enfield, which was +practically the same as the Springfield; Austria had a rifle bearing a +close resemblance to both, and of about the same calibre; Prussia had a +breech-loader which no Government would now think of issuing to troops; +France had an inferior muzzle-loader, and was experimenting with an +imitation of the Prussian needle-gun, which finally proved ruinous to +the Empire. There were few arms for sale, even in the arsenals of +Europe, which Mr. Cushing had said would be open to the United States +and closed to the South. Austria, however, had a considerable quantity +on hand, and these an intermediary proposed I should buy. + +I knew something of the armament of Austria, having visited Vienna in +1859, with a letter from the United States War Department, which gave me +some facilities for observation. At first I considered the getting of +anything from an Imperial Austrian Arsenal as chimerical. But my +would-be intermediary was so persistent that, finally I accompanied him +to Vienna and, within a few days, closed a contract for 100,000 rifles +of the latest Austrian pattern, and ten batteries, of six pieces each, +of field artillery, with harness complete, ready for service, and a +quantity of ammunition, all to be delivered on ship at Hamburg. The +United States Minister, Mr. Motley, protested in vain. He was told that +the making of arms was an important industry of Austria; that the same +arms had been offered to the United States Government and declined, and +that, as belligerents, the Confederate States were, by the usage of +nations, lawful buyers. However unsatisfactory this answer may have +been to Washington, the arms were delivered, and in due time were +shipped to Bermuda from Hamburg. Mr. Motley offered to buy the whole +consignment, but was too late. The Austrian Government declined to break +faith with the purchasers. + +I confess to a glow of pride when I saw those sixty pieces of rifled +artillery with caissons, field-forges, and battery-wagons, +complete--some two hundred carriages in all--drawn up in array in the +arsenal yard. It was pardonable for a moment to imagine myself in +command of a magnificent park of artillery. The explanation of Austria's +willingness to dispose of these batteries is that the authorities had +decided on the use of gun-cotton in the place of powder; and the change +involved new guns, although those sold to me were of the latest design +for gunpowder. I believe gun-cotton was given up not long after. + +Again Mr. Cushing's "What possible chance can the South now have?" was +in part answered. At least _one_ of the greatest arsenals of Europe had +been opened to the South. + +That the ports of the South were blockaded, as Mr. Cushing said they +would be, was true; but never before had steam vessels been employed by +a vigilant enemy to search out the weak intervals in the line and avail +himself of darkness and even storm, to enter and leave blockaded +harbors. In spite of large squadrons, under command of competent and +zealous officers, enough war material was carried into ports of the +Confederate States to enable them, for three years, to contend +vigorously against all the armies the United States could collect, not +only from its own population, but from all the countries of Europe. + +Well may the people of the Northern portion of the reconstructed Union +be proud of their fellows, who for four long years contended against +such fearful odds. + +The fourth year of the war saw an end of the struggle, not only because +of the immense superiority of the North in men and material, but also on +account of a change of policy in procuring supplies. For a long time +there were no contractors between the European sources of supply and +the great consumer, the army. Cotton, the only article of value to the +outside world, passed into possession of the Government continuously and +without friction, and was landed in Nassau--exceptionally in +Bermuda--with no back charges due. Every shilling that a bale was worth, +as it lay at the landing-place, was so much to the credit of the War or +Navy Department with Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and was +available as soon as the arrival was announced by mail _via_ New York. +There were literally no leaks. More devoted or more intelligent and +trustworthy agents than were Fraser, Trenholm & Co., during the four +years in which they acted for the Richmond Government, never served any +principal. + +But in the latter stages of the war, contracts with the Government began +to appear. These contracts, made in Richmond, were generally a sort of +partnership affair by which the contractor, usually an English company, +shared equally the freighting capacity of each blockade runner. A +representative of one of these companies brought to me, one day, a draft +on myself for a large sum in sterling--I think it was £10,000, but this +may not be the exact sum. What to do with it was a difficult problem. +The payee, a respectable merchant of Richmond, presented it in person, +and there was no doubt of its genuineness. After considering the matter +a few minutes, I said: + +"I can't pay this, Captain C----." + +"What!" he said, "Repudiate the draft of Colonel Gorgas?" + +"Can't help it; I cannot and shall not honor it. I need much more money +than I have received, to pay for what has gone forward, and I have large +contracts out for supplies." + +"I will assume your contracts," he replied. + +"But I will not assign them to you." + +Here was a collision between officer and Government contractor, which +might result in the professional ruin of the officer; for the draft was +an order from his superior. Although a good many rough words were +interchanged, I stood my ground and did not pay the draft. I read +between the lines of Col. Gorgas's letters that he would stand by me, +and he did. The draft was undoubtedly made by higher authority--probably +the Secretary of War, Mr. Seddon--who at the time had not been long in +office, while Col. Gorgas had served from the organization of the +Confederate Government in Montgomery. I never heard anything more about +the repudiated draft, and, not long after, I was informed that, at the +request of the War Department, I had been advanced to the grade of +Major. + + * * * * * + +In this connection I may mention an incident that occurred somewhat +later. Mr. Yancey had returned to Richmond, and Mr. James H. Mason had +taken his place as Commissioner. It would be difficult to imagine two +men more opposite in character, discharging the same functions. Mr. +Yancey was a much younger man, and had been a student at Williams +College, Massachusetts. He had represented Alabama in the United States +Congress, and was sufficiently acquainted with affairs in general to +hold his own in almost any company. His voice and manners were pleasing, +and his estimate of himself was sufficiently modest to make him an +appreciative listener. I never heard him address an audience but once, +but that once convinced me he was a born orator. It was at a +Fishmongers' Guild dinner, and the few representatives of the +Confederate States were the guests of the evening. Mr. Yancey sat on the +left of the Lord Warden. I sat four or five seats from him, on the +opposite side, the tables being arranged in the form of a horse shoe. +There was a large number present, and many were evidently Americans from +the North. + +Very early in the list of toasts, the toastmaster,--a butler possessed +of a ringing voice, and who stood just behind the chair of the Lord +Warden, from whom he received his orders--called out: + +"Gentlemen, fill your _glah-ses_, the Lord Warden will take wine with +you." + +The glasses being filled, the toast was announced. I do not now recall +the words, but it had reference to the "new nation," and to Hon. William +L. Yancey, and "our guests from the Confederate States of America." The +Lord Warden made a short address of welcome and called on Mr. Yancey. +All the Confederate guests were expected to stand while their spokesman +replied. But I declined to make myself so conspicuous, fearing that in a +company so entirely new to Mr. Yancey, as I felt sure this English +company was, his speech would be anything but appropriate. + +I could not have been more in error. What he said exactly fitted the +place and the occasion; the audience was delighted, except some people +at the lower ends of the tables, who, by rattling their glasses and +moving their feet, did their best to disconcert the speaker. In this +they failed. The speech was short, and at its conclusion the storm of +applause clearly showed the pleasure it afforded the great majority of +the audience. I remember well a barrister--a member of the city +government--who after the dinner was over, commented enthusiastically on +the eloquence of Mr. Yancey. + +Mr. Mason was a very different man. He had, for forty years been a +prominent member of the United States Senate, and seemed never to be +unmindful of the presence and importance of the Honorable James H. Mason +of Virginia. The two Commissioners were as different, one from the +other, as a Kentuckian and a Boston man of pilgrim blood. I saw but +little of Mr. Mason. Mr. Yancey had always been ready to confer with me. +I freely talked over my plans with him, and by his counsel and cordial +endeavor to aid me, he was an ever present help. + +There was in Mr. Mason no magnetism to attract young men, and I do not +remember ever to have asked his advice or opinion. In this he presented +a strong contrast to all the other Commissioners. Mr. Slidell was as old +a man and as experienced in public affairs as Mr. Mason, but he was a +genial companion even to younger men, and I consulted him quite as +freely as I had Mr. Yancey. + +One morning I received a note from Mr. Mason's secretary, asking me to +call at Mr. Mason's lodgings. I lost no time in obeying the summons, and +Mr. Mason lost no time in coming to business. + +"Major," he said, "I have sent for you to request you to inspect some +army supplies that some of our English friends are sending over under a +contract with the War Department." + +Without a moment's hesitation, I replied, "Mr. Mason, I will inspect the +contract, and if I approve it, I will inspect the goods." + +I cannot convey an adequate idea of the man's astonishment. It was too +great for him to express himself immediately. He was standing in front +of the grate. Taking a package of "fine-cut" from his pocket, and +removing from his mouth an immense quid which he threw into the grate, +he replaced it with a fresh wad and, looking at me, said, "Do you know +who I am? Whom do you look upon as your superiors?" + +Instantly, but very quietly, I replied, "I believe you are the Honorable +James M. Mason, Confederate States Commissioner to England." + +"Yes," he replied, "and in a very few days I shall be Minister of the +Confederate States to the Court of St. James." It was when England, +France and Spain were on the point of acknowledging the Confederate +States of America as a nation. + +I then said, "I acknowledge no superior on this side of the ocean; in +America the Secretary of War and all officers senior to me are my +superiors, and especially Col. Gorgas, from whom I receive my orders. +Not only on general principles can I take no orders from you, but I have +an order sent me after the battle of Bull Run, giving me _carte +blanche_, and directing me not to allow myself to be governed by +political emissaries of the Government. Now, if you are not a political +emissary of the Government I don't know what you are." + +There was no possible answer to this defining of our relative positions +and there was no more controversy. The dispute lasted some time, but I +have related enough to answer my purpose. + +The order to which I referred was sewed into the sole of a boot, the +wearer of which, a German by birth, made the journey from Richmond to +London by way of New York. On arriving in London the order was removed +from its hiding place by cutting the stitches of the sole. The incident +serves to show the impossibility of preventing secret correspondence in +time of war. + +Another incident of the same character may be mentioned. The first +vessel to run the blockade from England was the "Fingal," Commander +James D. Bulloch. It was necessary to send to Savannah, the port for +which Commander Bulloch intended to strike, a set of signals in advance. +These were secreted by removing the wrapper of a well-made cigar and +carefully replacing it, after rolling the paper containing the signals +upon its body. I myself did this bit of cigar work. On arriving off +Savannah, Commander Bulloch displayed his signals, which were +immediately answered, and he piloted his ship into the harbor with which +he was familiar. So long as the War Department depended entirely on its +own officers to get cotton out and run supplies in, the value of every +bale of cotton that reached the Islands secured, in due time, its full +equivalent in army supplies. There were some captures of cotton going +out, and others of supplies going in, but the losses were for a long +time inconsiderable. When, however, the contract system got into full +working condition, although there were more vessels in the service, the +supplies began to shrink. Contractors were "on the make." That was their +business, and they pursued it eagerly, for the profits were large. + +The "Nashville," which had been a packet between New York and +Charleston, was purchased by the C. S. Government and converted into a +cruiser, and as it was very desirable that there should be some show of +naval power in a European port, she was sent under command of Captain +Pegram to Southampton, where she arrived in good order. On reading the +news of her arrival, I went immediately to Southampton to call on her +officers, with Mr. Fearn, secretary to Mr. Yancey. The ship was, like +all American ships, trim and in beautiful condition, but she was only a +converted passenger ship, and must have made a poor showing had she met +a U. S. ship of any size. However, she served the purpose of displaying +the Confederate States flag in a foreign port and on the high seas. + +My object in calling on Captain Pegram was not one of courtesy alone. A +most outrageous proposal had been made to me, involving the capture of a +British ship bound from Hamburg to New York, loaded with a hundred +thousand Austrian rifles. The proposal, in brief, was: That I should +deposit £10,000 in the Bank of England subject to the draft of one of +two persons. In the event of success of the scheme, one was to draw the +money; in case of failure, the other. The plan was to capture a British +ship, then loading with arms at Hamburg for New York. It had been +proposed to me that with a tug, having a gun on board, I should +intercept the ship, fire a gun, and demand her surrender. The captain +would have orders to comply with my demand, and I was to direct him to +sail to Charleston. + + * * * * * + +The scheme was not impossible for any one holding a privateer's +commission, and I applied to Mr. Yancey for a letter-of-marque. On +hearing my story, Mr. Yancey said he had such commissions, but that they +were contrary to the spirit of the age, and he had determined not to +give any of them out. However, in this instance, he would issue one if I +wanted it. I believed my land-service commission would protect me, but I +asked for the letter-of-marque as an additional safeguard. Captain +Pegram, after considering the matter in conference with his executive, +Lieutenant Fauntleroy (formerly of the United States Navy), determined +not to make the attempt, and the matter was dropped. + +Perhaps it is well that the "Nashville" arrived, and that Captain Pegram +declined to act; for I had the money ready to deposit, and what seems +now to me a madcap scheme might have been attempted. + +The ship sailed, and delivered her cargo in New York. The projectors of +the scheme stood to receive double payment for the arms and ship, the +insurance against war-risk having been assumed by the U. S. War +Department. The arms were from the Vienna arsenal, from which I +received, later, the same number of small arms and several batteries of +field artillery. + +At the time the "Nashville" arrived in Southampton, I had a large +quantity of supplies ready for shipment, but was deterred by the +endeavors of agents of the United States Government to stop me. The +problem was finally solved by a hint from the British authorities to +clear them for Australia, which was done. The shipment was made on the +steamer "Economist," bought for the expedition, and Lieut. Fauntleroy +was detached from the "Nashville" to command her; of course a British +captain in nominal command. Although the "Economist" had speed of not +more than eight knots an hour, Lieut. Fauntleroy made a successful run +into Charleston and delivered his cargo in excellent condition. + +An incident worth relating is connected with this period of the war. A +ship which Lieut. Fauntleroy and I visited one morning was loading in +London Docks for Nassau. In the same dock were two very handsome +steamers which had been built for the opium trade, but for some reason +had not sailed for China. They were now for sale. Lieut. Fauntleroy, +after examining them, was most eager that I should buy one and put him +in command. To do so, however, was impossible; I had no money. Several +months afterwards I was asked to buy a steamer and her cargo of arms, +clothing, shoes, ammunition and medicines, then lying at St. George's, +Bermuda. The ship was one of the two opium smugglers. She had been +bought by a company of Englishmen, and, loaded with a most desirable +cargo, had started for Wilmington or Charleston. On arriving at Bermuda +the blockade had become so close that the owners decided not to make the +attempt to run it, and they offered to sell ship and cargo to me at a +bargain. I was still unable to buy her, although I knew what a valuable +blockade-runner she would be and what a desirable cargo she carried. +The owners, of whom there were several, were so anxious to sell her that +they importuned me till finally I said: "Well, gentlemen, I can do one +thing: I can offer you cotton for your ship and cargo." They jumped at +the proposal, saying that was all they wanted. Where would I deliver the +cotton? + +[Illustration] + +At Charleston, Mobile or Wilmington. + +When? + +Thirty days after the presentation of my order to the War Department in +Richmond. + +Strange as it may read, these men were perfectly satisfied with my +proposition, although I could not see how they were to get their cotton +out, since they were selling their ship to me. However, we agreed upon +the weight and quality of cotton to be given for ship and cargo, and it +only remained for me to satisfy their lawyer that I was duly authorized +to make the purchase. For this purpose, a meeting was arranged for the +next morning, when I presented the leather-stained order which had come +to me through the lines, sewed between the layers of the sole of a shoe. +On reading this, the lawyer said: "That's enough to cover anything," and +a contract was signed and an order given me for the ship and cargo. As +this contract may interest the reader, a _fac-simile_ of it is given. +(See plate.) + +The quantity of cotton being too large for one owner to handle, it was +arranged to have warrants engraved and printed for smaller quantities. + +The "Merrimac" ran into Wilmington and delivered her valuable cargo in +fine order. She was then loaded with cotton, and one favorable +night--dark and stormy--started on her return trip to the Islands. +Before clearing the harbor she collided with another steamer on her way +in, and the "Merrimac" was obliged to return to Wilmington, where it was +found that she could not be repaired, and she was finally sold, with her +cargo, for $1,100,000. The vessel with which she collided was her sister +ship which had lain alongside of her in London Docks. Means were not to +be found in Wilmington to repair the "Merrimac" for the Confederate +Government; but it was easily accomplished as soon as she passed into +private hands, and she was again sent to make her run to the Islands. To +my great satisfaction, she was captured the next morning. + +There were greedy contractors in the South who cared just as much for +"the cause" as did their fellow-contractors in the North for the Union. +They were full of patriotism--of their kind. Months after the "Merrimac" +sailed from Bermuda, one of the negotiators of the sale asked me if I +would sign duplicates of the warrants I had issued. My reply was: "Does +the Bank of England issue duplicate notes?" "You don't mean to say you +will not give us duplicates!" "I certainly do." And then I explained to +him that _at the time_, I might have been willing to sign warrants in +duplicate. But the war had reached a critical stage; the Confederate +army was hard pressed on every side. Moreover, the contract system had +begun to produce results. Instead of all cotton sent out being for army +or navy account, only a portion of the army cotton was turned into army +supplies. The contractors, English and Confederate, were taking the +rest. + +I believe that not one of those cotton warrants which bought the +"Merrimac" was ever presented in Richmond, and that vessel, with her +cargo, cost the Confederate Government literally nothing. It is a +curious fact that these same cotton warrants, which as it proved were +really not worth the cost of printing them, at one time sold at a +premium in London. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Supplies for the Confederate Army,, by +Caleb Huse + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPPLIES FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY *** + +***** This file should be named 24469-8.txt or 24469-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/4/6/24469/ + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Supplies for the Confederate Army + How they were obtained in Europe and how paid for. + +Author: Caleb Huse + +Release Date: January 31, 2008 [EBook #24469] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPPLIES FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image01.jpg" width="500" height="737" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">Dear Sir:—</span></p> + +<p>In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitably +entertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks," on the Hudson, +just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatly +interested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences as +agent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate States +during the Civil war.</p> + +<p>I was so impressed by this unique bit of history that I succeeded, after +much urging, in inducing him to write it, believing that it should be +preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish it.</p> + +<p>His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume, +but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for.</p> + +<p>I am sending you herewith a copy of this pamphlet. If you wish to keep +it, please send 25 cents in enclosed coin card. If you do not want it, +please return it flat by pasting the enclosed stamped and addressed +envelope on the enclosing envelope.</p> + +<p class="center"> Yours truly,</p> +<p class="sigdent"><span class="smcap">J. S. Rogers</span>.</p> + +<p>Room 118, Barristers Hall,</p> +<p class="dentone">15 Pemberton Square,</p> +<p class="denttwo">Boston, Mass.</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + + +<h2>THE SUPPLIES</h2> + +<h5>FOR THE</h5> + +<h1>CONFEDERATE ARMY</h1> +<p class="smallgap"> </p> + +<p class="center"><b>HOW THEY WERE OBTAINED IN EUROPE +AND HOW PAID FOR</b></p> +<p class="gap"> </p> + +<p class="center"><b>PERSONAL REMINISCENCES AND +UNPUBLISHED HISTORY</b></p> + + +<h5>BY</h5> + +<h2>CALEB HUSE</h2> + +<h4><span class="smcap">Major and Purchasing Agent, C. S. A.</span></h4> +<p class="biggap"> </p> + +<h4>BOSTON</h4> + +<h4>PRESS OF T. R. MARVIN & SON</h4> + +<h4>1904</h4> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p class="biggap"> </p> + + +<h4>COPYRIGHT, 1904</h4> + +<h4>BY JAMES S. ROGERS</h4> + +<h4>BOSTON, MASS.</h4> +<p class="biggap"> </p> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p>In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitably +entertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks," on the Hudson, +just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatly +interested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences as +agent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate States +during the Civil war.</p> + +<p>So impressed were they by this unique bit of history that they +succeeded, after much urging, in inducing him to write it, believing +that it should be preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish +it.</p> + +<p>His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume, +but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for.</p> + +<p>If the cost of publication is not met by the nominal price charged for +this pamphlet, the satisfaction of preserving the record in print will +compensate for any loss sustained by the</p> + +<p class="saldent"><span class="smcap">Two Friends</span>.</p> + +<p><i>August, 1904.</i></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image02.jpg" width="500" height="95" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<h2><a name="REMINISCENCES" id="REMINISCENCES"></a>REMINISCENCES</h2> + + +<div class="figdrop"> + +<img src="images/dropon.jpg" width="80" height="137" alt="ON" title="ON" /> +</div> +<p class="cap"> my return in May, 1860, from a six months' leave of absence spent in +Europe, I found an appointment as professor of chemistry and commandant +of cadets in the University of Alabama awaiting my acceptance. During my +absence the President of the University and a committee of the Board of +Trustees visited West Point and the Virginia Military Institute and, +pleased with the discipline of both institutions, decided to adopt the +military system, and applied to Colonel Delafield, then the +Superintendent at West Point, for an officer to start them. Col. +Delafield gave them my name but was unable to say whether or not I would +resign from the army. I was then a first lieutenant of artillery; and, +as such, was on the rolls of the garrison of Fort Sumter.</p> + +<p>I accepted the position and began my duties in September. My leave of +absence had expired in May; but the authorities of the University, +fearing that I might regret severing irrevocably my connection with the +army—which I had entered as a cadet at sixteen—obtained from the +Secretary of War an extension of the leave till May, 1861, when I was to +resign if all was satisfactory at that time.</p> + +<p>It is proper to mention here that the introduction of military drill and +discipline at the State University had no connection whatever with any +secession movement in Alabama, and the fact that a Massachusetts-born +man and of Puritan<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> descent was selected to inaugurate the system, will, +or ought to be, accepted as confirmatory of this assertion.</p> + +<p>Discipline was almost at an end at the University, and in seeking ways +and means for restoring it, the attention of the Faculty and Trustees +was directed to the Virginia Military Institute which had been in +successful operation for about fifty years. As this institution had been +organized by a graduate of West Point, and in some respects resembled +the United States Military Academy, it was hoped that in Alabama good +results might be secured by the adoption of similar methods.</p> + +<p>Military drill is taught at the present time in many schools and +colleges, but the intention of the Alabama University authorities was +not merely to drill students, but to hold them under military restraint, +as is effectually done at West Point, and, I may add, as cannot be done +in any college designed to qualify young men to become civilian members +of a great republic.</p> + +<p>West Point and Annapolis have proved themselves noble institutions for +the purpose for which they were designed—that of training young men to +become officers over other men—but the mission of these schools is not +to fit young men for civil life. Their methods cannot be grafted upon +literary or technical civil institutions, and it is not desirable that +they should be applied to civil colleges or schools of any kind. But the +University of Alabama was a military college so far as concerned +discipline, and to this end I was given a Colonel's commission by the +Governor of the State, with two assistants, one a major, the other a +captain. Tents, arms and infantry equipments were purchased of the +United States Government, and a uniform similar to that of the West +Point cadets was adopted. The students were assembled on the first of +September, and a camp established on the University grounds. Drills were +inaugurated at once and regular camp duties were required and performed.</p> + +<p>Everything seemed to be progressing very satisfactorily till one day, +some three weeks after the pitching of the camp,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> the President of the +University (Dr. Garland) desired to see me at his office. On entering I +found him and a trusted professor awaiting my coming, with disturbed +looks. No time was wasted in the preliminaries; Dr. Garland came to the +point at once by telling me that there was a mutiny brewing in my camp +which it would be impossible for me to quell. He then explained that the +cadets were dissatisfied because I was a northern-born man; that they +called me a d——d Yankee, and intended running me out of the State. He +thought they would be successful, for the ringleaders were old students +who had given a great deal of trouble before I came, and, what made the +matter worse, these students were sons of influential men in the State, +and the mothers of the mutineers were encouraging them.</p> + +<p>I asked if any of the Trustees or the Faculty wished me to resign and +was assured of the contrary. I then said that, but for one thing, I +should have no hesitation in resigning. The cadets, backed by their +families, had threatened to run me out of the State; I should put upon +them the responsibility of executing their threat; I should not resign. +I went back to camp and never heard anything more about the "mutiny."</p> + +<p>I mention this incident only to show the feeling existing in an extreme +southern State at that time—less than two months before the election of +President Lincoln.</p> + +<p>The story of the intended mutiny was well founded, and was only one +phase of the general feeling of unrest throughout Alabama. But, even at +that time, which was within six weeks of election day, the idea of +secession did not prevail. Probably had its people been called upon to +vote on the question, there would have been a very large majority +against secession. After the election in November the unrest manifestly +increased, and conservative men began to consider secession possible and +even probable.</p> + +<p>At the University there was no excitement. Instruction went on as usual +and the era of orderly deportment, begun in camp, continued, much to the +satisfaction of every one and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> especially to the citizens of Tuscaloosa. +But military discipline, to which, as admitted by every one, the +improved deportment was due, added to the outgo of the University +without materially increasing its income, and the only hope of obtaining +money to meet the increased expenses was through an appropriation by the +Legislature. To secure this, President Garland proposed that the +battalion of Cadets—for so the students were called—should go to +Montgomery and be reviewed by the Governor and by the Legislature, which +was then in session.</p> + +<p>This idea was strongly opposed not only by members of the Faculty but by +men whose sons were in the University. The fear prevailed that the +students would be unmanageable under the many temptations which +Montgomery would afford, and that even the well-meant hospitality of the +citizens, which was sure to be generous, would cause trouble. Whether to +make the trip or not was left to my decision. I decided without +hesitation in favor of the expedition, and arrangements were made for +two steamboats, one to take us down the Black Warrior, the other for the +journey up the Alabama to Montgomery.</p> + +<p>In Mobile the cadets were cordially received, and conducted themselves +to my entire satisfaction. On the steamboats their behavior was all that +could be desired, and in Montgomery everybody was proud of their +appearance and deportment. For sleeping accommodations the cadets +carried their own blankets and turned in on the floor of a large hall. +Camp discipline was maintained and perfect order prevailed.</p> + +<p>The battalion was reviewed in front of the State House by the Governor +and both Houses of the Legislature, and everything passed off most +satisfactorily. In the evening, after the review, a committee of the +Legislature called on me and asked what I wanted. The reply was: An +annual appropriation so long as the military organization was maintained +at the University.</p> + +<p>I remember that a cousin of Senator John P. Hale of New Hampshire (one +of the most pronounced abolitionists of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> country) was a member of +the committee. He said to me: "Now you come up to the House tomorrow and +see how we will put this matter through." I did so, and certainly it was +"put through," for, while I was there the bill was given all its +readings—the rules being suspended for the purpose—and it was taken to +the Senate and similarly rushed. The Governor signed it, and the next +day the cadets started on their return home.</p> + +<p>We had left Tuscaloosa in a heavy rain-storm, escorted to the +steamboat—some two miles—by the Montgomery Guards. The trip had been +entirely successful and there had not been a case of misbehavior from +start to finish. Of course drinking was the one thing to be feared, and +when one considers all the temptations on the steamboats and in Mobile +and Montgomery, it is a little remarkable that there were no infractions +of the rules, one of which was that no cadet should enter a bar-room on +pain of instant dismissal.</p> + +<p>As already stated, I went to the University of Alabama under leave of +absence which was to terminate in May, 1861. In February I received an +order revoking the unexpired portion of my leave and directing me to +report for duty in Washington. I replied that my leave was granted with +the understanding that I was to resign at its expiration, and as I saw +no reason to alter my determination, I offered my resignation. There was +no expectation on my part that my future would be any other than such as +my position as professor in the University of Alabama would occasion.</p> + +<p>My resignation was accepted February 25th. In April—I think it was +April 1st—I received a telegram from the Confederate States Secretary +of the Navy Mallory, to "come to Montgomery and take a commission for +active service." I think I am quoting the words of the message. I +started without delay, and on arriving in Montgomery was introduced to +Secretary of War Walker, who soon said to me: "The President has +designated you to go to Europe for the purchase of arms and military +supplies; when can you go?" I replied that, of course, I could go +immediately, but if any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> preparations were to be made which would +require time, I should like to return to my family before starting. +"Take ten days," said he. "Be back here at the end of that time." I was +then introduced to Col. Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, to whom I was to +report.</p> + +<p>I returned to Tuscaloosa and early in the morning of the tenth day of my +leave of absence, I drove into Montgomery on the top of a stage-coach. +When near the town we met a man on horseback who shouted that Beauregard +had opened fire on Sumter. By this I know that it was April 12th. There +was naturally much excitement in Montgomery, especially about the War +and Navy Departments.</p> + +<p>On reporting to Col. Gorgas, I found that no arrangements had been made +for my going to Europe. I had no orders and did not know what I was to +do for money. I called on the Secretary of the Treasury, Meminger, but +he knew nothing about my going abroad. "When are you going?" said he. I +replied that if I expected to get through the North, I had no time to +lose; and it was finally arranged that he should provide me with money +for my trip to New York, where I should receive funds for my journey to +Europe. During my interview he remarked that he had no money; and it +would appear that the statement was literally true, for it is difficult +to conceive from what source, so soon after its organization, a new +Government could derive any revenue.</p> + +<p>Before leaving Montgomery, Mr. Davis called me to his office and asked +me to be seated while he received his callers, saying he wanted to talk +with me about my mission, and that ideas would come to him between his +interviews with his callers. I took the chair assigned me, and while he +was reading the pile of letters which lay open before him, the callers +began to come in. I do not recall any of the conversation which took +place, but I remember clearly one incident which some may say was +characteristic of the man. Looking over a letter of four full-sized +pages, and standing up with some show of irritation, he said, "I wish +people would not write me advice," and he tore the letter in two; and, +repeating the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> remark, tore it into small bits which he threw upon the +floor. He mentioned the name of the writer, who, I knew, was a friend +and neighbor.</p> + +<p>I may be permitted to narrate a personal incident which occurred before +I left Montgomery. One evening about sunset, while I was waiting in the +office of the Secretary of War, for the comparatively insignificant sum +of money to be provided for my expenses to England, Mr. Davis greeted me +as Major. I replied: "I might ask, Mr. President, in what regiment," +having in mind the well known anecdote of the subaltern who, on handing +the Emperor Napoleon his chapeau which had fallen, was thanked under the +title of captain. Mr. Davis then explained the principle he had laid +down for himself in appointing officers who had been in the U. S. army. +It was to advance no one more than one grade. He said that Beauregard +was only a captain of engineers, and had been made a brigadier general; +but in this, the rule had not been violated, for, by serving at West +Point as superintendent although for a few days only—five, as shown by +the records—he was a colonel in the army, and had, therefore, been +advanced but one grade. Mr. Davis remarked that there were officers +enough for all field purposes, but the trouble was to find men qualified +to prepare the army for its work.</p> + +<p>I had arranged to pass through Charleston in order that I might visit +Sumter and see the effect of the artillery fire upon it. Arriving in +Charleston in the evening I went to Morris Island the following morning, +and from there in a row-boat to Sumter, accompanied by two young +artillery captains. We were all young in those days; I was just thirty, +and these young men were my juniors by some years. They had both been +under my instruction as cadets at West Point when I was on duty there, +but I cannot now recall their names. On our return from Sumter, we three +lay on the warm sand near the shore, and naturally the conversation was +chiefly on the events of the last few days. In the course of our talk, I +remarked, "What in the world made Anderson surrender the fort?" For in +my opinion it was no more damaged for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> defence than a brick wall would +be by a boy's snapping marbles against it. As for anything the +Confederate artillery could bring to bear upon it, it was literally +impregnable—as shown by the fact that with all the resources of the +United States army and navy it was never retaken. The wooden quarters +had taken fire, and, for a time doubtless, the fort was a very +uncomfortable place, and it was feared that the magazine would explode. +But when Anderson surrendered all that danger had passed.</p> + +<p>Major Anderson was a gallant officer who had proved his efficiency and +bravery in the Mexican War, for which he was rewarded with two brevets; +but for one who saw Sumter as I did, shortly after its surrender, when +nothing had been changed since Anderson saluted his flag and marched his +command on board the Confederate steamer Isabel, it is impossible to +understand why the surrender should have been made when it was. +Eventually his command might have been starved out. But although for +several days it was short of some kinds of desirable food, and destitute +of fresh provisions, there remained several barrels of pork which he +took with him when he left. Not only was no assault ever made, but the +enemy had no boats or scaling ladders with which to attempt an assault, +as Anderson must have known.</p> + +<p>If the United States Government deliberately intended to force a war and +thus settle once for all the entire question between the North and the +South, no strategy could have been more effectual than that of +sacrificing Sumter exactly as it was sacrificed. The whole affair could +not have been arranged with greater shrewdness and finesse. Anderson and +his officers—without an exception, gallant and competent—were made to +appear as heroes and, in a sense, they were; the North was completely +<i>unified</i>, and the same can be said of the South. The lines were now +distinctly and definitely drawn, and every man from Maine to Georgia +must declare for the Government or against it. War began such as no man +could have foretold and such as could not cease till one side or the +other should be completely exhausted.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p><p>From Charleston I went to Baltimore by the Bay Line steamers from +Norfolk, arriving on Sunday morning—the day that the men who had been +killed the Friday previous were to be buried. The excitement was +intense, but the city was quiet—uncomfortably quiet. No one knew what +next to expect. I was for my own part, concerned only about getting to +New York. There were no trains running, bridges having been burned, and +no one could say when railway traffic would be resumed.</p> + +<p>There were a few other travelers bound northward who were eager to +continue their journey. Two of these—young men from +Charleston—approached me cautiously with a proposal that we three +should hire a carriage to take us to York, Pa., and we arranged to go. +Before we were ready to start, an elderly gentleman asked to be +permitted to join the party. He was a large, handsome man, and was +anxious to get to Philadelphia as soon as possible, to see a daughter +who lay at the point of death. The new comer would be a serious addition +to the weight in our carriage, but I had reason to be thankful that we +accommodated him, as will appear later.</p> + +<p>After starting, it was determined—why I cannot now say—to go to Havre +de Grace, instead of York. On our arrival in the evening, we found the +ferry boat had been taken to convey troops to Annapolis, and there was +nothing to be done but wait. We all found comfortable lodgings at a +small hotel, and in the morning a flat boat took us across to +Perryville.</p> + +<p>Among the passengers were several men and women who, as soon as the boat +landed, collected on the piazza of a little country hotel near the +landing and began singing patriotic songs. They were apparently +overjoyed at their escape from the south-land.</p> + +<p>At Perryville there was a large wooden shed which served as a railway +station; employees were standing about, but none could give any +information concerning the trains, all of which, they said, had been +taken by the Government. Before noon, however, a long train came +thundering into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> station, and immediately men in uniform poured out +of the cars and ran to the water-side, where they bathed their faces and +hands. They were going to the front. The same train was soon ready to +return to Philadelphia and all who desired to go were accommodated.</p> + +<p>It was impossible to get farther than Philadelphia that day. The next +morning, on taking my seat in the train, I recognized the gentleman +directly behind me as the Hon. Caleb Cushing. I did not accost him, not +caring to meet acquaintances just then, and, moreover, I had no reason +to think that he knew me, for although we were born in the same +town,—Newburyport, Mass.,—he was a distinguished public man when I was +a boy.</p> + +<p>The route from Philadelphia to New York was by the way of Camden to +South Amboy, and thence by steamboat. The latter was a ferry boat with +room for teams on each side of the engine. There were no teams on board, +and, as I had been sitting for some time, and now that we were nearing +New York where I was likely at any moment to meet an acquaintance, I was +a little nervous, I walked about the lower deck. In doing so I met Mr. +Cushing face to face. He was passing the time in a similar manner. I +lifted my cap, as I would to any superior officer, or public man. +Immediately Mr. Cushing stopped and said:</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Mr. Huse, you are with the South, I understand."</p> + +<p>For the moment I was staggered, but quickly calling to mind that Mr. +Cushing had been chairman of the Charleston Democratic Convention which +nominated John C. Breckenridge for President, I replied:</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, what chance do you think the South has?"</p> + +<p>"What chance can it have?" he said, "the money is all in the North; the +manufactories are all in the North; the ships are all in the North; the +arms and arsenals are all in the North; the arsenals of Europe are +within ten days of New York, and they will be open to the United States +Government, and closed to the South; and the Southern ports will<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> be +blockaded. What possible chance can the South have?" There was nothing +for me to say in reply, and I probably did the best I could have done +under the circumstances. Looking him squarely in the eye, I lifted my +cap and said: "Good morning, Mr. Cushing." I never saw him afterwards.</p> + +<p>On landing at the Battery, I gave my baggage checks to an expressman, +taking his receipt and telling him to hold the baggage till called for. +As it might be very important not to be recognized, I took the +precaution to leave no trail by my baggage, which was taken to Liverpool +later by one of the young men who had been my carriage companion from +Baltimore. I went at once to the Bank of the Republic, where I was to +find letters which would enable me to obtain money for my voyage.</p> + +<p>I was told to call for Mr. S——, the cashier of the bank. On his coming +to the window, I asked if he had any letters from Montgomery. His face +immediately showed real fear. Opening a door near by, he said, "Come +in," and I found myself in the bank parlor. He immediately locked the +door, pulled down the window shades and then asked, "Now what is it?"</p> + +<p>In the brief time occupied in drawing down the shades, etc., I +determined what to do, and replied,—</p> + +<p>"I see, Mr. S., that you are much agitated by my visit, and I will not +further compromise you by giving you my name; but if you have any +letters from Montgomery, which you do not recognize, will you be good +enough to send them around to Trenholm Brothers, in Pine Street."</p> + +<p>He assured me he would, and I bade him good morning. As I was leaving he +said there was intense excitement on the street; Anderson's command had +just marched up Broadway and aroused the greatest enthusiasm. I had +observed a small United States flag near the entrance, and Mr. S. said +he believed if that flag were not at the door, the mob would attack the +bank.</p> + +<p>At the office of Trenholm Brothers I inquired for Mr. Wellsman, and was +shown into an inner room where I met a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> large, middle-aged man bearing a +striking resemblance to the white-haired gentleman who had been one of +the party from Baltimore to Havre de Grace. I introduced myself by +saying that Captain Wellsman was my travelling companion from Baltimore +on Sunday.</p> + +<p>"He is my father," said Mr. Wellsman. I told him of meeting Capt. +Wellsman at the Philadelphia station that morning, and that he asked me +to say he had found his daughter much better than he expected, and they +now had hopes of her recovery. I then explained to him that I was an +officer of the Confederate States Army, on my way to Europe to purchase +arms and other army supplies; that I was to be provided with funds +through Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and expected to get money +from Trenholm Brothers for the expenses of the voyage. Mr. Wellsman had +no letters for me, and had received no information from Montgomery +concerning me. Having no money for my voyage, the situation was becoming +serious.</p> + +<p>Excusing himself after a short time, Mr. Wellsman left the office, and +returning within half an hour, was even more alarmed than Mr. S. had +appeared to be. He said the excitement was very great, and that he +believed if the crowd discovered my business, they would hang me to a +lamp-post; I must not leave the office till I started for the train. +What did I propose to do? I ought not to think of sailing from New York.</p> + +<p>I replied that I would go to Canada and take the steamer from Montreal. +But I could not sail from anywhere without money.</p> + +<p>"You can have the money," said Mr. Wellsman. "How much do you want?"</p> + +<p>"Five hundred dollars."</p> + +<p>"And you want it in gold?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>He procured the gold, ordered some lunch to be brought, and about three +o'clock I started for the Erie Railway station. Sometimes we entertain +angels unawares. Captain <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>Wellsman seems to have been a veritable angel. +The simple, verbal message that I carried to his son served me as a +letter of credit. Without it, I cannot now see what I could have done. +Ten years after the war, when I met an old friend, he assured me that he +would have had me arrested, had he known my mission while I was in New +York.</p> + +<p>When I left the office of Trenholm Brothers, a man on the sidewalk +signaled to another on the opposite side of Pine street, and one of +these men sat opposite me on the ferry-boat. Whether or not they were +shadowing me I never knew. I saw nothing more of them after leaving the +boat, and had no further adventures till I reached Turner's, where +trains stop for supper. In the restaurant, I recognized a number of +friends, and my only prudent course was to go without my supper or seek +it elsewhere. I chose the latter, and got what I could at a bar near by.</p> + +<p>I had no baggage—not even an overcoat—and the night was cold. I was in +an ordinary day-coach on my way to Hamilton, Canada. Through trains were +not so frequent then as now, and in Buffalo I had to wait some time, +much of which I passed in seeing the town. While walking in a retired +part of the city, I just escaped meeting an officer of the army whom I +knew, by turning down a cross street.</p> + +<p>At Hamilton I purchased clothing for the voyage, and was disappointed to +find that I should have to wait several days for the next steamer from +Montreal; I therefore decided to sail from Portland, but delayed +purchasing my ticket till I could take the last train that would reach +that city in time to board the steamer. This train went only to State +Line on the day it left Hamilton, where I stopped over night. I remember +the place from the fact that, although late in April, I was obliged to +break the ice in my pitcher the next morning, when I started on what +proved to be my last journey in the United States for several years. At +nearly every stopping place on the way to Portland, men in uniform and +fully equipped entered the cars. We were picking up a regiment under +orders for the front.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p><p>We finally arrived, and my ship was in sight at anchor. I confess to a +feeling of relief when I stepped on board from the tug, and that feeling +was enhanced when we weighed anchor and the screw began pushing us out +into the neutral territory of the broad Atlantic.</p> + +<p>There were few passengers, and the voyage was without incident save one +of no importance except as tending to confirm the theory of transmission +of thought without language. My table-neighbor was a young sea-captain +from Maine, who was returning to his vessel, which he had left in +Liverpool some weeks before, to confer with the owners.</p> + +<p>One day at dinner, without any previous conversation whatever to lead +even indirectly to such a remark, he said: "I believe you are going to +Europe to buy arms for Jeff. Davis."</p> + +<p>I was in the act of taking a piece of potato on my fork, and, to gain +time before answering, I passed the potato to my mouth and then made +about as foolish a reply as was possible, saying, "If he wanted arms he +would be likely to select a man who knew something about arms." The +captain immediately remarked, "Sometimes those fellows that know the +most, say the least." I could think of nothing to say to advantage, and +said nothing; the matter was never referred to again.</p> + +<p>On arriving in London I went to what was then a favorite hotel for +Americans,—Morley's in Trafalgar Square. The remark of the ship-captain +interested me, and I resolved to probe the matter a little by calling on +a gentleman with whom I had conversed more freely than with any other +passenger. He was a lawyer from Portland, who in his younger days had +taught school in Mississippi. He was stopping at a near-by hotel on the +Strand. On meeting him, I asked if he knew the object of my visit to +Europe. He replied he had not the slightest idea why I was there. I then +told him of the captain's remark, and that his surmise was correct. I am +very sure that, during the voyage, I said nothing from which the nature +of my business could be inferred; and as for papers, I had received none +since leaving Montgomery.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p><p>My orders were to purchase 12,000 rifles and a battery of field +artillery, and to procure one or two guns of larger calibre as models. A +short time before the beginning of the war, the London Armory Company +had purchased a plant of gun-stocking machinery from the Ames +Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Mass. Knowing this, I went to the +office of the Armory Company the day after my arrival in London, with +the intention of securing, if possible, their entire output.</p> + +<p>On entering the Superintendent's office, I found there the American +engineer who superintended the erection of the plant. I had known him in +Chicopee. Suspecting he might be an agent for the purchase of arms for +the United States Government, I asked him, bluntly, if he was, and +added, "I am buying for the Confederate Government." Such a disclosure +of my business may seem to have been indiscreet, but at that time I +thought it my best plan, and the result proved that I was right. He made +no reply to my inquiry, but I was satisfied my suspicion was correct and +resolved on the spot, to flank his movement if possible.</p> + +<p>As he had entered the office first, it was in order for me to outstay +him, which I did. On his leaving, I asked for a price for all the small +arms the Company could manufacture.</p> + +<p>The Superintendent said he could not answer me, but would refer me to +the Chairman of the Company,—President, we should call him—and would +accompany me to his office. There I repeated my inquiry for a price for +all the arms the Company could make for a year, with the privilege of +renewing the order. The President was not prepared to give me a price, +but would do so the next day. On calling at his office the following +day, he told me that the Company was under contract for all the arms it +could turn out, and considering all the circumstances, the Directors +felt they ought to give their present customer the preference over all +others.</p> + +<p>Confirmed in my belief that my competitor was no other than the man whom +I had encountered the day before, I was now more determined than ever to +secure the London Armory<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> as a Confederate States arms factory. The +Atlantic cable was not then laid, and correspondence by mail required +nearly a month—an unreasonable time for a commercial company to hold in +abeyance a desirable opportunity for profit. Within a few days I +succeeded in closing a contract under which I was to have all the arms +the Company could manufacture, after filling a comparatively small order +for the United States agent. This Company, during the remainder of the +war, turned all its output of arms over to me for the Confederate army.</p> + +<p>Baring Brothers were, at that time, the London financial agents for the +United States Government, and they would unquestionably have been +supported and gratefully thanked, had they assumed the responsibility of +contracting for all the arms in sight in England. Any army officer, fit +for such a mission as that of buying arms for a great Government at the +outbreak of a war, would have acted, if necessary, without instructions, +and secured everything that he could find in the line of essentials, +especially arms, of which there were very few in the market. There were +<i>muskets</i> enough to be had for almost any reasonable offer, but of +modern Enfield or Springfield rifles—which were practically the +same—there were only a few thousand in England, and none elsewhere +except in Austria, where all were owned by the Government. And, +according to Mr. Cushing, these would be available by the United States +but impossible of purchase by "the South." Yet even so high an authority +as Ex-Attorney General Cushing proved to be wrong in his assumption, as +will be shown below.</p> + +<p>Any young, intelligent West Point graduate holding an army commission +and as fearless in assuming responsibility as the average "graduate," +would not only have prevented my making this important contract, but +would have blocked my efforts in every direction; for in all Europe the +supply of arms ready for use or possible of manufacture was very +limited. Such an officer would have secured everything worth having—in +other words, all the best—and only inferior<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> arms of antiquated model +would have been left for the Confederacy. The effect would have been not +only to give the United States good arms in profusion, but utterly to +discourage their opponents by the inferiority of their weapons.</p> + +<p>Mr. Davis did not make the great mistake of sending a civil agent to +purchase supplies—a duty as thoroughly military as any that could be +named—nor the still greater blunder of setting several men to do what +one man, with uncontrolled authority, could do so much better. Doubtless +he could have found men who would have performed the duty as well as did +the young officer whom he selected, and some who would have done their +part better; but, during the whole war, no change was made, although not +to remove him often required that firmness—not to say obstinacy—which +was a prominent trait of Mr. Davis's character, and which, right or +wrong, but especially when he was right, he exercised to a remarkable +degree.</p> + +<p>When I arrived in England, the Confederate States Government was already +represented by Hon. William L. Yancey, Commissioner to England; his +secretary, Mr. Walker Fearn, afterwards United States Minister to +Greece; Judge Rost, of New Orleans, Commissioner to France, with his son +as secretary; and Mr. Dudley Mann, commonly known as Col. Mann, who held +an appointment as Commissioner, but to what country I do not know. +Later, Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, afterwards United States Secretary of the +Interior, and later still Justice of the United States Supreme Court, +was appointed Commissioner to Russia, but he went no further than Paris, +and returned to Richmond before the end of the war. Commander James D. +Bulloch, previously of the United States Navy, whose sister was the +mother of President Roosevelt, was in charge of all naval matters. +Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool, were the fiscal agents.</p> + +<p>All these representatives worked in complete harmony, without jealousy +or clashing of opinion; each was ready to assist the others in every way +possible. They were all cultured men, of agreeable personality, and as +far removed from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> the <i>genus homo</i> which has been designated as +"hot-headed Southerner," as can well be imagined. They lived +unostentatiously, in modest, but entirely respectable lodgings in the +West End, London, except Judge Rost, who resided in Paris, and Commander +Bulloch, who made his headquarters in Liverpool. None of the +representatives of the Confederate Government required much money in the +discharge of his duties, except Commander Bulloch and myself. We were +both to look to Fraser, Trenholm & Co., for all the money we were to +expend, as indeed were all the diplomatic agents.</p> + +<p>The fiscal system was, almost of necessity, of the most simple +character. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool, John Fraser & Co., of +Charleston, S. C, and Trenholm Brothers, of New York, were practically +one concern, and the senior member of John Fraser & Co., Mr. William +Trenholm, became Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury early in +the war. Mr. Wellsman, senior member of Trenholm Brothers, in New York, +joined the Liverpool house, the senior member and manager of which was +Charles K. Prioleau, formerly of Charleston. There was no loan to +negotiate; for the Confederacy—recognized only as belligerents—had no +credit among nations, and no system of taxation by which it could hope +to derive any revenue available for purchasing supplies abroad. But it +possessed a latent purchasing power such as probably no other Government +in history ever had.</p> + +<p>The cotton crop of its people was a prime necessity for the +manufacturing world outside, and, for want of machinery, was utterly +valueless in all the Southern States except Georgia, where there were a +few small factories. Almost immediately after the outbreak of +hostilities the Confederate authorities began to buy cotton, paying in +such "money" as it had; that is to say, its own promises to pay whenever +it could. Some of these promises bore interest and were called <i>bonds</i>; +some bore no interest, and these constituted the currency of the +country.</p> + +<p>The cotton, as it lay on the plantations or in the warehouses, was for +sale, and the Government was almost the only<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> buyer. To all others there +was a difficulty, amounting almost to impossibility, in getting cotton +to market. Some, no doubt, was smuggled across the border, to the +advantage of "patriots" of each side; but this outlet for a bulky +article like cotton was altogether inadequate, and, practically, every +one was compelled by the very condition of affairs, without the +application of even moral force, to sell to the Government and receive +in payment the best that the Government had to offer; namely: its own +promises to pay, which, whether stated as a condition of the promise or +not, could not be made good till after the favorable close of the war. +If the South failed, the promises would be valueless; if it succeeded, +the obligations would be met as promptly as possible. The situation was +accepted by the people, and the Government acquired cotton and shipped +it to Nassau, Bermuda, and Havana as fast as it could.</p> + +<p>To get cotton through the blockading squadron called for daring and +skill; but there seems to have been no lack of either, and it was not +long before every steam vessel that could carry even a few bales, and +was sea-worthy enough to reach Nassau, was ready with a crew on board, +eager to sneak out any dark night and run to a neutral port,—generally +Nassau.</p> + +<p>For a long time this traffic went on almost without a capture, and the +Confederate Government not only deposited in places of safety large +quantities of a commodity in general demand throughout the world, but +also had the satisfaction of seeing its property advance rapidly in +value as the war went on, and its necessities increased. The cotton thus +shipped was all consigned to Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and the +consignments for the army, navy and diplomatic departments were +carefully kept separate. There was, therefore, no clashing of interests +between the army and navy, as to disposition of proceeds. The +requirements for the diplomatic agents were trifling compared with those +of the army for supplies and the navy for building, equipping and +manning ships.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p><p>I had not been long in England before the sinews of war began to be +available, and I found myself able to meet my engagements in a manner +entirely satisfactory to my creditors. To buy supplies was simple +enough; but to ship them was another matter. As was to be expected, +detectives employed by the U. S. Government as well as volunteer spies +were about me. Efforts were made to intercept telegrams and to tamper +with employees, but few of these attempts at stopping Confederate army +supplies were successful.</p> + +<p>One success scored by the United States was the capture of the "Stephen +Hart," a schooner of American build, but purchased by an English house +and put under the British flag for Confederate use. The proof that she +was loaded with army supplies destined for the Confederate States was so +complete that no expense was incurred in defending the rights of the +quasi British owners. It was a mistake to ship such supplies by sailing +vessels, and there were other errors of judgment which were not +repeated.</p> + +<p>After the "Stephen Hart" episode, all army supplies were carried by +steamer, either to a Confederate port direct, or to Nassau or Bermuda. +There was little difficulty in chartering steamers to carry supplies to +"The Islands." Generally both ship and cargo belonged in good faith to +British subjects; and, as the voyage was from one British port to +another, the entire business was as lawful as a similar shipment would +have been from London to Liverpool. But one of the most innocent +shipments was not only captured, but the capture was confirmed, and +there was not on board one penny's worth of property belonging to the +Confederate States or to any American citizen. The ship "The +Springbock," was loaded by a firm from whom I had purchased many +supplies; but in this instance, the cargo was to be sold in Nassau, and +there was nothing of a suspicious character on board, excepting some +brass buttons bearing the device "C. S. A.," and these buttons were put +on board the last day against the wishes of one of the partners who +feared they would be considered as tainting the whole cargo. And so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> the +United States Court decided. Everything else on board was likely to be +wanted in any country whose ports had been blockaded for several months, +but none of the articles were such as could be classed as <i>military</i> +supplies.</p> + +<p>To get the supplies from "The Islands" to the main land required +sea-worthy steamers of light draught and great speed. Many such vessels +were purchased and sent out under captains who were equal to any +emergency, among whom were several former U. S. Navy officers. Some of +these steamers had been private yachts, as for example the "Merrimac;" +(there were two "Merrimacs"); some were engaged in trade between British +ports, as the "Cornubia;" some were taken from the Channel service +between England and France, as the "Eugenie;" and some were built for +opium smuggling in China. Later in the war, steamers were built +expressly for the service.</p> + +<p>During the first two years, the captures were so infrequent that, it may +be safely stated, never before was a Government at war so well supplied +with arms, munitions, clothing and medicines—everything, in short, that +an army requires—with so little money as was paid by the Confederacy. +The shipment from England to the Islands in ordinary tramp steamers; the +landing and storage there, and the running of the blockade, cost money; +but all that was needed came from cotton practically given to the +Confederate Government by its owners.</p> + +<p>The supplies were, in every instance, bought at the lowest cash prices +by men trained in the work as contractors for the British army. No +credit was asked. Merchants having needed supplies were frankly told +that our means were limited, and our payments would be made by cheques +on Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, an old established and +conservative house. The effect of such buying was to create confidence +on the part of the sellers, which made them more anxious to sell than +were we to purchase. When the end came, and some of the largest sellers +were ruined, I never heard a word of complaint of their being +over-reached or in any manner treated unfairly.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p><p>As long as the system thus described continued, the South not only +equipped an army able to cope with the colossal forces constantly +advancing upon it, but it accomplished this without distressing its +people with taxes. And thus, in part, was answered Mr. Cushing's +apparently unanswerable exclamation: "What <i>possible</i> chance can the +South have?"</p> + +<p>But the supply of acceptable arms was not equal to the demand. The +civilized powers had but recently been equipped with modern arms. The +United States had the Springfield; England had the Enfield, which was +practically the same as the Springfield; Austria had a rifle bearing a +close resemblance to both, and of about the same calibre; Prussia had a +breech-loader which no Government would now think of issuing to troops; +France had an inferior muzzle-loader, and was experimenting with an +imitation of the Prussian needle-gun, which finally proved ruinous to +the Empire. There were few arms for sale, even in the arsenals of +Europe, which Mr. Cushing had said would be open to the United States +and closed to the South. Austria, however, had a considerable quantity +on hand, and these an intermediary proposed I should buy.</p> + +<p>I knew something of the armament of Austria, having visited Vienna in +1859, with a letter from the United States War Department, which gave me +some facilities for observation. At first I considered the getting of +anything from an Imperial Austrian Arsenal as chimerical. But my +would-be intermediary was so persistent that, finally I accompanied him +to Vienna and, within a few days, closed a contract for 100,000 rifles +of the latest Austrian pattern, and ten batteries, of six pieces each, +of field artillery, with harness complete, ready for service, and a +quantity of ammunition, all to be delivered on ship at Hamburg. The +United States Minister, Mr. Motley, protested in vain. He was told that +the making of arms was an important industry of Austria; that the same +arms had been offered to the United States Government and declined, and +that, as belligerents, the Confederate States were, by the usage of +nations, lawful buyers. However unsatisfactory<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> this answer may have +been to Washington, the arms were delivered, and in due time were +shipped to Bermuda from Hamburg. Mr. Motley offered to buy the whole +consignment, but was too late. The Austrian Government declined to break +faith with the purchasers.</p> + +<p>I confess to a glow of pride when I saw those sixty pieces of rifled +artillery with caissons, field-forges, and battery-wagons, +complete—some two hundred carriages in all—drawn up in array in the +arsenal yard. It was pardonable for a moment to imagine myself in +command of a magnificent park of artillery. The explanation of Austria's +willingness to dispose of these batteries is that the authorities had +decided on the use of gun-cotton in the place of powder; and the change +involved new guns, although those sold to me were of the latest design +for gunpowder. I believe gun-cotton was given up not long after.</p> + +<p>Again Mr. Cushing's "What possible chance can the South now have?" was +in part answered. At least <i>one</i> of the greatest arsenals of Europe had +been opened to the South.</p> + +<p>That the ports of the South were blockaded, as Mr. Cushing said they +would be, was true; but never before had steam vessels been employed by +a vigilant enemy to search out the weak intervals in the line and avail +himself of darkness and even storm, to enter and leave blockaded +harbors. In spite of large squadrons, under command of competent and +zealous officers, enough war material was carried into ports of the +Confederate States to enable them, for three years, to contend +vigorously against all the armies the United States could collect, not +only from its own population, but from all the countries of Europe.</p> + +<p>Well may the people of the Northern portion of the reconstructed Union +be proud of their fellows, who for four long years contended against +such fearful odds.</p> + +<p>The fourth year of the war saw an end of the struggle, not only because +of the immense superiority of the North in men and material, but also on +account of a change of policy in procuring supplies. For a long time +there were no contractors<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> between the European sources of supply and +the great consumer, the army. Cotton, the only article of value to the +outside world, passed into possession of the Government continuously and +without friction, and was landed in Nassau—exceptionally in +Bermuda—with no back charges due. Every shilling that a bale was worth, +as it lay at the landing-place, was so much to the credit of the War or +Navy Department with Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and was +available as soon as the arrival was announced by mail <i>via</i> New York. +There were literally no leaks. More devoted or more intelligent and +trustworthy agents than were Fraser, Trenholm & Co., during the four +years in which they acted for the Richmond Government, never served any +principal.</p> + +<p>But in the latter stages of the war, contracts with the Government began +to appear. These contracts, made in Richmond, were generally a sort of +partnership affair by which the contractor, usually an English company, +shared equally the freighting capacity of each blockade runner. A +representative of one of these companies brought to me, one day, a draft +on myself for a large sum in sterling—I think it was £10,000, but this +may not be the exact sum. What to do with it was a difficult problem. +The payee, a respectable merchant of Richmond, presented it in person, +and there was no doubt of its genuineness. After considering the matter +a few minutes, I said:</p> + +<p>"I can't pay this, Captain C——."</p> + +<p>"What!" he said, "Repudiate the draft of Colonel Gorgas?"</p> + +<p>"Can't help it; I cannot and shall not honor it. I need much more money +than I have received, to pay for what has gone forward, and I have large +contracts out for supplies."</p> + +<p>"I will assume your contracts," he replied.</p> + +<p>"But I will not assign them to you."</p> + +<p>Here was a collision between officer and Government contractor, which +might result in the professional ruin of the officer; for the draft was +an order from his superior. Although a good many rough words were +interchanged, I stood<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> my ground and did not pay the draft. I read +between the lines of Col. Gorgas's letters that he would stand by me, +and he did. The draft was undoubtedly made by higher authority—probably +the Secretary of War, Mr. Seddon—who at the time had not been long in +office, while Col. Gorgas had served from the organization of the +Confederate Government in Montgomery. I never heard anything more about +the repudiated draft, and, not long after, I was informed that, at the +request of the War Department, I had been advanced to the grade of +Major.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>In this connection I may mention an incident that occurred somewhat +later. Mr. Yancey had returned to Richmond, and Mr. James H. Mason had +taken his place as Commissioner. It would be difficult to imagine two +men more opposite in character, discharging the same functions. Mr. +Yancey was a much younger man, and had been a student at Williams +College, Massachusetts. He had represented Alabama in the United States +Congress, and was sufficiently acquainted with affairs in general to +hold his own in almost any company. His voice and manners were pleasing, +and his estimate of himself was sufficiently modest to make him an +appreciative listener. I never heard him address an audience but once, +but that once convinced me he was a born orator. It was at a +Fishmongers' Guild dinner, and the few representatives of the +Confederate States were the guests of the evening. Mr. Yancey sat on the +left of the Lord Warden. I sat four or five seats from him, on the +opposite side, the tables being arranged in the form of a horse shoe. +There was a large number present, and many were evidently Americans from +the North.</p> + +<p>Very early in the list of toasts, the toastmaster,—a butler possessed +of a ringing voice, and who stood just behind the chair of the Lord +Warden, from whom he received his orders—called out:</p> + +<p>"Gentlemen, fill your <i>glah-ses</i>, the Lord Warden will take wine with +you."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p><p>The glasses being filled, the toast was announced. I do not now recall +the words, but it had reference to the "new nation," and to Hon. William +L. Yancey, and "our guests from the Confederate States of America." The +Lord Warden made a short address of welcome and called on Mr. Yancey. +All the Confederate guests were expected to stand while their spokesman +replied. But I declined to make myself so conspicuous, fearing that in a +company so entirely new to Mr. Yancey, as I felt sure this English +company was, his speech would be anything but appropriate.</p> + +<p>I could not have been more in error. What he said exactly fitted the +place and the occasion; the audience was delighted, except some people +at the lower ends of the tables, who, by rattling their glasses and +moving their feet, did their best to disconcert the speaker. In this +they failed. The speech was short, and at its conclusion the storm of +applause clearly showed the pleasure it afforded the great majority of +the audience. I remember well a barrister—a member of the city +government—who after the dinner was over, commented enthusiastically on +the eloquence of Mr. Yancey.</p> + +<p>Mr. Mason was a very different man. He had, for forty years been a +prominent member of the United States Senate, and seemed never to be +unmindful of the presence and importance of the Honorable James H. Mason +of Virginia. The two Commissioners were as different, one from the +other, as a Kentuckian and a Boston man of pilgrim blood. I saw but +little of Mr. Mason. Mr. Yancey had always been ready to confer with me. +I freely talked over my plans with him, and by his counsel and cordial +endeavor to aid me, he was an ever present help.</p> + +<p>There was in Mr. Mason no magnetism to attract young men, and I do not +remember ever to have asked his advice or opinion. In this he presented +a strong contrast to all the other Commissioners. Mr. Slidell was as old +a man and as experienced in public affairs as Mr. Mason, but he was a +genial companion even to younger men, and I consulted him quite as +freely as I had Mr. Yancey.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p><p>One morning I received a note from Mr. Mason's secretary, asking me to +call at Mr. Mason's lodgings. I lost no time in obeying the summons, and +Mr. Mason lost no time in coming to business.</p> + +<p>"Major," he said, "I have sent for you to request you to inspect some +army supplies that some of our English friends are sending over under a +contract with the War Department."</p> + +<p>Without a moment's hesitation, I replied, "Mr. Mason, I will inspect the +contract, and if I approve it, I will inspect the goods."</p> + +<p>I cannot convey an adequate idea of the man's astonishment. It was too +great for him to express himself immediately. He was standing in front +of the grate. Taking a package of "fine-cut" from his pocket, and +removing from his mouth an immense quid which he threw into the grate, +he replaced it with a fresh wad and, looking at me, said, "Do you know +who I am? Whom do you look upon as your superiors?"</p> + +<p>Instantly, but very quietly, I replied, "I believe you are the Honorable +James M. Mason, Confederate States Commissioner to England."</p> + +<p>"Yes," he replied, "and in a very few days I shall be Minister of the +Confederate States to the Court of St. James." It was when England, +France and Spain were on the point of acknowledging the Confederate +States of America as a nation.</p> + +<p>I then said, "I acknowledge no superior on this side of the ocean; in +America the Secretary of War and all officers senior to me are my +superiors, and especially Col. Gorgas, from whom I receive my orders. +Not only on general principles can I take no orders from you, but I have +an order sent me after the battle of Bull Run, giving me <i>carte +blanche</i>, and directing me not to allow myself to be governed by +political emissaries of the Government. Now, if you are not a political +emissary of the Government I don't know what you are."</p> + +<p>There was no possible answer to this defining of our relative positions +and there was no more controversy. The <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>dispute lasted some time, but I +have related enough to answer my purpose.</p> + +<p>The order to which I referred was sewed into the sole of a boot, the +wearer of which, a German by birth, made the journey from Richmond to +London by way of New York. On arriving in London the order was removed +from its hiding place by cutting the stitches of the sole. The incident +serves to show the impossibility of preventing secret correspondence in +time of war.</p> + +<p>Another incident of the same character may be mentioned. The first +vessel to run the blockade from England was the "Fingal," Commander +James D. Bulloch. It was necessary to send to Savannah, the port for +which Commander Bulloch intended to strike, a set of signals in advance. +These were secreted by removing the wrapper of a well-made cigar and +carefully replacing it, after rolling the paper containing the signals +upon its body. I myself did this bit of cigar work. On arriving off +Savannah, Commander Bulloch displayed his signals, which were +immediately answered, and he piloted his ship into the harbor with which +he was familiar. So long as the War Department depended entirely on its +own officers to get cotton out and run supplies in, the value of every +bale of cotton that reached the Islands secured, in due time, its full +equivalent in army supplies. There were some captures of cotton going +out, and others of supplies going in, but the losses were for a long +time inconsiderable. When, however, the contract system got into full +working condition, although there were more vessels in the service, the +supplies began to shrink. Contractors were "on the make." That was their +business, and they pursued it eagerly, for the profits were large.</p> + +<p>The "Nashville," which had been a packet between New York and +Charleston, was purchased by the C. S. Government and converted into a +cruiser, and as it was very desirable that there should be some show of +naval power in a European port, she was sent under command of Captain +Pegram to Southampton, where she arrived in good order. On reading the +news of her arrival, I went immediately to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> Southampton to call on her +officers, with Mr. Fearn, secretary to Mr. Yancey. The ship was, like +all American ships, trim and in beautiful condition, but she was only a +converted passenger ship, and must have made a poor showing had she met +a U. S. ship of any size. However, she served the purpose of displaying +the Confederate States flag in a foreign port and on the high seas.</p> + +<p>My object in calling on Captain Pegram was not one of courtesy alone. A +most outrageous proposal had been made to me, involving the capture of a +British ship bound from Hamburg to New York, loaded with a hundred +thousand Austrian rifles. The proposal, in brief, was: That I should +deposit £10,000 in the Bank of England subject to the draft of one of +two persons. In the event of success of the scheme, one was to draw the +money; in case of failure, the other. The plan was to capture a British +ship, then loading with arms at Hamburg for New York. It had been +proposed to me that with a tug, having a gun on board, I should +intercept the ship, fire a gun, and demand her surrender. The captain +would have orders to comply with my demand, and I was to direct him to +sail to Charleston.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>The scheme was not impossible for any one holding a privateer's +commission, and I applied to Mr. Yancey for a letter-of-marque. On +hearing my story, Mr. Yancey said he had such commissions, but that they +were contrary to the spirit of the age, and he had determined not to +give any of them out. However, in this instance, he would issue one if I +wanted it. I believed my land-service commission would protect me, but I +asked for the letter-of-marque as an additional safeguard. Captain +Pegram, after considering the matter in conference with his executive, +Lieutenant Fauntleroy (formerly of the United States Navy), determined +not to make the attempt, and the matter was dropped.</p> + +<p>Perhaps it is well that the "Nashville" arrived, and that Captain Pegram +declined to act; for I had the money ready to deposit, and what seems +now to me a madcap scheme might have been attempted.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p><p>The ship sailed, and delivered her cargo in New York. The projectors of +the scheme stood to receive double payment for the arms and ship, the +insurance against war-risk having been assumed by the U. S. War +Department. The arms were from the Vienna arsenal, from which I +received, later, the same number of small arms and several batteries of +field artillery.</p> + +<p>At the time the "Nashville" arrived in Southampton, I had a large +quantity of supplies ready for shipment, but was deterred by the +endeavors of agents of the United States Government to stop me. The +problem was finally solved by a hint from the British authorities to +clear them for Australia, which was done. The shipment was made on the +steamer "Economist," bought for the expedition, and Lieut. Fauntleroy +was detached from the "Nashville" to command her; of course a British +captain in nominal command. Although the "Economist" had speed of not +more than eight knots an hour, Lieut. Fauntleroy made a successful run +into Charleston and delivered his cargo in excellent condition.</p> + +<p>An incident worth relating is connected with this period of the war. A +ship which Lieut. Fauntleroy and I visited one morning was loading in +London Docks for Nassau. In the same dock were two very handsome +steamers which had been built for the opium trade, but for some reason +had not sailed for China. They were now for sale. Lieut. Fauntleroy, +after examining them, was most eager that I should buy one and put him +in command. To do so, however, was impossible; I had no money. Several +months afterwards I was asked to buy a steamer and her cargo of arms, +clothing, shoes, ammunition and medicines, then lying at St. George's, +Bermuda. The ship was one of the two opium smugglers. She had been +bought by a company of Englishmen, and, loaded with a most desirable +cargo, had started for Wilmington or Charleston. On arriving at Bermuda +the blockade had become so close that the owners decided not to make the +attempt to run it, and they offered to sell ship and cargo to me at a +bargain. I was still unable to buy her, although I knew what a valuable +blockade-runner she would be and what a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> desirable cargo she carried. +The owners, of whom there were several, were so anxious to sell her that +they importuned me till finally I said: "Well, gentlemen, I can do one +thing: I can offer you cotton for your ship and cargo." They jumped at +the proposal, saying that was all they wanted. Where would I deliver the +cotton?</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image03.png" width="500" height="756" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>At Charleston, Mobile or Wilmington.</p> + +<p>When?</p> + +<p>Thirty days after the presentation of my order to the War Department in +Richmond.</p> + +<p>Strange as it may read, these men were perfectly satisfied with my +proposition, although I could not see how they were to get their cotton +out, since they were selling their ship to me. However, we agreed upon +the weight and quality of cotton to be given for ship and cargo, and it +only remained for me to satisfy their lawyer that I was duly authorized +to make the purchase. For this purpose, a meeting was arranged for the +next morning, when I presented the leather-stained order which had come +to me through the lines, sewed between the layers of the sole of a shoe. +On reading this, the lawyer said: "That's enough to cover anything," and +a contract was signed and an order given me for the ship and cargo. As +this contract may interest the reader, a <i>fac-simile</i> of it is given. +(See plate.)</p> + +<p>The quantity of cotton being too large for one owner to handle, it was +arranged to have warrants engraved and printed for smaller quantities.</p> + +<p>The "Merrimac" ran into Wilmington and delivered her valuable cargo in +fine order. She was then loaded with cotton, and one favorable +night—dark and stormy—started on her return trip to the Islands. +Before clearing the harbor she collided with another steamer on her way +in, and the "Merrimac" was obliged to return to Wilmington, where it was +found that she could not be repaired, and she was finally sold, with her +cargo, for $1,100,000. The vessel with which she collided was her sister +ship which had lain alongside of her in London Docks. Means were not to +be found in Wilmington to repair the "Merrimac" for the Confederate +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>Government; but it was easily accomplished as soon as she passed into +private hands, and she was again sent to make her run to the Islands. To +my great satisfaction, she was captured the next morning.</p> + +<p>There were greedy contractors in the South who cared just as much for +"the cause" as did their fellow-contractors in the North for the Union. +They were full of patriotism—of their kind. Months after the "Merrimac" +sailed from Bermuda, one of the negotiators of the sale asked me if I +would sign duplicates of the warrants I had issued. My reply was: "Does +the Bank of England issue duplicate notes?" "You don't mean to say you +will not give us duplicates!" "I certainly do." And then I explained to +him that <i>at the time</i>, I might have been willing to sign warrants in +duplicate. But the war had reached a critical stage; the Confederate +army was hard pressed on every side. Moreover, the contract system had +begun to produce results. Instead of all cotton sent out being for army +or navy account, only a portion of the army cotton was turned into army +supplies. The contractors, English and Confederate, were taking the +rest.</p> + +<p>I believe that not one of those cotton warrants which bought the +"Merrimac" was ever presented in Richmond, and that vessel, with her +cargo, cost the Confederate Government literally nothing. It is a +curious fact that these same cotton warrants, which as it proved were +really not worth the cost of printing them, at one time sold at a +premium in London.</p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 100px;"> +<img src="images/image04.jpg" width="100" height="38" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Supplies for the Confederate Army,, by +Caleb Huse + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPPLIES FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY *** + +***** This file should be named 24469-h.htm or 24469-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/4/6/24469/ + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Supplies for the Confederate Army + How they were obtained in Europe and how paid for. + +Author: Caleb Huse + +Release Date: January 31, 2008 [EBook #24469] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPPLIES FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Caleb Huse] + + + + +DEAR SIR:-- + +In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitably +entertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks," on the Hudson, +just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatly +interested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences as +agent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate States +during the Civil war. + +I was so impressed by this unique bit of history that I succeeded, after +much urging, in inducing him to write it, believing that it should be +preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish it. + +His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume, +but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for. + +I am sending you herewith a copy of this pamphlet. If you wish to keep +it, please send 25 cents in enclosed coin card. If you do not want it, +please return it flat by pasting the enclosed stamped and addressed +envelope on the enclosing envelope. + + Yours truly, + + J. S. ROGERS. + + Room 118, Barristers Hall, + 15 Pemberton Square, + Boston, Mass. + + + +THE SUPPLIES + +FOR THE + +CONFEDERATE ARMY + + +HOW THEY WERE OBTAINED IN EUROPE +AND HOW PAID FOR + + +PERSONAL REMINISCENCES AND +UNPUBLISHED HISTORY + + +BY + +CALEB HUSE + +MAJOR AND PURCHASING AGENT, C. S. A. + + +BOSTON + +PRESS OF T. R. MARVIN & SON + +1904 + + + + +BY JAMES S. ROGERS + +BOSTON, MASS. + + + + +In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitably +entertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks," on the Hudson, +just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatly +interested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences as +agent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate States +during the Civil war. + +So impressed were they by this unique bit of history that they +succeeded, after much urging, in inducing him to write it, believing +that it should be preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish +it. + +His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume, +but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for. + +If the cost of publication is not met by the nominal price charged for +this pamphlet, the satisfaction of preserving the record in print will +compensate for any loss sustained by the + + TWO FRIENDS. + + _August, 1904._ + + + + +REMINISCENCES + + +On my return in May, 1860, from a six months' leave of absence spent in +Europe, I found an appointment as professor of chemistry and commandant +of cadets in the University of Alabama awaiting my acceptance. During my +absence the President of the University and a committee of the Board of +Trustees visited West Point and the Virginia Military Institute and, +pleased with the discipline of both institutions, decided to adopt the +military system, and applied to Colonel Delafield, then the +Superintendent at West Point, for an officer to start them. Col. +Delafield gave them my name but was unable to say whether or not I would +resign from the army. I was then a first lieutenant of artillery; and, +as such, was on the rolls of the garrison of Fort Sumter. + +I accepted the position and began my duties in September. My leave of +absence had expired in May; but the authorities of the University, +fearing that I might regret severing irrevocably my connection with the +army--which I had entered as a cadet at sixteen--obtained from the +Secretary of War an extension of the leave till May, 1861, when I was to +resign if all was satisfactory at that time. + +It is proper to mention here that the introduction of military drill and +discipline at the State University had no connection whatever with any +secession movement in Alabama, and the fact that a Massachusetts-born +man and of Puritan descent was selected to inaugurate the system, will, +or ought to be, accepted as confirmatory of this assertion. + +Discipline was almost at an end at the University, and in seeking ways +and means for restoring it, the attention of the Faculty and Trustees +was directed to the Virginia Military Institute which had been in +successful operation for about fifty years. As this institution had been +organized by a graduate of West Point, and in some respects resembled +the United States Military Academy, it was hoped that in Alabama good +results might be secured by the adoption of similar methods. + +Military drill is taught at the present time in many schools and +colleges, but the intention of the Alabama University authorities was +not merely to drill students, but to hold them under military restraint, +as is effectually done at West Point, and, I may add, as cannot be done +in any college designed to qualify young men to become civilian members +of a great republic. + +West Point and Annapolis have proved themselves noble institutions for +the purpose for which they were designed--that of training young men to +become officers over other men--but the mission of these schools is not +to fit young men for civil life. Their methods cannot be grafted upon +literary or technical civil institutions, and it is not desirable that +they should be applied to civil colleges or schools of any kind. But the +University of Alabama was a military college so far as concerned +discipline, and to this end I was given a Colonel's commission by the +Governor of the State, with two assistants, one a major, the other a +captain. Tents, arms and infantry equipments were purchased of the +United States Government, and a uniform similar to that of the West +Point cadets was adopted. The students were assembled on the first of +September, and a camp established on the University grounds. Drills were +inaugurated at once and regular camp duties were required and performed. + +Everything seemed to be progressing very satisfactorily till one day, +some three weeks after the pitching of the camp, the President of the +University (Dr. Garland) desired to see me at his office. On entering I +found him and a trusted professor awaiting my coming, with disturbed +looks. No time was wasted in the preliminaries; Dr. Garland came to the +point at once by telling me that there was a mutiny brewing in my camp +which it would be impossible for me to quell. He then explained that the +cadets were dissatisfied because I was a northern-born man; that they +called me a d----d Yankee, and intended running me out of the State. He +thought they would be successful, for the ringleaders were old students +who had given a great deal of trouble before I came, and, what made the +matter worse, these students were sons of influential men in the State, +and the mothers of the mutineers were encouraging them. + +I asked if any of the Trustees or the Faculty wished me to resign and +was assured of the contrary. I then said that, but for one thing, I +should have no hesitation in resigning. The cadets, backed by their +families, had threatened to run me out of the State; I should put upon +them the responsibility of executing their threat; I should not resign. +I went back to camp and never heard anything more about the "mutiny." + +I mention this incident only to show the feeling existing in an extreme +southern State at that time--less than two months before the election of +President Lincoln. + +The story of the intended mutiny was well founded, and was only one +phase of the general feeling of unrest throughout Alabama. But, even at +that time, which was within six weeks of election day, the idea of +secession did not prevail. Probably had its people been called upon to +vote on the question, there would have been a very large majority +against secession. After the election in November the unrest manifestly +increased, and conservative men began to consider secession possible and +even probable. + +At the University there was no excitement. Instruction went on as usual +and the era of orderly deportment, begun in camp, continued, much to the +satisfaction of every one and especially to the citizens of Tuscaloosa. +But military discipline, to which, as admitted by every one, the +improved deportment was due, added to the outgo of the University +without materially increasing its income, and the only hope of obtaining +money to meet the increased expenses was through an appropriation by the +Legislature. To secure this, President Garland proposed that the +battalion of Cadets--for so the students were called--should go to +Montgomery and be reviewed by the Governor and by the Legislature, which +was then in session. + +This idea was strongly opposed not only by members of the Faculty but by +men whose sons were in the University. The fear prevailed that the +students would be unmanageable under the many temptations which +Montgomery would afford, and that even the well-meant hospitality of the +citizens, which was sure to be generous, would cause trouble. Whether to +make the trip or not was left to my decision. I decided without +hesitation in favor of the expedition, and arrangements were made for +two steamboats, one to take us down the Black Warrior, the other for the +journey up the Alabama to Montgomery. + +In Mobile the cadets were cordially received, and conducted themselves +to my entire satisfaction. On the steamboats their behavior was all that +could be desired, and in Montgomery everybody was proud of their +appearance and deportment. For sleeping accommodations the cadets +carried their own blankets and turned in on the floor of a large hall. +Camp discipline was maintained and perfect order prevailed. + +The battalion was reviewed in front of the State House by the Governor +and both Houses of the Legislature, and everything passed off most +satisfactorily. In the evening, after the review, a committee of the +Legislature called on me and asked what I wanted. The reply was: An +annual appropriation so long as the military organization was maintained +at the University. + +I remember that a cousin of Senator John P. Hale of New Hampshire (one +of the most pronounced abolitionists of the country) was a member of +the committee. He said to me: "Now you come up to the House tomorrow and +see how we will put this matter through." I did so, and certainly it was +"put through," for, while I was there the bill was given all its +readings--the rules being suspended for the purpose--and it was taken to +the Senate and similarly rushed. The Governor signed it, and the next +day the cadets started on their return home. + +We had left Tuscaloosa in a heavy rain-storm, escorted to the +steamboat--some two miles--by the Montgomery Guards. The trip had been +entirely successful and there had not been a case of misbehavior from +start to finish. Of course drinking was the one thing to be feared, and +when one considers all the temptations on the steamboats and in Mobile +and Montgomery, it is a little remarkable that there were no infractions +of the rules, one of which was that no cadet should enter a bar-room on +pain of instant dismissal. + +As already stated, I went to the University of Alabama under leave of +absence which was to terminate in May, 1861. In February I received an +order revoking the unexpired portion of my leave and directing me to +report for duty in Washington. I replied that my leave was granted with +the understanding that I was to resign at its expiration, and as I saw +no reason to alter my determination, I offered my resignation. There was +no expectation on my part that my future would be any other than such as +my position as professor in the University of Alabama would occasion. + +My resignation was accepted February 25th. In April--I think it was +April 1st--I received a telegram from the Confederate States Secretary +of the Navy Mallory, to "come to Montgomery and take a commission for +active service." I think I am quoting the words of the message. I +started without delay, and on arriving in Montgomery was introduced to +Secretary of War Walker, who soon said to me: "The President has +designated you to go to Europe for the purchase of arms and military +supplies; when can you go?" I replied that, of course, I could go +immediately, but if any preparations were to be made which would +require time, I should like to return to my family before starting. +"Take ten days," said he. "Be back here at the end of that time." I was +then introduced to Col. Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, to whom I was to +report. + +I returned to Tuscaloosa and early in the morning of the tenth day of my +leave of absence, I drove into Montgomery on the top of a stage-coach. +When near the town we met a man on horseback who shouted that Beauregard +had opened fire on Sumter. By this I know that it was April 12th. There +was naturally much excitement in Montgomery, especially about the War +and Navy Departments. + +On reporting to Col. Gorgas, I found that no arrangements had been made +for my going to Europe. I had no orders and did not know what I was to +do for money. I called on the Secretary of the Treasury, Meminger, but +he knew nothing about my going abroad. "When are you going?" said he. I +replied that if I expected to get through the North, I had no time to +lose; and it was finally arranged that he should provide me with money +for my trip to New York, where I should receive funds for my journey to +Europe. During my interview he remarked that he had no money; and it +would appear that the statement was literally true, for it is difficult +to conceive from what source, so soon after its organization, a new +Government could derive any revenue. + +Before leaving Montgomery, Mr. Davis called me to his office and asked +me to be seated while he received his callers, saying he wanted to talk +with me about my mission, and that ideas would come to him between his +interviews with his callers. I took the chair assigned me, and while he +was reading the pile of letters which lay open before him, the callers +began to come in. I do not recall any of the conversation which took +place, but I remember clearly one incident which some may say was +characteristic of the man. Looking over a letter of four full-sized +pages, and standing up with some show of irritation, he said, "I wish +people would not write me advice," and he tore the letter in two; and, +repeating the remark, tore it into small bits which he threw upon the +floor. He mentioned the name of the writer, who, I knew, was a friend +and neighbor. + +I may be permitted to narrate a personal incident which occurred before +I left Montgomery. One evening about sunset, while I was waiting in the +office of the Secretary of War, for the comparatively insignificant sum +of money to be provided for my expenses to England, Mr. Davis greeted me +as Major. I replied: "I might ask, Mr. President, in what regiment," +having in mind the well known anecdote of the subaltern who, on handing +the Emperor Napoleon his chapeau which had fallen, was thanked under the +title of captain. Mr. Davis then explained the principle he had laid +down for himself in appointing officers who had been in the U. S. army. +It was to advance no one more than one grade. He said that Beauregard +was only a captain of engineers, and had been made a brigadier general; +but in this, the rule had not been violated, for, by serving at West +Point as superintendent although for a few days only--five, as shown by +the records--he was a colonel in the army, and had, therefore, been +advanced but one grade. Mr. Davis remarked that there were officers +enough for all field purposes, but the trouble was to find men qualified +to prepare the army for its work. + +I had arranged to pass through Charleston in order that I might visit +Sumter and see the effect of the artillery fire upon it. Arriving in +Charleston in the evening I went to Morris Island the following morning, +and from there in a row-boat to Sumter, accompanied by two young +artillery captains. We were all young in those days; I was just thirty, +and these young men were my juniors by some years. They had both been +under my instruction as cadets at West Point when I was on duty there, +but I cannot now recall their names. On our return from Sumter, we three +lay on the warm sand near the shore, and naturally the conversation was +chiefly on the events of the last few days. In the course of our talk, I +remarked, "What in the world made Anderson surrender the fort?" For in +my opinion it was no more damaged for defence than a brick wall would +be by a boy's snapping marbles against it. As for anything the +Confederate artillery could bring to bear upon it, it was literally +impregnable--as shown by the fact that with all the resources of the +United States army and navy it was never retaken. The wooden quarters +had taken fire, and, for a time doubtless, the fort was a very +uncomfortable place, and it was feared that the magazine would explode. +But when Anderson surrendered all that danger had passed. + +Major Anderson was a gallant officer who had proved his efficiency and +bravery in the Mexican War, for which he was rewarded with two brevets; +but for one who saw Sumter as I did, shortly after its surrender, when +nothing had been changed since Anderson saluted his flag and marched his +command on board the Confederate steamer Isabel, it is impossible to +understand why the surrender should have been made when it was. +Eventually his command might have been starved out. But although for +several days it was short of some kinds of desirable food, and destitute +of fresh provisions, there remained several barrels of pork which he +took with him when he left. Not only was no assault ever made, but the +enemy had no boats or scaling ladders with which to attempt an assault, +as Anderson must have known. + +If the United States Government deliberately intended to force a war and +thus settle once for all the entire question between the North and the +South, no strategy could have been more effectual than that of +sacrificing Sumter exactly as it was sacrificed. The whole affair could +not have been arranged with greater shrewdness and finesse. Anderson and +his officers--without an exception, gallant and competent--were made to +appear as heroes and, in a sense, they were; the North was completely +_unified_, and the same can be said of the South. The lines were now +distinctly and definitely drawn, and every man from Maine to Georgia +must declare for the Government or against it. War began such as no man +could have foretold and such as could not cease till one side or the +other should be completely exhausted. + +From Charleston I went to Baltimore by the Bay Line steamers from +Norfolk, arriving on Sunday morning--the day that the men who had been +killed the Friday previous were to be buried. The excitement was +intense, but the city was quiet--uncomfortably quiet. No one knew what +next to expect. I was for my own part, concerned only about getting to +New York. There were no trains running, bridges having been burned, and +no one could say when railway traffic would be resumed. + +There were a few other travelers bound northward who were eager to +continue their journey. Two of these--young men from +Charleston--approached me cautiously with a proposal that we three +should hire a carriage to take us to York, Pa., and we arranged to go. +Before we were ready to start, an elderly gentleman asked to be +permitted to join the party. He was a large, handsome man, and was +anxious to get to Philadelphia as soon as possible, to see a daughter +who lay at the point of death. The new comer would be a serious addition +to the weight in our carriage, but I had reason to be thankful that we +accommodated him, as will appear later. + +After starting, it was determined--why I cannot now say--to go to Havre +de Grace, instead of York. On our arrival in the evening, we found the +ferry boat had been taken to convey troops to Annapolis, and there was +nothing to be done but wait. We all found comfortable lodgings at a +small hotel, and in the morning a flat boat took us across to +Perryville. + +Among the passengers were several men and women who, as soon as the boat +landed, collected on the piazza of a little country hotel near the +landing and began singing patriotic songs. They were apparently +overjoyed at their escape from the south-land. + +At Perryville there was a large wooden shed which served as a railway +station; employees were standing about, but none could give any +information concerning the trains, all of which, they said, had been +taken by the Government. Before noon, however, a long train came +thundering into the station, and immediately men in uniform poured out +of the cars and ran to the water-side, where they bathed their faces and +hands. They were going to the front. The same train was soon ready to +return to Philadelphia and all who desired to go were accommodated. + +It was impossible to get farther than Philadelphia that day. The next +morning, on taking my seat in the train, I recognized the gentleman +directly behind me as the Hon. Caleb Cushing. I did not accost him, not +caring to meet acquaintances just then, and, moreover, I had no reason +to think that he knew me, for although we were born in the same +town,--Newburyport, Mass.,--he was a distinguished public man when I was +a boy. + +The route from Philadelphia to New York was by the way of Camden to +South Amboy, and thence by steamboat. The latter was a ferry boat with +room for teams on each side of the engine. There were no teams on board, +and, as I had been sitting for some time, and now that we were nearing +New York where I was likely at any moment to meet an acquaintance, I was +a little nervous, I walked about the lower deck. In doing so I met Mr. +Cushing face to face. He was passing the time in a similar manner. I +lifted my cap, as I would to any superior officer, or public man. +Immediately Mr. Cushing stopped and said: + +"Good morning, Mr. Huse, you are with the South, I understand." + +For the moment I was staggered, but quickly calling to mind that Mr. +Cushing had been chairman of the Charleston Democratic Convention which +nominated John C. Breckenridge for President, I replied: + +"Yes, sir, what chance do you think the South has?" + +"What chance can it have?" he said, "the money is all in the North; the +manufactories are all in the North; the ships are all in the North; the +arms and arsenals are all in the North; the arsenals of Europe are +within ten days of New York, and they will be open to the United States +Government, and closed to the South; and the Southern ports will be +blockaded. What possible chance can the South have?" There was nothing +for me to say in reply, and I probably did the best I could have done +under the circumstances. Looking him squarely in the eye, I lifted my +cap and said: "Good morning, Mr. Cushing." I never saw him afterwards. + +On landing at the Battery, I gave my baggage checks to an expressman, +taking his receipt and telling him to hold the baggage till called for. +As it might be very important not to be recognized, I took the +precaution to leave no trail by my baggage, which was taken to Liverpool +later by one of the young men who had been my carriage companion from +Baltimore. I went at once to the Bank of the Republic, where I was to +find letters which would enable me to obtain money for my voyage. + +I was told to call for Mr. S----, the cashier of the bank. On his coming +to the window, I asked if he had any letters from Montgomery. His face +immediately showed real fear. Opening a door near by, he said, "Come +in," and I found myself in the bank parlor. He immediately locked the +door, pulled down the window shades and then asked, "Now what is it?" + +In the brief time occupied in drawing down the shades, etc., I +determined what to do, and replied,-- + +"I see, Mr. S., that you are much agitated by my visit, and I will not +further compromise you by giving you my name; but if you have any +letters from Montgomery, which you do not recognize, will you be good +enough to send them around to Trenholm Brothers, in Pine Street." + +He assured me he would, and I bade him good morning. As I was leaving he +said there was intense excitement on the street; Anderson's command had +just marched up Broadway and aroused the greatest enthusiasm. I had +observed a small United States flag near the entrance, and Mr. S. said +he believed if that flag were not at the door, the mob would attack the +bank. + +At the office of Trenholm Brothers I inquired for Mr. Wellsman, and was +shown into an inner room where I met a large, middle-aged man bearing a +striking resemblance to the white-haired gentleman who had been one of +the party from Baltimore to Havre de Grace. I introduced myself by +saying that Captain Wellsman was my travelling companion from Baltimore +on Sunday. + +"He is my father," said Mr. Wellsman. I told him of meeting Capt. +Wellsman at the Philadelphia station that morning, and that he asked me +to say he had found his daughter much better than he expected, and they +now had hopes of her recovery. I then explained to him that I was an +officer of the Confederate States Army, on my way to Europe to purchase +arms and other army supplies; that I was to be provided with funds +through Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and expected to get money +from Trenholm Brothers for the expenses of the voyage. Mr. Wellsman had +no letters for me, and had received no information from Montgomery +concerning me. Having no money for my voyage, the situation was becoming +serious. + +Excusing himself after a short time, Mr. Wellsman left the office, and +returning within half an hour, was even more alarmed than Mr. S. had +appeared to be. He said the excitement was very great, and that he +believed if the crowd discovered my business, they would hang me to a +lamp-post; I must not leave the office till I started for the train. +What did I propose to do? I ought not to think of sailing from New York. + +I replied that I would go to Canada and take the steamer from Montreal. +But I could not sail from anywhere without money. + +"You can have the money," said Mr. Wellsman. "How much do you want?" + +"Five hundred dollars." + +"And you want it in gold?" + +"Yes." + +He procured the gold, ordered some lunch to be brought, and about three +o'clock I started for the Erie Railway station. Sometimes we entertain +angels unawares. Captain Wellsman seems to have been a veritable angel. +The simple, verbal message that I carried to his son served me as a +letter of credit. Without it, I cannot now see what I could have done. +Ten years after the war, when I met an old friend, he assured me that he +would have had me arrested, had he known my mission while I was in New +York. + +When I left the office of Trenholm Brothers, a man on the sidewalk +signaled to another on the opposite side of Pine street, and one of +these men sat opposite me on the ferry-boat. Whether or not they were +shadowing me I never knew. I saw nothing more of them after leaving the +boat, and had no further adventures till I reached Turner's, where +trains stop for supper. In the restaurant, I recognized a number of +friends, and my only prudent course was to go without my supper or seek +it elsewhere. I chose the latter, and got what I could at a bar near by. + +I had no baggage--not even an overcoat--and the night was cold. I was in +an ordinary day-coach on my way to Hamilton, Canada. Through trains were +not so frequent then as now, and in Buffalo I had to wait some time, +much of which I passed in seeing the town. While walking in a retired +part of the city, I just escaped meeting an officer of the army whom I +knew, by turning down a cross street. + +At Hamilton I purchased clothing for the voyage, and was disappointed to +find that I should have to wait several days for the next steamer from +Montreal; I therefore decided to sail from Portland, but delayed +purchasing my ticket till I could take the last train that would reach +that city in time to board the steamer. This train went only to State +Line on the day it left Hamilton, where I stopped over night. I remember +the place from the fact that, although late in April, I was obliged to +break the ice in my pitcher the next morning, when I started on what +proved to be my last journey in the United States for several years. At +nearly every stopping place on the way to Portland, men in uniform and +fully equipped entered the cars. We were picking up a regiment under +orders for the front. + +We finally arrived, and my ship was in sight at anchor. I confess to a +feeling of relief when I stepped on board from the tug, and that feeling +was enhanced when we weighed anchor and the screw began pushing us out +into the neutral territory of the broad Atlantic. + +There were few passengers, and the voyage was without incident save one +of no importance except as tending to confirm the theory of transmission +of thought without language. My table-neighbor was a young sea-captain +from Maine, who was returning to his vessel, which he had left in +Liverpool some weeks before, to confer with the owners. + +One day at dinner, without any previous conversation whatever to lead +even indirectly to such a remark, he said: "I believe you are going to +Europe to buy arms for Jeff. Davis." + +I was in the act of taking a piece of potato on my fork, and, to gain +time before answering, I passed the potato to my mouth and then made +about as foolish a reply as was possible, saying, "If he wanted arms he +would be likely to select a man who knew something about arms." The +captain immediately remarked, "Sometimes those fellows that know the +most, say the least." I could think of nothing to say to advantage, and +said nothing; the matter was never referred to again. + +On arriving in London I went to what was then a favorite hotel for +Americans,--Morley's in Trafalgar Square. The remark of the ship-captain +interested me, and I resolved to probe the matter a little by calling on +a gentleman with whom I had conversed more freely than with any other +passenger. He was a lawyer from Portland, who in his younger days had +taught school in Mississippi. He was stopping at a near-by hotel on the +Strand. On meeting him, I asked if he knew the object of my visit to +Europe. He replied he had not the slightest idea why I was there. I then +told him of the captain's remark, and that his surmise was correct. I am +very sure that, during the voyage, I said nothing from which the nature +of my business could be inferred; and as for papers, I had received none +since leaving Montgomery. + +My orders were to purchase 12,000 rifles and a battery of field +artillery, and to procure one or two guns of larger calibre as models. A +short time before the beginning of the war, the London Armory Company +had purchased a plant of gun-stocking machinery from the Ames +Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Mass. Knowing this, I went to the +office of the Armory Company the day after my arrival in London, with +the intention of securing, if possible, their entire output. + +On entering the Superintendent's office, I found there the American +engineer who superintended the erection of the plant. I had known him in +Chicopee. Suspecting he might be an agent for the purchase of arms for +the United States Government, I asked him, bluntly, if he was, and +added, "I am buying for the Confederate Government." Such a disclosure +of my business may seem to have been indiscreet, but at that time I +thought it my best plan, and the result proved that I was right. He made +no reply to my inquiry, but I was satisfied my suspicion was correct and +resolved on the spot, to flank his movement if possible. + +As he had entered the office first, it was in order for me to outstay +him, which I did. On his leaving, I asked for a price for all the small +arms the Company could manufacture. + +The Superintendent said he could not answer me, but would refer me to +the Chairman of the Company,--President, we should call him--and would +accompany me to his office. There I repeated my inquiry for a price for +all the arms the Company could make for a year, with the privilege of +renewing the order. The President was not prepared to give me a price, +but would do so the next day. On calling at his office the following +day, he told me that the Company was under contract for all the arms it +could turn out, and considering all the circumstances, the Directors +felt they ought to give their present customer the preference over all +others. + +Confirmed in my belief that my competitor was no other than the man whom +I had encountered the day before, I was now more determined than ever to +secure the London Armory as a Confederate States arms factory. The +Atlantic cable was not then laid, and correspondence by mail required +nearly a month--an unreasonable time for a commercial company to hold in +abeyance a desirable opportunity for profit. Within a few days I +succeeded in closing a contract under which I was to have all the arms +the Company could manufacture, after filling a comparatively small order +for the United States agent. This Company, during the remainder of the +war, turned all its output of arms over to me for the Confederate army. + +Baring Brothers were, at that time, the London financial agents for the +United States Government, and they would unquestionably have been +supported and gratefully thanked, had they assumed the responsibility of +contracting for all the arms in sight in England. Any army officer, fit +for such a mission as that of buying arms for a great Government at the +outbreak of a war, would have acted, if necessary, without instructions, +and secured everything that he could find in the line of essentials, +especially arms, of which there were very few in the market. There were +_muskets_ enough to be had for almost any reasonable offer, but of +modern Enfield or Springfield rifles--which were practically the +same--there were only a few thousand in England, and none elsewhere +except in Austria, where all were owned by the Government. And, +according to Mr. Cushing, these would be available by the United States +but impossible of purchase by "the South." Yet even so high an authority +as Ex-Attorney General Cushing proved to be wrong in his assumption, as +will be shown below. + +Any young, intelligent West Point graduate holding an army commission +and as fearless in assuming responsibility as the average "graduate," +would not only have prevented my making this important contract, but +would have blocked my efforts in every direction; for in all Europe the +supply of arms ready for use or possible of manufacture was very +limited. Such an officer would have secured everything worth having--in +other words, all the best--and only inferior arms of antiquated model +would have been left for the Confederacy. The effect would have been not +only to give the United States good arms in profusion, but utterly to +discourage their opponents by the inferiority of their weapons. + +Mr. Davis did not make the great mistake of sending a civil agent to +purchase supplies--a duty as thoroughly military as any that could be +named--nor the still greater blunder of setting several men to do what +one man, with uncontrolled authority, could do so much better. Doubtless +he could have found men who would have performed the duty as well as did +the young officer whom he selected, and some who would have done their +part better; but, during the whole war, no change was made, although not +to remove him often required that firmness--not to say obstinacy--which +was a prominent trait of Mr. Davis's character, and which, right or +wrong, but especially when he was right, he exercised to a remarkable +degree. + +When I arrived in England, the Confederate States Government was already +represented by Hon. William L. Yancey, Commissioner to England; his +secretary, Mr. Walker Fearn, afterwards United States Minister to +Greece; Judge Rost, of New Orleans, Commissioner to France, with his son +as secretary; and Mr. Dudley Mann, commonly known as Col. Mann, who held +an appointment as Commissioner, but to what country I do not know. +Later, Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, afterwards United States Secretary of the +Interior, and later still Justice of the United States Supreme Court, +was appointed Commissioner to Russia, but he went no further than Paris, +and returned to Richmond before the end of the war. Commander James D. +Bulloch, previously of the United States Navy, whose sister was the +mother of President Roosevelt, was in charge of all naval matters. +Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool, were the fiscal agents. + +All these representatives worked in complete harmony, without jealousy +or clashing of opinion; each was ready to assist the others in every way +possible. They were all cultured men, of agreeable personality, and as +far removed from the _genus homo_ which has been designated as +"hot-headed Southerner," as can well be imagined. They lived +unostentatiously, in modest, but entirely respectable lodgings in the +West End, London, except Judge Rost, who resided in Paris, and Commander +Bulloch, who made his headquarters in Liverpool. None of the +representatives of the Confederate Government required much money in the +discharge of his duties, except Commander Bulloch and myself. We were +both to look to Fraser, Trenholm & Co., for all the money we were to +expend, as indeed were all the diplomatic agents. + +The fiscal system was, almost of necessity, of the most simple +character. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool, John Fraser & Co., of +Charleston, S. C, and Trenholm Brothers, of New York, were practically +one concern, and the senior member of John Fraser & Co., Mr. William +Trenholm, became Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury early in +the war. Mr. Wellsman, senior member of Trenholm Brothers, in New York, +joined the Liverpool house, the senior member and manager of which was +Charles K. Prioleau, formerly of Charleston. There was no loan to +negotiate; for the Confederacy--recognized only as belligerents--had no +credit among nations, and no system of taxation by which it could hope +to derive any revenue available for purchasing supplies abroad. But it +possessed a latent purchasing power such as probably no other Government +in history ever had. + +The cotton crop of its people was a prime necessity for the +manufacturing world outside, and, for want of machinery, was utterly +valueless in all the Southern States except Georgia, where there were a +few small factories. Almost immediately after the outbreak of +hostilities the Confederate authorities began to buy cotton, paying in +such "money" as it had; that is to say, its own promises to pay whenever +it could. Some of these promises bore interest and were called _bonds_; +some bore no interest, and these constituted the currency of the +country. + +The cotton, as it lay on the plantations or in the warehouses, was for +sale, and the Government was almost the only buyer. To all others there +was a difficulty, amounting almost to impossibility, in getting cotton +to market. Some, no doubt, was smuggled across the border, to the +advantage of "patriots" of each side; but this outlet for a bulky +article like cotton was altogether inadequate, and, practically, every +one was compelled by the very condition of affairs, without the +application of even moral force, to sell to the Government and receive +in payment the best that the Government had to offer; namely: its own +promises to pay, which, whether stated as a condition of the promise or +not, could not be made good till after the favorable close of the war. +If the South failed, the promises would be valueless; if it succeeded, +the obligations would be met as promptly as possible. The situation was +accepted by the people, and the Government acquired cotton and shipped +it to Nassau, Bermuda, and Havana as fast as it could. + +To get cotton through the blockading squadron called for daring and +skill; but there seems to have been no lack of either, and it was not +long before every steam vessel that could carry even a few bales, and +was sea-worthy enough to reach Nassau, was ready with a crew on board, +eager to sneak out any dark night and run to a neutral port,--generally +Nassau. + +For a long time this traffic went on almost without a capture, and the +Confederate Government not only deposited in places of safety large +quantities of a commodity in general demand throughout the world, but +also had the satisfaction of seeing its property advance rapidly in +value as the war went on, and its necessities increased. The cotton thus +shipped was all consigned to Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and the +consignments for the army, navy and diplomatic departments were +carefully kept separate. There was, therefore, no clashing of interests +between the army and navy, as to disposition of proceeds. The +requirements for the diplomatic agents were trifling compared with those +of the army for supplies and the navy for building, equipping and +manning ships. + +I had not been long in England before the sinews of war began to be +available, and I found myself able to meet my engagements in a manner +entirely satisfactory to my creditors. To buy supplies was simple +enough; but to ship them was another matter. As was to be expected, +detectives employed by the U. S. Government as well as volunteer spies +were about me. Efforts were made to intercept telegrams and to tamper +with employees, but few of these attempts at stopping Confederate army +supplies were successful. + +One success scored by the United States was the capture of the "Stephen +Hart," a schooner of American build, but purchased by an English house +and put under the British flag for Confederate use. The proof that she +was loaded with army supplies destined for the Confederate States was so +complete that no expense was incurred in defending the rights of the +quasi British owners. It was a mistake to ship such supplies by sailing +vessels, and there were other errors of judgment which were not +repeated. + +After the "Stephen Hart" episode, all army supplies were carried by +steamer, either to a Confederate port direct, or to Nassau or Bermuda. +There was little difficulty in chartering steamers to carry supplies to +"The Islands." Generally both ship and cargo belonged in good faith to +British subjects; and, as the voyage was from one British port to +another, the entire business was as lawful as a similar shipment would +have been from London to Liverpool. But one of the most innocent +shipments was not only captured, but the capture was confirmed, and +there was not on board one penny's worth of property belonging to the +Confederate States or to any American citizen. The ship "The +Springbock," was loaded by a firm from whom I had purchased many +supplies; but in this instance, the cargo was to be sold in Nassau, and +there was nothing of a suspicious character on board, excepting some +brass buttons bearing the device "C. S. A.," and these buttons were put +on board the last day against the wishes of one of the partners who +feared they would be considered as tainting the whole cargo. And so the +United States Court decided. Everything else on board was likely to be +wanted in any country whose ports had been blockaded for several months, +but none of the articles were such as could be classed as _military_ +supplies. + +To get the supplies from "The Islands" to the main land required +sea-worthy steamers of light draught and great speed. Many such vessels +were purchased and sent out under captains who were equal to any +emergency, among whom were several former U. S. Navy officers. Some of +these steamers had been private yachts, as for example the "Merrimac;" +(there were two "Merrimacs"); some were engaged in trade between British +ports, as the "Cornubia;" some were taken from the Channel service +between England and France, as the "Eugenie;" and some were built for +opium smuggling in China. Later in the war, steamers were built +expressly for the service. + +During the first two years, the captures were so infrequent that, it may +be safely stated, never before was a Government at war so well supplied +with arms, munitions, clothing and medicines--everything, in short, that +an army requires--with so little money as was paid by the Confederacy. +The shipment from England to the Islands in ordinary tramp steamers; the +landing and storage there, and the running of the blockade, cost money; +but all that was needed came from cotton practically given to the +Confederate Government by its owners. + +The supplies were, in every instance, bought at the lowest cash prices +by men trained in the work as contractors for the British army. No +credit was asked. Merchants having needed supplies were frankly told +that our means were limited, and our payments would be made by cheques +on Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, an old established and +conservative house. The effect of such buying was to create confidence +on the part of the sellers, which made them more anxious to sell than +were we to purchase. When the end came, and some of the largest sellers +were ruined, I never heard a word of complaint of their being +over-reached or in any manner treated unfairly. + +As long as the system thus described continued, the South not only +equipped an army able to cope with the colossal forces constantly +advancing upon it, but it accomplished this without distressing its +people with taxes. And thus, in part, was answered Mr. Cushing's +apparently unanswerable exclamation: "What _possible_ chance can the +South have?" + +But the supply of acceptable arms was not equal to the demand. The +civilized powers had but recently been equipped with modern arms. The +United States had the Springfield; England had the Enfield, which was +practically the same as the Springfield; Austria had a rifle bearing a +close resemblance to both, and of about the same calibre; Prussia had a +breech-loader which no Government would now think of issuing to troops; +France had an inferior muzzle-loader, and was experimenting with an +imitation of the Prussian needle-gun, which finally proved ruinous to +the Empire. There were few arms for sale, even in the arsenals of +Europe, which Mr. Cushing had said would be open to the United States +and closed to the South. Austria, however, had a considerable quantity +on hand, and these an intermediary proposed I should buy. + +I knew something of the armament of Austria, having visited Vienna in +1859, with a letter from the United States War Department, which gave me +some facilities for observation. At first I considered the getting of +anything from an Imperial Austrian Arsenal as chimerical. But my +would-be intermediary was so persistent that, finally I accompanied him +to Vienna and, within a few days, closed a contract for 100,000 rifles +of the latest Austrian pattern, and ten batteries, of six pieces each, +of field artillery, with harness complete, ready for service, and a +quantity of ammunition, all to be delivered on ship at Hamburg. The +United States Minister, Mr. Motley, protested in vain. He was told that +the making of arms was an important industry of Austria; that the same +arms had been offered to the United States Government and declined, and +that, as belligerents, the Confederate States were, by the usage of +nations, lawful buyers. However unsatisfactory this answer may have +been to Washington, the arms were delivered, and in due time were +shipped to Bermuda from Hamburg. Mr. Motley offered to buy the whole +consignment, but was too late. The Austrian Government declined to break +faith with the purchasers. + +I confess to a glow of pride when I saw those sixty pieces of rifled +artillery with caissons, field-forges, and battery-wagons, +complete--some two hundred carriages in all--drawn up in array in the +arsenal yard. It was pardonable for a moment to imagine myself in +command of a magnificent park of artillery. The explanation of Austria's +willingness to dispose of these batteries is that the authorities had +decided on the use of gun-cotton in the place of powder; and the change +involved new guns, although those sold to me were of the latest design +for gunpowder. I believe gun-cotton was given up not long after. + +Again Mr. Cushing's "What possible chance can the South now have?" was +in part answered. At least _one_ of the greatest arsenals of Europe had +been opened to the South. + +That the ports of the South were blockaded, as Mr. Cushing said they +would be, was true; but never before had steam vessels been employed by +a vigilant enemy to search out the weak intervals in the line and avail +himself of darkness and even storm, to enter and leave blockaded +harbors. In spite of large squadrons, under command of competent and +zealous officers, enough war material was carried into ports of the +Confederate States to enable them, for three years, to contend +vigorously against all the armies the United States could collect, not +only from its own population, but from all the countries of Europe. + +Well may the people of the Northern portion of the reconstructed Union +be proud of their fellows, who for four long years contended against +such fearful odds. + +The fourth year of the war saw an end of the struggle, not only because +of the immense superiority of the North in men and material, but also on +account of a change of policy in procuring supplies. For a long time +there were no contractors between the European sources of supply and +the great consumer, the army. Cotton, the only article of value to the +outside world, passed into possession of the Government continuously and +without friction, and was landed in Nassau--exceptionally in +Bermuda--with no back charges due. Every shilling that a bale was worth, +as it lay at the landing-place, was so much to the credit of the War or +Navy Department with Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, and was +available as soon as the arrival was announced by mail _via_ New York. +There were literally no leaks. More devoted or more intelligent and +trustworthy agents than were Fraser, Trenholm & Co., during the four +years in which they acted for the Richmond Government, never served any +principal. + +But in the latter stages of the war, contracts with the Government began +to appear. These contracts, made in Richmond, were generally a sort of +partnership affair by which the contractor, usually an English company, +shared equally the freighting capacity of each blockade runner. A +representative of one of these companies brought to me, one day, a draft +on myself for a large sum in sterling--I think it was L10,000, but this +may not be the exact sum. What to do with it was a difficult problem. +The payee, a respectable merchant of Richmond, presented it in person, +and there was no doubt of its genuineness. After considering the matter +a few minutes, I said: + +"I can't pay this, Captain C----." + +"What!" he said, "Repudiate the draft of Colonel Gorgas?" + +"Can't help it; I cannot and shall not honor it. I need much more money +than I have received, to pay for what has gone forward, and I have large +contracts out for supplies." + +"I will assume your contracts," he replied. + +"But I will not assign them to you." + +Here was a collision between officer and Government contractor, which +might result in the professional ruin of the officer; for the draft was +an order from his superior. Although a good many rough words were +interchanged, I stood my ground and did not pay the draft. I read +between the lines of Col. Gorgas's letters that he would stand by me, +and he did. The draft was undoubtedly made by higher authority--probably +the Secretary of War, Mr. Seddon--who at the time had not been long in +office, while Col. Gorgas had served from the organization of the +Confederate Government in Montgomery. I never heard anything more about +the repudiated draft, and, not long after, I was informed that, at the +request of the War Department, I had been advanced to the grade of +Major. + + * * * * * + +In this connection I may mention an incident that occurred somewhat +later. Mr. Yancey had returned to Richmond, and Mr. James H. Mason had +taken his place as Commissioner. It would be difficult to imagine two +men more opposite in character, discharging the same functions. Mr. +Yancey was a much younger man, and had been a student at Williams +College, Massachusetts. He had represented Alabama in the United States +Congress, and was sufficiently acquainted with affairs in general to +hold his own in almost any company. His voice and manners were pleasing, +and his estimate of himself was sufficiently modest to make him an +appreciative listener. I never heard him address an audience but once, +but that once convinced me he was a born orator. It was at a +Fishmongers' Guild dinner, and the few representatives of the +Confederate States were the guests of the evening. Mr. Yancey sat on the +left of the Lord Warden. I sat four or five seats from him, on the +opposite side, the tables being arranged in the form of a horse shoe. +There was a large number present, and many were evidently Americans from +the North. + +Very early in the list of toasts, the toastmaster,--a butler possessed +of a ringing voice, and who stood just behind the chair of the Lord +Warden, from whom he received his orders--called out: + +"Gentlemen, fill your _glah-ses_, the Lord Warden will take wine with +you." + +The glasses being filled, the toast was announced. I do not now recall +the words, but it had reference to the "new nation," and to Hon. William +L. Yancey, and "our guests from the Confederate States of America." The +Lord Warden made a short address of welcome and called on Mr. Yancey. +All the Confederate guests were expected to stand while their spokesman +replied. But I declined to make myself so conspicuous, fearing that in a +company so entirely new to Mr. Yancey, as I felt sure this English +company was, his speech would be anything but appropriate. + +I could not have been more in error. What he said exactly fitted the +place and the occasion; the audience was delighted, except some people +at the lower ends of the tables, who, by rattling their glasses and +moving their feet, did their best to disconcert the speaker. In this +they failed. The speech was short, and at its conclusion the storm of +applause clearly showed the pleasure it afforded the great majority of +the audience. I remember well a barrister--a member of the city +government--who after the dinner was over, commented enthusiastically on +the eloquence of Mr. Yancey. + +Mr. Mason was a very different man. He had, for forty years been a +prominent member of the United States Senate, and seemed never to be +unmindful of the presence and importance of the Honorable James H. Mason +of Virginia. The two Commissioners were as different, one from the +other, as a Kentuckian and a Boston man of pilgrim blood. I saw but +little of Mr. Mason. Mr. Yancey had always been ready to confer with me. +I freely talked over my plans with him, and by his counsel and cordial +endeavor to aid me, he was an ever present help. + +There was in Mr. Mason no magnetism to attract young men, and I do not +remember ever to have asked his advice or opinion. In this he presented +a strong contrast to all the other Commissioners. Mr. Slidell was as old +a man and as experienced in public affairs as Mr. Mason, but he was a +genial companion even to younger men, and I consulted him quite as +freely as I had Mr. Yancey. + +One morning I received a note from Mr. Mason's secretary, asking me to +call at Mr. Mason's lodgings. I lost no time in obeying the summons, and +Mr. Mason lost no time in coming to business. + +"Major," he said, "I have sent for you to request you to inspect some +army supplies that some of our English friends are sending over under a +contract with the War Department." + +Without a moment's hesitation, I replied, "Mr. Mason, I will inspect the +contract, and if I approve it, I will inspect the goods." + +I cannot convey an adequate idea of the man's astonishment. It was too +great for him to express himself immediately. He was standing in front +of the grate. Taking a package of "fine-cut" from his pocket, and +removing from his mouth an immense quid which he threw into the grate, +he replaced it with a fresh wad and, looking at me, said, "Do you know +who I am? Whom do you look upon as your superiors?" + +Instantly, but very quietly, I replied, "I believe you are the Honorable +James M. Mason, Confederate States Commissioner to England." + +"Yes," he replied, "and in a very few days I shall be Minister of the +Confederate States to the Court of St. James." It was when England, +France and Spain were on the point of acknowledging the Confederate +States of America as a nation. + +I then said, "I acknowledge no superior on this side of the ocean; in +America the Secretary of War and all officers senior to me are my +superiors, and especially Col. Gorgas, from whom I receive my orders. +Not only on general principles can I take no orders from you, but I have +an order sent me after the battle of Bull Run, giving me _carte +blanche_, and directing me not to allow myself to be governed by +political emissaries of the Government. Now, if you are not a political +emissary of the Government I don't know what you are." + +There was no possible answer to this defining of our relative positions +and there was no more controversy. The dispute lasted some time, but I +have related enough to answer my purpose. + +The order to which I referred was sewed into the sole of a boot, the +wearer of which, a German by birth, made the journey from Richmond to +London by way of New York. On arriving in London the order was removed +from its hiding place by cutting the stitches of the sole. The incident +serves to show the impossibility of preventing secret correspondence in +time of war. + +Another incident of the same character may be mentioned. The first +vessel to run the blockade from England was the "Fingal," Commander +James D. Bulloch. It was necessary to send to Savannah, the port for +which Commander Bulloch intended to strike, a set of signals in advance. +These were secreted by removing the wrapper of a well-made cigar and +carefully replacing it, after rolling the paper containing the signals +upon its body. I myself did this bit of cigar work. On arriving off +Savannah, Commander Bulloch displayed his signals, which were +immediately answered, and he piloted his ship into the harbor with which +he was familiar. So long as the War Department depended entirely on its +own officers to get cotton out and run supplies in, the value of every +bale of cotton that reached the Islands secured, in due time, its full +equivalent in army supplies. There were some captures of cotton going +out, and others of supplies going in, but the losses were for a long +time inconsiderable. When, however, the contract system got into full +working condition, although there were more vessels in the service, the +supplies began to shrink. Contractors were "on the make." That was their +business, and they pursued it eagerly, for the profits were large. + +The "Nashville," which had been a packet between New York and +Charleston, was purchased by the C. S. Government and converted into a +cruiser, and as it was very desirable that there should be some show of +naval power in a European port, she was sent under command of Captain +Pegram to Southampton, where she arrived in good order. On reading the +news of her arrival, I went immediately to Southampton to call on her +officers, with Mr. Fearn, secretary to Mr. Yancey. The ship was, like +all American ships, trim and in beautiful condition, but she was only a +converted passenger ship, and must have made a poor showing had she met +a U. S. ship of any size. However, she served the purpose of displaying +the Confederate States flag in a foreign port and on the high seas. + +My object in calling on Captain Pegram was not one of courtesy alone. A +most outrageous proposal had been made to me, involving the capture of a +British ship bound from Hamburg to New York, loaded with a hundred +thousand Austrian rifles. The proposal, in brief, was: That I should +deposit L10,000 in the Bank of England subject to the draft of one of +two persons. In the event of success of the scheme, one was to draw the +money; in case of failure, the other. The plan was to capture a British +ship, then loading with arms at Hamburg for New York. It had been +proposed to me that with a tug, having a gun on board, I should +intercept the ship, fire a gun, and demand her surrender. The captain +would have orders to comply with my demand, and I was to direct him to +sail to Charleston. + + * * * * * + +The scheme was not impossible for any one holding a privateer's +commission, and I applied to Mr. Yancey for a letter-of-marque. On +hearing my story, Mr. Yancey said he had such commissions, but that they +were contrary to the spirit of the age, and he had determined not to +give any of them out. However, in this instance, he would issue one if I +wanted it. I believed my land-service commission would protect me, but I +asked for the letter-of-marque as an additional safeguard. Captain +Pegram, after considering the matter in conference with his executive, +Lieutenant Fauntleroy (formerly of the United States Navy), determined +not to make the attempt, and the matter was dropped. + +Perhaps it is well that the "Nashville" arrived, and that Captain Pegram +declined to act; for I had the money ready to deposit, and what seems +now to me a madcap scheme might have been attempted. + +The ship sailed, and delivered her cargo in New York. The projectors of +the scheme stood to receive double payment for the arms and ship, the +insurance against war-risk having been assumed by the U. S. War +Department. The arms were from the Vienna arsenal, from which I +received, later, the same number of small arms and several batteries of +field artillery. + +At the time the "Nashville" arrived in Southampton, I had a large +quantity of supplies ready for shipment, but was deterred by the +endeavors of agents of the United States Government to stop me. The +problem was finally solved by a hint from the British authorities to +clear them for Australia, which was done. The shipment was made on the +steamer "Economist," bought for the expedition, and Lieut. Fauntleroy +was detached from the "Nashville" to command her; of course a British +captain in nominal command. Although the "Economist" had speed of not +more than eight knots an hour, Lieut. Fauntleroy made a successful run +into Charleston and delivered his cargo in excellent condition. + +An incident worth relating is connected with this period of the war. A +ship which Lieut. Fauntleroy and I visited one morning was loading in +London Docks for Nassau. In the same dock were two very handsome +steamers which had been built for the opium trade, but for some reason +had not sailed for China. They were now for sale. Lieut. Fauntleroy, +after examining them, was most eager that I should buy one and put him +in command. To do so, however, was impossible; I had no money. Several +months afterwards I was asked to buy a steamer and her cargo of arms, +clothing, shoes, ammunition and medicines, then lying at St. George's, +Bermuda. The ship was one of the two opium smugglers. She had been +bought by a company of Englishmen, and, loaded with a most desirable +cargo, had started for Wilmington or Charleston. On arriving at Bermuda +the blockade had become so close that the owners decided not to make the +attempt to run it, and they offered to sell ship and cargo to me at a +bargain. I was still unable to buy her, although I knew what a valuable +blockade-runner she would be and what a desirable cargo she carried. +The owners, of whom there were several, were so anxious to sell her that +they importuned me till finally I said: "Well, gentlemen, I can do one +thing: I can offer you cotton for your ship and cargo." They jumped at +the proposal, saying that was all they wanted. Where would I deliver the +cotton? + +[Illustration] + +At Charleston, Mobile or Wilmington. + +When? + +Thirty days after the presentation of my order to the War Department in +Richmond. + +Strange as it may read, these men were perfectly satisfied with my +proposition, although I could not see how they were to get their cotton +out, since they were selling their ship to me. However, we agreed upon +the weight and quality of cotton to be given for ship and cargo, and it +only remained for me to satisfy their lawyer that I was duly authorized +to make the purchase. For this purpose, a meeting was arranged for the +next morning, when I presented the leather-stained order which had come +to me through the lines, sewed between the layers of the sole of a shoe. +On reading this, the lawyer said: "That's enough to cover anything," and +a contract was signed and an order given me for the ship and cargo. As +this contract may interest the reader, a _fac-simile_ of it is given. +(See plate.) + +The quantity of cotton being too large for one owner to handle, it was +arranged to have warrants engraved and printed for smaller quantities. + +The "Merrimac" ran into Wilmington and delivered her valuable cargo in +fine order. She was then loaded with cotton, and one favorable +night--dark and stormy--started on her return trip to the Islands. +Before clearing the harbor she collided with another steamer on her way +in, and the "Merrimac" was obliged to return to Wilmington, where it was +found that she could not be repaired, and she was finally sold, with her +cargo, for $1,100,000. The vessel with which she collided was her sister +ship which had lain alongside of her in London Docks. Means were not to +be found in Wilmington to repair the "Merrimac" for the Confederate +Government; but it was easily accomplished as soon as she passed into +private hands, and she was again sent to make her run to the Islands. To +my great satisfaction, she was captured the next morning. + +There were greedy contractors in the South who cared just as much for +"the cause" as did their fellow-contractors in the North for the Union. +They were full of patriotism--of their kind. Months after the "Merrimac" +sailed from Bermuda, one of the negotiators of the sale asked me if I +would sign duplicates of the warrants I had issued. My reply was: "Does +the Bank of England issue duplicate notes?" "You don't mean to say you +will not give us duplicates!" "I certainly do." And then I explained to +him that _at the time_, I might have been willing to sign warrants in +duplicate. But the war had reached a critical stage; the Confederate +army was hard pressed on every side. Moreover, the contract system had +begun to produce results. Instead of all cotton sent out being for army +or navy account, only a portion of the army cotton was turned into army +supplies. The contractors, English and Confederate, were taking the +rest. + +I believe that not one of those cotton warrants which bought the +"Merrimac" was ever presented in Richmond, and that vessel, with her +cargo, cost the Confederate Government literally nothing. It is a +curious fact that these same cotton warrants, which as it proved were +really not worth the cost of printing them, at one time sold at a +premium in London. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Supplies for the Confederate Army,, by +Caleb Huse + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPPLIES FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY *** + +***** This file should be named 24469.txt or 24469.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/4/6/24469/ + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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