Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-12-03

concerned the people. OF this Oonmon"eai'n,
Death has removed him FROM the theatre OF
,ction, but his memory will be cherished, nis
laanly' virtues honored, and" his Eaule held IN
~sra:slal remembrance by tho Executive anu
people Of Virginia.
On the 2Slh day of February, 1916, the
legislature dnccl.d tl.e Superintendent OF the
Arnory 10 sell, under the direction OF The tx
~cculivr, all such inns and ac~cOuircmrn's then
n tho Arnory US were not worth repairing
rhis order was construed b. Governor FLOYD
10 include the iToa six Founders ilsi a. tne
iTrnory, and by All order dated February -,
1919, The Superintendent was directed To sell
hem at not less than twenty tive d1slars each.
Fortunately for Us, there we're no bidue!s al
hat price. and the guns remained in the pos.
SESSION OF the State, and nos eaci one q
those pieces is in thu field, aid they nave
proven TO be equal to lny guns OF Ike caiioie
uow iIt se!vIce. How small a circumstance
controls tho greatest events! Whit emosr-
raSslueutS would have attended 0ur operations
in tins Important struggle, il these pieces haa
not been III cur POSSESSION and ready "GIrana'
portatiun To The field.
IL Is TO BE- regretted that Fortress Monroe is
not IN our possession; that 1t Was not AZ easily
captured as Tic Navy Yard and Harpcr'o Ferry.
As lar back as tue Sth Of January las, l COLI.
aullrd with u gerlleman whose position cnaoled
ulin TO know The strength Of that fortress, and
whose experience III military matters enabled
a!ln ~ lorlu MI opinion as 10 The number al
men that would be required TO cIplufe 1t. dc
represented Ii u 10 one vi The strongest iOrti.
lica,ioGs IN the world, and expressed ms doubts
whether 1t could DC taken, unless a>sallrd BY
a .. ,-ll a.. ~, 1,ni and c;tnrl..,,I,,,pl ~
lie stated, ciuphalically and distinctly, that
with the force then IN the fortress, It would bt
useless tu attempt It's capture without a large
Ioicc, the. oughly equipped and we'll appointed.
As no time prevlou, to The secession OF VIre.
na bad We u military organization suth :lcut to
justify an attempt 10 take i; and ervnis since
hal occurrence demonstrate very clearly tina
with our military organization SlRce, aud Eo%
-XlstlnS, II has not ucen deemed prudent u
make tao at.ctnpt.
Pr!or 70 the secession Of the Safe, indeed
from the c,mu;crccntnt Of my gubcrnalOriul
term, | used all proper means within my reach,
aiGel =ud supported 10y The military comm!s-
sion, To prepare 'hG State Tor defence. In the
irst COMMUNICATION which | had the ho.or to
preseE! 70 tho General Assembly, | used this
language:
Whether the Union shall survive or per-
ish, IL IL, nevertnri, Ss, your duty TO place the
5 NE III such n CONDITION that she will be pre-
pared at all times, and upon the shortest notice,
70 protect her honor, defend her rights, anu
ma,n;ain her institutions agtinst all assaults Vi
her ene,aieS. With thiS view, | recommend e
cal etul revision OF the militia !nSs; and, in
this connection, / suggest tina. muniroEs Of
war be procured AMI provision MADE for the
organization of an efficient military staff. Il
wouid be we'll, also, To specify in the law the
number OF aids 10 which toe Governor is emit
rird, aud designate their rank. | cordially sp
prove the bill herewith SENT, for tho o~rganiz1
uon If a brigade Of minute uen, prepared b!
i genliemau remarkable for his intelligence,
military ku0Tledyu and experience. And,
ITALY, / c0tumend the Virginia MI!:iary lGsH
tule 10 ycur favorable consideration. and urge
that lib. raj appropriations be made Tor enlsrs
ing tie buildings and extending the sphere Of
It's usefulness
ii auswc 10 this Recommendation, the Gen.
rlal Assembly appropriated one hundred and
risr.y Thousand d~Jilais, in 69nas, To be tx
pended u; The purchase Of arms, equipments
and mun;tiuns Vi val. r. we cauid then haze
purchased all the arus which We desired to
oh!a,;i, GU: State would have been in L better
condition 10 rtpel the assaults OF the fedrr al
executive. AT the tllnu We made the purchase
Of five thousand Uiuskels from The federal gov
oruluen', we desired to purchase Ten thousand
additional, bu: the authorizes declined TO sell
them |" p%, although five times the number
were thca in The arsenal at Washington.
The appropriations for the purchase Of
aruS Tcle va ic. rs before Stated, IL 6VHdS, all
II which. under the lnT uf the State, had to
be negolia!sd az par, before 4 dollar could be
realized far purchases. This was q SoU,cu Of
serious e;u:#arIus:Incn:, and nothing hu; tho
unti7ing z*al and indomii,blc energy of the
military ~rrmuIsS;on enabled Us 10 overcome
the d ticui.icS. and 10 make many purchases
which proved Of immense value in the struggle
in which we have been and are now engaged.
The thirteen Parrot rih.d caannn, and he Gre
thousand inuSketS anti The powder tt.en pur.
c:,s>'d, furnish examples in poia:. Il Isl ME.
mora bic inGi in connection win the purches. Of
the uowd;", thar the mill ary commission and
>Ic executive we're charged with wasting tho
public money in the purchase Of more powder
than the SLATE vas likely to consume in many
years.
The record ~hich Virginia presents in her
Contributions to this war, is L proud one. Her
.sniS can ionk upon it with salts actor! and
pleasure. IL demonstrates her performance o!
Iu,y. She has nccn tue 10 hyis.lG, 20 her all.
cen, fame, and to her sisters Of the Southern
C"ni,deTacy. Win full know lcdsc, u!icn
-ir passed her ordinance Of secces;uu, thar ner
nsn soil uss to ts the battle fiji between the
c%oaierdrng parties, that she in TEX ng her 20
placed herself between the enemy al,o
her Southern ~eisteTs, and would receive the
blows that might otherwise fall! upon ,fnm,
he yer boldly occupied The position. Stepped
irrwart, and received Tho shock. El1w ga
I4ntly her sons nave maintained tia: position,
H:sto:y Will attest. Hrr Patriotism, her deyo
zion 70 the common Cause, will he fully Tccog
n;z.d aud admitted hY all.
|, is impossible. 4; Ills time - siatc the pre-
c;sr nuu.i.rT q ", ~lurtcrTs ard militia that Fir.
.inia now has III the field, ewing TO the iact
h.at Tho mastering at Norfolk, L%ynchburg,
abirg1cn. Stauntun. Wirchssic:, lIarprr'>
Ferry, The Potomac division, and ojher psacts,
avc 40; mad. their returns 10 the INSPECTOR
Generals Office IL this city. From tic lights
lc:ure ine, estimate The number 1T not less
man seventy thousand. We have in service
ti:y nino regiracnts Ct infantry, net? i Cor
.I.irrahic nuinbur q: batiali0nS ard c"n;pai!es
n tvs arm of the s,rvicc that have 10; been
rg-n,zsl into regiments. We have eight or
;ar,z.d regiments of ~caval,r, and L number OF
companies attacked to different commands,
Shic:, il consolidated, wn:iid maks probably
'hrcr rceimea's more. We have Issued three
furdrcd and fifteen pieces CT artillery nearly
Al Of y lich era 10 service in the field. One ar.
riIyry regiment only mas been orga"iz"d, and
h It was orr"a;zcd at the instance of General
VI gtuder. When tho war commenced, we
srre cnmpell:d to put cur artillery companies
in the fed US fist us they cculd BIZ raised and
armed. The necessity which required the
adoption ut lL!> COURSE 1T the origin uf this
wa, ius crnlit.u,d 10 exist and | have felt it
20 br a duty TO transfer the Companies TO Con.
cuiInl NJ soon Is they were mustered
into service. IL is not prot able, therefore, !
chat additional cutlery regiments viii be Or
gained at this time.