The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1862-11-11


ton Of my ignorance upon this point
let me state ihis fact. For some months
after The blockade was declared, yes
sels from Europe wefe running II
constantly, and the southern papers
boastfully told Of their success The
confederate authorities saw the evil Of
this publicity, and many months ago
prohibited the notice Of such arrivals.
Hence we see no mention Of them re-
Gently, but !, Is a great mistake to im-
agine thai there are none. The con
slant arrival Of new European arms
and ammunition. the private talk IN
well informed circles, the knowledge
Of the latest European news, and es-
pecially the letters from confederate
emissaries regularly received in the
South, convince me the blockade is by
no means perfect. From the innumer-
able inlets all along the southeastern
coast, and the perfect knowledge pos
sessed Of these by rebel pilots, il is
perhaps impossible tha, it should be
so. The wisdom Of the South 10 com
pelling the papers to omit all mention
of the facts in this case is most un-
questionable. Well would it be for
the North if the press were restrained
from publishing thousand lhings,
which do the readers no good, and
which constantly give aid to the rebel
leaders.
As TO small arms, the energies Of
the South have been more fully de-
yeloped in their manufacture than is
dreamed of by the North. AS early
as April, 1861, Memphis had com
menced the alteration Of immense
quantities Of flint locks muskets, sent
south during Floyds term as secretary
of war. ] saw Il Il work progressing,
even before secession was complei-
ed fact there. New Orleans turned
out the best rifles ever saw in tle
South. They were similar to the
French MIME rife, furnished with
fine sword-bayole's. The Louisiana
troops were mostly armed with these.
At Nashville and G latin, Tennessee,
rifles were also made, and suppose
in every considerable city in the South.
In addition, il should be known that
thousands Of government arms were
in the hands Of the people, all through
the southern states how they pro-
cured them | do not know. These
were gathered up and altered or i'm
proved, and issued TO troops. Many
Of the regiments went into the field
armed with every description of guns,
from the small-bore squirrel-rife and
double-barreled shot gun to the pom
derous Queen Bess musket and clumsy
but effective German Yager. The
regiments were furnished as fast as
possible with arms of one kind, and
the others returned 10 the factories to
be classified and issued again. Sword
bayonets were fitted to double-barreled
shot guns, making them a very effec-
tive weapon. Others were cut down
TO a uniform length Of about twenty.
four inches, and issued to the cavalry.
Common hunting-riHes were bored
out TO carry Mimic ball, twenty TO
the pound, and sword-bayonets fitted
to them. One entire brigade of Ten
nesseeans,u under Gen. VIM. II. Carroll,
! was armed with these guns.
!" In short, at The beginning of the
year 1862, there was rather surfeit
than any scarcity of arms all over the
South. Indeed, the energies of the
entire people were employed in the
production of every description Of
small arms, and the enthusiasm dis
played rivals the example of ancient
Carthage in her last fruilless struggle
against the Romans. And this en-
t!Iusiasm pervades all classes. /
doubt not, If the bow was considered
a weapon Of war now, the fair maid
ems Of the South would gladly contrib
ute their flowing tresses for bow
string, if necessary, as did the women
Of Carthage. Their zeal and self-de-
nial are seen in the fact that The la
dies have given vast amounts OF jew
elry to be sold to build gunboats, fort
iications, &c; the women of Alabama
actually contributed 100000, as es-
timaied, for the construction Of a gum
boat TO protect the Alabama riser.-
Does the reader ask. Why such sac
rifice? They are in earnest. They
think they are fighting for property,
see .