Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-03-11

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were thought to be far more destructive at
close quarters than either grape or canister
and the convenience of worn out cannon,
fit to shoot nothing else, offering oprortuu-
tiles to try their effectiveness. All the
iron foundries in the South have been turn.
ing out projectiles for artillery since the be-
ginning of the war, and now a supply has
been accumulated justifying a suspension
ola large part Of the manufacturing labor.
A considerable stock, of good gunpowder
was on hand in the Sonth at the commence
ment of hostilities, but this was soon used
up in making artillery cartridges and filling
shells, and the Confederates suddenly found
they were running short of small.arm cart
ridges. The decreasing supply ofthe alle
important material of.war caused much con-
sternation, until the War Department at
Richmond made arrangements to procure it
by running the blockade, and also contract
ing with the few powder mills in the South
to manufacture their full resources. Large
quantities Of the foreign article Of good
qualities began to run the blockade, aud
since the supply from this source has been
kept up to the demand but the first domes-
tic invoices turned out under the pressure
of contracts were an inferior article. which
was largely made up into cartridges and
supplied Immediately to the army. Since
then the supply of the best article, home
made and imported, has been ample and
large quantities Of the bad powder which
was yet on hand were taken from the arse.
nails and magazines last fall, and destroyed,
All imported cannon aud small arms afe
accompanied by certain amounts of ammu.
milton, and after these are exhausted the
Confederates make it themselves.
Nearly all of the old flint muskets, which
Floyd was accused Of stealing for the bene-
ft of the South, have long since been laid
by for the better FIRE arms turned out at
European and Southern arsena,s. About
325, 900 stands OF arms have reached the
South from Europe, since the war began,
and nearly all her troops are now suppied
with weapons as good as ours, many of them
coming IRON the same manufacturers.-
Their own manufactures at Richmond and
Fayetteville, North Carolina, turn out about
300 new rifles and muskets every week;
and besides this, they carefully gather up
the small arms from every battle field in
their possession, and send them to these and
other places to be overhauled and repaired.
In Richmond there is q mandatory of
sharp's Rifles, and the War department is
making arrangements to establish one for
making Colts revolvers.
Though it is estimated the South has suf.
fcient munitions Of war on hand to last Eve
years, her internal resources for producing
the same are by no means exhausted Gun.
powder and lead for bullets are the only
articles she has any difficulty in obtaining,
and while she has supply, of the first,
ample for all emergencies, large material
for the production of the latter still exists
in the shape of leaden pipes, sheeting and
roofing, old zinc and type metal. Swords,
sabres and bayonets are made at many pla-
ces; also, percussion caps, though many of
the latter are procured by running the block.
ade by land aud water.
THE CLOTHING OF THE REBEL Army
The ragged condition of the rebel armies
last summer may be taken as fair index of
that of the entire South in its feature
The armies are now more comfortably and
decently clad but all classes of; aen COM
batants, except the wealthy, are more or
less destitute in the way of clothing. To
procure boots and shoes is the greatest diff.
fculty in the clothing line. The supply
since the beginning of the war has never
half equalled the demand, and though great
exertions have lately been made to increase
it, the difference is yet about the same.
Every cargo running the blockade contains
boots and shoes invoiced to the Confeder.
ate Government, which appropriates all a.
yailable from this source to the use of the
armies. Shoemakers are exempt from con-
scription, but most of them being employed
by contractors, upon moderate supplies of
leather, in manufacturing for the Govern.
ment, shoeleather is, therefore, scarce and
exceedingly dear among the people. Slaves
are not the only persons who go barefooted
in the South at this time and it is common
in thinly settled districts to see men, wo-
men, children and negroes without shoes.
Stout canvas and other materials are exten-
sively used, but even these do not supply
the deficiency; though, it should be re-
membered, the mildness of the climate pre-.
vents much suffering wherever this desti-
tuition prevails. A pair of shoes costs from
$3.50 to SIS, and boots from s25 to $50,
and each according to quality and to half.
sole either costs $40.
Up to this fall all the resources of the
South have been employed in clothing her
armies and while they are not clad and
shod as comfortable as they should be for
winter campaigns, they are not so destitute
as to encourage the hope the winds will
blow them away with their rags; or their
suffering from the iuclement season will
take the fight out Of them. They all have
shoes, though of inferior quality; stout,
serviceable uniforms of conrse grey jeans,
and overcoats of the same material, with
others captured from US. Suitable UNDER
clothing and socks are scarce, but/of the