The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-02-23
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA, FEBRUARY %, 1882.
Inside the Shell of the Confederacy
WHAT THE SOUTH ENDURED AND SACRIFICED.

WHAT TIE SOUTH ENDURED AND SACRIFICED
M Quad in Detroit Free Press.
The reader who gets his facts from either
Federal or Confederate history cannot know
the real truths Of the war One must work on
the neutral ground between them to get the
particulars as they actually occurred. Federal
and Confederate historians scarcely agree in
any one particular regarding the first battle OF
Bull Run or Manassas, and yet the men who
did the fighting at the front that day know
that for two long hours victory trembled in
the balance. On three different occasions that
day the Confederates were fairly whipped
lines in panic. A single brigade of fresh
Federals coming up at this critical moment
would have given that battle to the North A
single regiment of Confederate checked the
rising panic and held the lines firm until the
arrival of other troops gave the victory to the
South. Regiments and brigades on both sides
were decnfi without knowing they were
whipped. y gutionA were INDUCED in at first
Bull Run which a year later would have cut
divisions to pieces. 1t was boys battle in
all but the bravery which held regiments
together under murderous fire. 1t was not the
turning point of the war in any sense. Defeat
there would have acted on the spirits OF the
South the same as it did on the spirits of the
North. She had cut loose and was in the
field, and disaster there would simply have
dampened her enthusiasm for the moment.
Beauregard had not counted on certain victo-
ry. He had too much sense for that, and he
had already selected new battle-ground in
case of disaster.
WHO BROUGHT ON THAT BATTLE?
Up to the date of the capture of the Ports
mouth navy yard and magazine the Conted-
crates had but very little powder. They had cap
turedstores here and there, and Federal histor-
jams imagine them in possession of everything
necessary to equip armies. but such was far
from being the case. Of course what was
seized from the government forts was great
help. but this plumber was so widely distribu-
ted, and SO much of it wasted, that even at
first Bull Run whole regiments had no bayo-
nets for their muskets and whole companies
fought with their own shot-guns and rifles.
Had the government been able to remove the
powder from the magazine at Portsmouth the
battle of Bull Run would never have been
fought. Had the Pawnee shelled the place, as
it was feared she would she might have blown
up captors and magazine together. Had Oil
yer, the single sentry in charge, had five min
utes' warning, he would have exploded the
taken from that magazine won the Confederate
victory at Bull Run. Without it they would
have been obliged to fall back. Thus it may
be said that divers failureto receive warning
of the plan to capture the place lost the North
that battle.
MAKING HARD-TACK
Up to the date of first Bull Run the Confed
crates in the field were living much the same
as hunters in camp. If the commissary had
any thing to issue it was taken, but most OF
the men bought their supplies of farmers orof
the suffers, and many regiments were supplied
by friends at home. Pie and cake, fresh eggs,
fried potatoes and such luxuries were to be
found In almost every tent, and everything in
the line OF bread had to be fresh and good.
After Bull Run t1ege was general reorgan-
ization and holiday Soldering came to an end
When the question of supplying the army
with bareback arose it was discovered that
the South had no convenience tor making
them. The matter was left in the hands of
Col Ruffin, and it was only after great trou-
BILE that he succeeded in securing the necessary
Even to the last days of the war
the Confederates never had good bareback.
They were nearly always made of inferior
flour, poorly baked, and were many times
mixture of flour and meal. The Union soldier,
who had three of the big crackers, could soak
them in water, fry them with his bacon, and
with his pint cup of Java coffee at his right
hand, make good meal After the first two
years of the war the Confederates at the front
could not derend on the commissary for any
thing. If he had rations he issued them. If
he had none the men must skirmish for them
selves.
JACKSON PLAN.
During Stenewall Jacksons campaigns in
the Shenandoah Valley he did not pretend to
issue rations, and if his ordinance department
reported shortage of ammunition the reply
was
ooh, well, we'll capture plenty to-mor
row."
The amount of stores which he captured
from the various Union armies sent into the
Valley was simply immense. When Jackson
first went into the Valley he did not have
single wagon. His stores were drawn in farm
els wagons, buggies, carts, or any other sort
OF vehicle, and if there was lack of horses
and mules the man drew the wagons by hand.
Before he left the Valley he had captured at
one time and another over 8 900 Federal army
wagons with their complement of mule power.
He had also captured more than 10000 mus
kets and reyolvers, millions of rounds of am
munition, half dozen batteries, and so much
coffee, pork, sugar, rice, beans, ETC., that he
could spare many carloads for Lees army.
The battle of Kernstown, where he suffered
his only real defeat of the war, was the
only fight in which he did not secure
enough plumber to reft his whole army. At
one time he sent to Richmond $4,000 COM
plete Federal uniforms to be dyed so that
thew might be of use to the Confederate
army.
Beginning from first Bull Run and ending
at Five Points, it is positive fact that every
battle fought by the Confederate Army of the
Potomac was fought with more or less guns
and ammunition captured from the Fedelals
in a previous battle. They got nothing from
Mcclellan at Antietam, but they fought Hook
er with what Burnside left them at Freder-
lcksburg They fought Grant with what
Hooker left, and they fought Meade with what
Pope left In McClellan's change of base, the
Confederates followed him across seven battle
fields, and enough plumber was CLEANED from
them to fit out an entire division.
But for these facts. which may make some
of us vince, but cannot be disputed, the Con-
federates could not have kept 100000 men in
the field, for want of arms and ammunition.
COOL CALCULATIONS.
All the first arms captured by the Confed-
crates were OF ancient style and Of no real val
ur after one campaign. After their ports were
blockaded it was impossible to secure arms in
any quantity and as they could not be made
in the south they must be purchased of North
ern men or captured from Northern armies
There are men in the South who could raise a