The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-15


enormous. and toward the end OF the war
81 was hardly to be had at any price.
Under these circumstances, no general
plan Of naval policy on large scale
could be carried out; and the conflict on
the Southern side became species OF
partisan, desultory warfare"
SCARCITY or SUPPLIES.
The iron required was I'm the bowels
Of the Garth. Hemp must be sown, grown.
reaped, and there were no rope walks.
You had never produced sufiiciency Of
iron In times OF peace. and now with
the advent OF war TO increase it's uses,
the price rose from SIS TO 81 800 per ton.
No powder was stored in any Of the
southern States, except in small quanti-
ties. That captured at Norfolk, and in
some arsenals. amounted, IL Is said, 10
sixty thousand pounds.
The stock of percussion caps was
less than 10000. and not a machine for
making them could be found in the
South.
Col Goreas says: I'VE began in April.
1884, without an arsenal, laboratory. a
powder mill OF any capacity. and with
no foundry or rolling mill. except at
Richmond During the harassments of
war; holding our own in the field, def
antly and successfully. against a pow
cTful enemy; crippled by "a deprecated
currency; throttled by a blockade, which
prevented our getting material or work.
mem obliged to send almost every able
bodied man into the field; unable 10 use
slave labor. except IN the most unskilled
departments; hampeied by want of trans
pOrta,ion. even Of the cCmmcnest sup
plies OF food; with no stock on hand,
even Of such articles az steel, copper,
iron. or leather. with which 10 build
obstacles and in spite Of all these def
ciencies. we created before the close OF
1868. literally out of the ground. foundries
and rolling mills at Richmond Selma,
Atlanta. and Macon. smelling works at
Petersburg. chemical works at Char
lotte. powder mill far superior 10 any
in the United States. unsurpassed by any
across the ocean. a chain Of arsenols,
armories. and laboratories from Virginia
to Alabama
STILL OTHER DIFFICULTIES.
You had further difficulties still. At
the organization OF the Confederate gov
eminent its Treasury was not only emp
ty but the legislation and fiscal agency
for taxation and collection of revenue
, had to be adopted and applied
Under the most favorable auspices
time and experience were necessary to
dition Of your people. and TO put IN rum
ming order the machinery for collection
Of revenue. Expenses had already be-
! gun, and demands for large sums OF mon
| ey for immediate use. were urgent
The Treasury Of the common country
| was in possession Of your enemies; save
the paltry sum Of 100000 in the mint
at New Orleans; paltry to a nation in
pressing need Of millions.
The receipts Of the Confederate gov
eminent from February, 1861. TO August
lS62-eiehteen months-were SS025OO,otO
its expenditures S347 100000. and Of this
vast sum. but fourteen and half mil
lions We're appropriated to the building
and equipment of a navy
You had officers sufficient. many OF
them already Of national fame, of large
experience. and great abilities, but no
ships. no seamen Can you create an
army without men, and without muskets2
The task of the israelites in Egypt pales
in the contrast; the labors Of Sisyphus,
were not more hopeless.
What could these men do? What did
they do? Taking as their guide the Wis
dom Of Scripture. Whatsoever thy hand
nndeth TO do do il with thy might"
they sought service in all available lines.
and did noble work, though history
has failed to embalm in living record
tribute to their labors. Their reward
has been found not i'm the recognition OF
a grateful country. but in the conscious
strength which sustains those whose Ia
Dor is not in vain.
WHAT THEY DtD.
Some sought service in your army, ana
rose to high rank. Others built your sea
shore and river batteries mounted your
heavy guns. drilled and instructed your
i'm H4i IA he IL
milton. shot, and shell, developed tor
pedo and submarine service, and pro-
tected the rivers and harbors of your
land against invasion.
Others, still. set to work TO manufacture
your ordnance-Ordnance stores and sup
plies.
The ordnance works at Richmond, IN
der Commander Brooke. Its. Minor and
Wright, supplied the equipment of your
vessels i'm the James. and at Whining
ton. carriages for heavy guns in shore
batteries and between May 81 and '62,
shipped TO New Orleans. 22O heavy guns.
MANY of them the efficient banded rifle
eln. the invention Of Commander John
NJ. Brooke.
The ordnance works at Charlotte,
y. c.. under Ramsay, chief engineer,
.. s. ~ (who had seen service in the
Merrimac). supplied heavy forgings,
chafttngS Tor steamers, NlOuNnt-lIoU plO-
iectiles. gun carriages, blocks, ordnance
eouipment Of every kind, and an ord
nance laboratory.
Commander Catesby Ap. r. Jones Date
executive officer of the Merrimac), at
Selma. Ala, superintended the various
brancbes of a foundry. and the manu-
fachlre OF heavy guns. AZ of which were
nsed I'm the defences of Mobile and Char
lesion.
Al Atlanta, Ca. 1t. ID. p. Me-
corkle was in charge of Ordnance
works for the making OF shot,
shell. and gun carriages.
Lieutenant KennOn (and subsequently
Lieutenant Eggleston), at New Orleans,
was engaged i'm the manufacture OF fuses,
primers. fireworks, cannon, gun car
riages. projectiles, and ordnance of all
kinds.
At Petersburg. the navy established
rope walk, substituting cotton for hemp.
and supplied the navy, the army, coal
mines. railroads. and canals.
NECESSITY FOR SUCH INDUSTRIES.
Such industries had TO be established,
for your necessities were great and ur-
gent. Their proper conduct required skill
and intelligence and these officers gave
them the direction Of greatest efficiency.
Perhaps il was well you had so few SHIPS
10 give these men, perhaps they rendered
, Ioftar car,ricp i'm these lines.