Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-10
THE RED ARTILLERY.
CONFEDERATE ORDNANCE DURING
THE WAR.
THE DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING IT..
plan Proposed to Increase Accuracy
aud Range Of Smooth-Bore Muskets
by Firing an Elongated Projcctile
Made OF Lead and Hard wood.

William lie Roy Broun. president Ala
s.ua polytechnic Institute. Auburn,
formerly Heutenant-colonel OF ordnance
O. t'e Confederate army, commanding
,t5 Richmond Arsenal, contributes the
following article 70 the Journal Of the
Ua.ei states Artillery:
Ia complying with your request TO
t-te an article for your Journal. giving
Experiences and difficulties in obtaining
rl-snce during the war; I Will endeavor
giving on my memory and some avail
BE- memoranda preserved to give 10 give
lpu statement OF the collection and
sa-ufucture Of ordnance stores for the
esa Of the Confederate armies. so far as
such manufacture was under my obseF-
,.-on and control After a years SER
y.5 IN the field as an artillery officer I
0ts ordered 10 Richmond and made SUI
Ver.ItenGent of Armories. with the rank
VI major In the regular army. a new
Office iu the Confederate States army, and
sent 90 various points in North Carolina
and Georgia 90 inspect and report on the
facilities possessed by different manu-
factories for making arms, swords, sui
ra-;ic acid. etc.
AS q general rule the facilities for man
occurring were meagre and crude giving
..-s prospect for an early serviceable
product.
Early IN the spring Of 1852 I was ordered
FL. report at Holly Springs, Mss, and
take charge OF factory just purchased
fv the CoufederaCy. and designed for the
u-facture OF small arms. II was not
many months before the defeat Of the
Confederate army under General Albert
Sydney Johnston. at Shiloh. Tenn, caused
hurried removal of all the machinery TO
Meridian, Miss. Having reported 10 the
chief Of ordnance at Richmond, Va, 1
was assigned 20 duty connected with the
Ordnance Department.
The Confederate Congress had author
fed the appointment of fifty new ord
nance officers. and the applications to the
War Department became so numerous
and persistent for these appointments
that the Secretary Of War. Colonel Ran
oolDh, ordered that an applicants should
submit 10 an examination and that APP
pOintmeuts would be made i'm order Of
merit as reported by the Board Of Ex-
aminers. Thus, what We are now ia
uiliar with as ciWl-service examinations.
were introduced by the Confederate War
Department IN 1852, in the appointment
~ ordnance officers.
was made Lieutenant-COlonel Of Ord
nance. and as president OF the board with
Two other officers, Constituted the Board
o. Examiners. BY direction OF General
=. Gorsas, the Chief of Ordnance, I pre-
pared d Field Ordnance Manual by
ebrdsing the old United States Manual
and adapting 10 10 our service when ne
cfssHry. This was published and dis
t.bIted In the army.
The examination embraced the Field
Ordnance Manual as contained in this
abridged edition. the elements Of algebra,
ca-nisJry. and physics. with some know
ledge OF trigenometry. The first exam
nations were held in Richmond. OF
course, The fact OF the examinations
greatly diminished the number of appli-
-ants. OF those recommended by the
board, so many were from Virginia that
the President declined TO appoint them
u1u an equal opportunity was given 70
tle young men Of the different armies Of
iae Confederacy in other States.
Hence, ! was directed TO report 20 and
conduct examinations in the armies OF
Generals Lee and Jackson in Virginia,
General Bragg in Tennessee, and General
'smbertOn in Mississippi. Under other
,-cels examinations were conducted in
Alabama and Florida
The result Of this sitting process was
mat the army was supplied with capable
arl Efficient ordnance officers.
Early IN 1863 / was appointed Com
n-.l-ut Of the Richmond Arsenal. Here
zee greater part OF the ordnance and
ordnance stores were prepared for the
-.r OF the Confederate armies
The arsenal occupied number Of to-
ta.ec-tactoTies at the foot Of Seventh
t.--. near the Tredegar lrOn-Works be-
'e.l Cary street and James river. II
Included all the machine-shops for work.
it wood and iron, organized into differ
Pr apartments, each under subordinate
ers. arranged 10 manufacture ord
a-t-e stores for the use Of the COnfede-
rae army.
Cannon were made at the Tredegar
Ho1-Works. including siege and field
t-a' NapOeOns. hOWitZers. and banded
'''t-ron guns. Steel guns Were not
made. We had no facilities for making
-. and no time 20 experiment
The steel guns used by the
-'.te7er4tes were highly valued
t- with the exception Of a few pur-
le,eo abroad were all captured from the
Facsr1ls.
a, the beginning Of the war the ma
etrery belonging 20 the armory at Har-
pes Ferry was removed 20 Richmond |
s.' there established. This armory man |
Nt.,lred Enfield rifles, and the product !
was very small. not exceeding 800 per |
Month.
pm the exception Of = few thousand |
-,s The soldiers at the beginning Of
' "ar were armed with the old smooth |
muskets, and with old Austrian ana |
rifles imported. These they eX- !
,--"ted for Enfield rifles. as they were |
'''el by the fortunes of war.
'.e summer Of 1862 after the seven |
battles around Richmond between |
ai Lee and General Mcclellan, men /
So, detailed 10 collect arms from the |
which We're carried 10 the Richmond !
,I-''' and then, as quickly as posi-
repaired and reissued 90 the army. |
49, 4lentiy through the blockade run
,e' large importation Of excellent /
was received and distributed.
""en the men detailed for this pur
- were collecting the thousands OF
i.tI1 rifles left BY the Federals on the
"t-leids around Richmond, ] remem-
i.4 'e''As a few steel breast-piates that
49, Deen worn by the Federal soldiers
,.. were killed in battle. They were
m. Steel IN two parts. shaped TO NJ the
~ and were worn under the coat
10 we're brought as curiosities 10 the
'Asl' and had been pierced by bullets.