The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-17
ARMS THAT DID SERVICE ON
TWO CONTINENTS.
BkLAKALVA To APPOMATTOX
Carbines Used by the British in the
Crimean War and then Sold to- In
COnfederacy-Sent into Wilmington
by a blockade Runner-SeyeraI
in the Hands Of "a Fayetteville
Nerchant-ReIic 81 War of 1912.

In one Of the upright glass cases
ranged along the wall IN the hardware
store Of Mr.. Walter Watson. on Hay
street, Fayetteville, y. -, are two or
three rusty cavalry guns. which fur
nish a brief chapter of hitherto unpub-I
lished history Of the great civil war;
These guns were manufactured in 1854,
by Ripley & Co, of New York, under
contract with the English government.
Nicholas L, the iron car Of Russia, it'll
IS said, being an unsuccessful bidder
for the same arms. and were used inI
the famous battle of Balakalya. where
into the valley of death rode the ski
hundred" These carbines We're very
defective in make, sighted for six hum
dred yards, when they would send al
ball but two hundred Yards. and great
Indignation was expressed against
the contractors by the British ~officersI
in the Crimea, the charge being POSI-
lively mad that they left the British
wholesale slaughter.
Inferior as these guns were, CaptainI
Caleb Hughes, a northern man. but AM
agent for the Southern COnfederacy,
bought them in London at Il sale of
government munitions of war. and they
were shipped to Hamilton, in the West
Indies. There the steamer Eugene took
them on. a part of Il cargo CT excep-I
tional value and interest-s2, 100000 in
gold, large supplies OF medicines, two
Armstrong guns of great calibre and a
number of battle-fiags, presented by
the women sympathizer3 in England to
their sorrowing and sorsly tried sisters
of the south.
Mr.. Walter Watson, d native of Lon
don, and a skilled armOrcr and worker
in metals, was ON his way to this oun
try. having enlisted in the confederate
service: and on the IckneSS of the
marine engineer, was detailed to the
latter's arduous work. The Eugene was
fitted out as a p~rivateer as we'll as a
blockade runner, with two or three
~lOng-range uns and the crew heavily
armed.
AEfOre the vessel left Hamilton, it
~ observed that the flag was at half
mast and Captain A1pin, commanding
the Eugene, sent Mr.. Watson on shore
to ascertain the cause. Colonel Snead,
ranking officer of the port returned this
verbal reply: General Lee has lost
his right arm, which puzzled no little
the brain of the Englishman. but, so
soon as he repeated IL on ~snipboard,
officers and crew cried out: Stone
wall Jackson is dead
The voyage Of the Eugene was be-
set with ever more than ordinary peril
and excitement. Vain efforts We're
made 10 enter the harbor OF Nassau
and Charleston and twice the 5lockader
was chased by federal warShipS. In
entering the port of Wilmington, the
ship ran aground and was Lot eXtri-
Gated until a big box of bacon was
thrown into the furnace and sent the
steam guage up to $50 pounds. On the
pavement in front of municipal head
quarters in Wilmington Mayor Dawson
Captain Alpin, Captain stiles 10Y of
Atlanta. Ga.) and Mr.. Watson. holding
the corners, unfurled one of the battle
flags. and it was greeted with cheers
by the crowd on the streets.
These Balakava guns were forwarded
to Petersburg, Va, where they passed
into the hands of Wheeler S and Hamp-
tons cavalry and di| as good work as
was In them at the battle of MOnroe's
Farm. 1t was hence hat a large num-
Der of them were sent to be tinEered
arsenal at Fayetteville, and it is a
notable Illustration Of the difference
of equipment OF the two armies tina
these almost worthless eapOn were
opposed at Monroe's Farm to Sharp's
S~tVen-ShOoterS.
In an adjoining case in Mr.. Watson's
store is a relic of the war of 1912. which
the owner rightly prizes very highly
a gun quadrant. bearing this inscrip-
ton: Captured from the British at
the sOrtie from Fort Erie on the nth
of September. 1914. by Lieutenant
. Thomas Childs, who at the age of six
kaen commanded the detachment that
liked the guns ar1 blew up the mag
Oazine Of Battery No. 8. On the re-
verse side of the quadrant IS tn lire.
Wv. Deane Fecit.