The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-05
written for Tie Times.

In one of the upright glass cases ranged
along the wall in the hardware store
Of Mr. Walter Watson, on Hay street. .hsas
rusty cavalry guns, which furnish a
brief chapter of hitherto unpublished his
tory of the great Civil War. ,tnese guns
were manufactured in 1854, by Ripley q
Co, of New York, under contract with
iron Gar Of Russia, 1t Is said. being an
unsuccessful bidder for the same arms.
and were used IN the famous battle or
Balaklava where INTO :he , raales o. o. rhnss
were very defective in make, sighted Tor
six hundred yards, when they Wouio send
a ball but two hundred yards ana great
indignation was expressed asa ans, l II,
the Crimea, the charge being posltlEely
mdae that they left the English cavalry
men the helpless victims of wholesale
slaughter.
Caleb Hughes. a northern man, but an
agent for the Southern Confederacy'
bought them in London at a sale OF GOV
eminent munitions Of war. and they
were Shipped to Hamilton, in the West
Indies There the steamer Eugene TOOK
them on, a part Of a cargo OF exceptional
value and interest-S2O00,U00 IN GOO, larse
stores Of medicines. two Armstrong guns 1a
of great calfbre and a number OF battle
flags. presented by the women sympatni,
zers in England to their Borrowing and
sorely tried sisters of the South.
Mr.. Walter Watson. a native OF Lon
don, and q skilled admirer ana Wo aise
try, having enlisted in the Confederate
service; and, on the sickness Of the ma
rine engineer. was detailed to the later
arduous work. The Eugene was fitted
out as a priyateer as well as blockade
runner, with two or three 1ong-ranse
guns and the crew heavily armed
Before the vessel left Hamilton. It was
observed that the flag was at hait-mast
and Captain Alpin. commanding the Eu-
gene, SER Mr. Watson on shore to as
certain the cause Colonel Snead, rank
ing officer Of the port. returned this
verbal reply: General Zee mas los, lost MS
brain OF the Englishman, but. so soon
as he repeated it On shipboard, officers
and crew cried out: "Stonewall Jackson
is dead"
The voyage of the Eugene was beset
excitement. Vain efforts We're made to
enter the harbor Of Nassau and Charles
ton and twice the blockader was chased
by Federal warships. IN entering the
port of Wilmington, the ship ran aground
Gus position until a big box Of bacon,
thrown into the furnace, sent the steam
gauge up to $50 pounds. On the pave
ment in front Of municipal headquarters
In wilmington, Mayor Dawson, Captain
Alpin, Captain Stiles now OF Atlanta.
CAP and AR Watson, holding the cor
ners, unfurled one of the battieflags, and
it was greeted with cheers BY the crowd
on the streets.
These Balaklava guns were forwarded
to Petersburg. Va. where they passed
into the hands OF Wheeler's and Hamp-
toms cavalry and did as good work as
was in them at the battle of NoarDe's
Farm. 1t was thence hat a large nuns
Der of then: were se.. to 80 Entered md
patched up to the Coz fe.ie-., - {. rso.al
al Fayetteville. q nd IT'S Il .co.ab.e Illus
tration of the difference OF equipment OF
the two armies that these almost worth
LESS weapons were opposed at Monroe S
Farm. to Sharp's seven-shooters.
store is . relic OF the war OF 1872, which
the OWE. rightly prizes very highly-a
gun quadrant bearing this inscription:
|SCaptur0d from the British 1t the sortie
from Fort Erie on the 18th Of 0eptem-5