The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-10-30
Wilmington Messenger.

Wilmington Messenger.
III one OF the upright glass cases
ranged along the wall in the hard
ware store of Mr.. Walter Watson, on
Hay street, Fayetteville, N. c., are
two or three rusty cavalry guns,
which furnish Il brief chapter of
hitherto unpublished history of the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 Gar of Russia,
it is said, being an unsuccessful
bidder for the same arms, and were
used in the famous battle of Bala-
klava, where Into the valley of
death rode the six hundred. These
carbines were very detective in make,
sighted for six hundred yards, when
they would send a ball but two hun
dred yards, and great Indignation
was expressed against the cOntrac-
tors by the British officers i'll the
Crimea, the charge being positively
made that they left the British
cavalrymen the helpless victims OF
wholesale slaughter.
Inferior us these guns were Captain
Caleb Hughes, a Northern man, but
an agent for the Southern COnfed-
eracy, bought them in London, at Il
sale of government munitions OF
war, and they were shipped to Ham
iIton, in the West Indies. There the
steamer Eugene took them Oh, apart
of a cargo of exceptional value and
interest-$2, ,OOO, 900 in gold, a large
= supply of medicines, two Armstrong
d guns OF great calibre, and Il number
of battle flags, presented by the wo-
men sympathizers in England to their
sOrrOwing and sOrely tried sisters OF
the South.
Mr.. Walter Watson, q native OF
London, and Il skilled armorer and
worker in metals, was on his way tC
this country, having enlisted i'll the
Confederate service; and, on the sick
= ness of the marine engineer, was de
. tailed to the latter's arduOus work
The Eugene was fitted out as a prl
vateer, as:weli as blockade runner
with two or three long-range guns
10 and the crew heavily armed.
If Before the vessel left Hamilton i
er was observed that the flag was a
II half-mast and Captain Alpin, com
re manding the Eugene, sent MIR. Wat
y son on shore to ascertain the cause
~ Colonel Snead, ranking officer OF tn
- port, returned this verbal reply:
+ General Lee has lost his RICH
v. arm" which puzzled no little tn
a brain of the Englishman, but so 500
= as he repeated it on shipboard, off
y GERS and crew cried out: ''StOneWa
Jackson is dead.
- The voyage of the Eugene was bese
with even more than ordinary per
, and excitement. Vain efforts wer
made to enter the harbOr OF Nassa
and Charleston, and twice the bloch
ader was chased by Federal warship
In entering the port of Wilmmgto
the ship ran aground and was nc
iextricated until big box OF baco
was thrown into the furnace and sell
the steam guage up to $50 pounds
On the pavement, in front OF mlnlcl;
headquarters in Wilmington, Mayo
Dawson, Captain Alpin, Captal
Stiles (nOw of Atlanta, Ga.,) an
Mr.. Watson, holding the corner
unfurled one of the battle flags, an
- it was greeted with cheers by tt
a crowd in the streets.
q These Balaklava guns were 10
ria warded to Petersburg, Va, whe1
s.. sH they passed into the hands
a.e s Wheeler's and HamptOn's Cavall
!, tn : and did as good work as was
as1 as1 them at the battle of Monroe S tarr
ttssJ 1t was thence that a large number
'1 them were sent to be tinkered al
. patched up to the Confederate arsen
in Fayetteville, and it is Il notat
il. illustratiOn of the differct;ce OF equl
ay ment of the two armies that the
T. almost worthless weapons were o
. posed at MonrOe's Farm to SHARP
Spyau-ShOOtprS