The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-18

| ne near w est Point on the Hudson
tNel' spent nearly the whole OF the
loui years OF the civil war in Europe
as the agent of the Confederate gov
cliihielit Tor the purchase OF arms
"Ilo Hliltary supplies tor it's army in
! the Aeld. Ills experience would I'LL a
Foluhne OF absorbing "reminiscences,
put Ihe present meager pamphlet,
written to please 1.-TWO Friends" who
nad II published at their own expense
lor the sake of preserving the record
~ PRINT, is as large a literary contrl-
puuon as this aged Confederate vet
Gran is able to make to wartime his
tory.
Major Huse, who says he is "a Mas
sachuSetts- born man and OF Puritan
descent, aHordS another example OF
the many men of northern nativity
who served the Confederacy we'll in
responsible capacities during it's trou-
btous existence. A West Pointer, he
was on the rolls of the garrison of
Fort Sumter as a first lieutenant of
artillery early in 1860, but resigned
the post to become commandant Of
cadets in the University of Alabama
in which capacity ne was given colo
nels commission by the Governor of
Alabama. At the outbreak Of the war
following the fall OF Sumter, when the
provisional government or The Confed-
eracy had its headquarters at Mont
gomery Major Huse, who was loyal
TO the South, was designated by Presi-
dent Davis to go to Europe on his
highly responsible mission, and he
was duly commissioned. His journey
was by way of Charleston, where he
carefully inspected Fort Sumter. then
IN Confederate hands, OF the cond1-
ton Of the fort after its bombardment
Major Huse writes:
I'm my opinion It (the fort) was no
more damaged for defense than a
brick wall would be by a boys snap
ping marbles against it. AS for any
ching the Confederate artillery could
bring to bear upon ii, it was literally
impregnable--aS shown by the TACT
that with all the resources of the
United States army and navy it was
never retaken. The wooden quarters
had taken fire and 1T was feared that
the magazine would explode. But
when Anderson surrendered all that
danger had passed.
Eventually, his command might
have been starved out. But although
for several Gays it was short of some
kinds of desirable food, and destitute
of fresh provisions, there remained
several barrels of pork which he took
with him when he left. Not only wa1
no assault ever made. but the enemy
had no boats or scaling ladders with
which to attempt an assault, as An
derson must have known.
IF the United States government
deliberately intended to force a war
and thus settle once for all the en-
tire question between the North and
the South, no strategy could have been
more effectual than that of sacrificing
Sumter exactly as it was sacrificed.
The whole affair could not have been
arranged with greater shreWdnesS and
tinesse. Anderson and his officers
without an exception, gallant and COM
petent-Were made to appear as
heroes, and, in a sense, they We're; the
North was completely unified, and the
same can be said of the South. The
lines were now distinctly and definitely
drawn, and every man from Maine to
Georgia must declare for the govern
ment or against it.
On going by ferry from the Jersey
shore to New York, Major Huse
CHANGED to meet Hon. Caleb Cushing,
who had been chairman of the Demo-
cratic Convention at Charleston which
nominated Breckenridge for the Presi-
dency. He asked the distinguished
politician what chance he thought the
South had. Cushing replied
What chance can it have? The
money is all in the North; the manu-
factories are all in the North; tho
ships are all in the North; the arma
and arSenalS are all IN the North; the
arSenals of Europe are within ten days
of New York, and they will be open
to the United States government, and
closed to the South and the South
ern ports will be blockaded. What
possible chance can the South have?"
Major Huse sailed from Portland.
Me, with $500 in gold on his person,
after narrowly escaping arrest by ed
tral secret service men. In London
the lately born Confederacy had es-
tahlished financial connection with the
well known house of Fraser. Trenholm
& Company, and the lately arrived
agent lost 30 time in MAX
ing a contract. with the great London
armory company for all the arms the
could manufacture in one
year, and this in the face of active
by a Federal purchasing
agent on the ground. This company,
during the remainder of the war,
turned it's entire output of arms over
to Major Huse for the Confederate
army. He filled his responsible com
mission to the close of hoStilitieS and
some of his experiences read like
SO full are they Of adventure. |
He visited all the capitals of Europe, |
where there was a possibility of max
mission against the most persistent eff |
forts of the Washington government |
to thWart him. Detectives and spies |
logged his steps ard not infrequent- |
~ his life was in jeopardy In Vienna |
Major Huse purchased 100000 rifles |
Of the latest Austrian pattern, and ten |
batteries OF six pieces each of field ar |
Lillery, besides a large quantity of am
Dunition. The American minister in |
Vienna tried to buy the whole con-
signment, but he was too late.
The bulk of Major Huses interest |
ing pamphlet is devoted to an eXplana-
nation of the workings of the fiscal |
system of the Confederacy abroad |
with cotton as the purchasing medium. |
he shows as perhaps no other writer |
has ever shown the secret of the |
South's ability, with comparatively no |
manufactures, no recognized |
national status, an empty treasury and |
all her ports strongly blockaded to |
maintain a great army in the field for |
four years in the face of the most tre- |
nendous odds of opposing numbers |
and wealth. That secret, of course |
was the Confederate governments |
control of the Southerr output of cot |
ton, and the credit thus derived was |
ample for all practical purposes of |
On this head the writer |
says:
GaFTyr ~1.x,--