The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-29
North Cardinals War Record
BY \. GORDON.

of Secretary Floyd sent to that Statc
being lost by the hindsight of Gov
ernor Fletcher. which permitted them
to be captured and destroyed by the
Federals
End. On the DAY after the battle Of
Manassas when the Secretary of War
telegraphed the Governor OF North
Carolina that there was not enough
powder in the Confederacy, for an
other days fight, North Carolina went
promptly to work, put Nitro agents in
the field. and not content With that
went to work to get Il powder min
started. which was done with the
State money, the first being lost, a
second was organized. also with the
states money and proved Of great adj
vantage 20 the state and Confederacy.
furnishing about half a million dollars
worth of powder To the Confederate
service during each of the last two
wears
3rd When the State of North Caro-
lima tried to get sabres, saddles, etc,
for her cavalry regiments, not one
could be obtained from the Confeder-
ate States War Department. General
Martin made Il contract with a French
man named Froelich and his partner
TO start without delay mandatory
for swords and sabreS at Wilmington,
N. c.. which factory was kept in OPP
Grafton to the end of the war. furnish
ing the State and Confederaey.
ith. In the fall OF 81, when North
Carolina wanted arms for the infantry
coming to camps again the Confed-
crate States could furnish none. Cen
eral Martin, not stopped, made con-
tracts with several parties to furnish
the State With rifles. About 10000
We're furnished under these contracts.
And while this was going on the Gov
ernor sent an agent to England to
purchase arms 1000 Of these were
received in the spring of 1882, in time
to do good work in front of Richmond.
North Carolina was this active at q
time that the Secretary of War wrote
to the Governor OF North Carolina
that il would not be necessary to
make large contracts as the war would
not last long. He was right if no
more preparations had been made
than he made.
The people of North Carolina came
rushing into camps. the 31th North
Carolina Troops brought their country
rifles with them and told the AdJu-
tant General they would go TO the
front With them. Thousands more
came without any arms TO Camp Man
gum, and al the state, could do was
to furnish them with pixies. The peo-
pie We're terribly in earnest. but the
War Department practically did moth
ing. 1T has always been a mystery to
those who knew how little prepara-
tons We're made by that Department
the first year of the war under Sec
retaries Walker and Benjamin, how
President Davis permitted matters to
drift. he being military men, rs
education as well as practice. Only
one days powder on hand in July, the
war having started months before. Not
a g,In, sword. sabre, saddle. bride or
| blanket could North Carolina get dur
ing the whole of the year 1861. Ports
not strictly blockaded. there must have
been some reason Tor it, which pro-
badly will never he known. The only
reasonable one is that tho Confederate
States Government expected other ma
lions 10 AXE part to get the cotton.
9Th. The next important move Of
| North Carolina was to purchase z fine
/ transport ship. bring IL large quanti-
| ties II clothing, shoes, etc, fer her
| soldiers end also for the Confesieraoy,
and had on hand when tne war closed
about o million dollars worth gold
standard Did the Confederate Gov
ernment and all the other state gov
crnments have anything Approximate
ing that. We can safely say no.
9Th. Governor Vance brought in n
large amount of medical stores for
the hospitals OF the state, and also for
the Confederacy: the Confederate
States Government being always hard
up for everything in the shape of sup
plies.
eth. On the 14th day of December,
1864. that gloomy day for the Army
Of Northern Virginia when General
Lee tclegraphed TO Mr.. Davis that his
army was without meat" North Caro-
lima promptly came 20 the rescue and
from that time till the end of the
war practically fed Lees army. as il
was furnishing it with most OF the
clothing for years.
These are Il few Of The most import
ant things the State did for the Con-
federacy and without the great assist
ance given by North Carolina to Lees
army, it could not have been kept
in the field as long as it was. General
Lee appreciated what North Carolina
did for his army. and appreciated
those who did il. II the Government Of
the Confederate States did the writer
never heard OF ii.
When in 1864 a secret session of Con-
gress was held to consider the grave
I condition of the QuartermaSter ana
| CommiSSary Departments. and gen
eral demand for changes or improve
mcnts in these departments, though
4 .
| ccssfui i'll getting supplies, President
| Davis in appointing new heads FOR
these departments did not look for
| the man that started the success III
| North Carolina. or the one that car
ricd on the business successfully; APP
| pointed meu who had no experience
| and matters continued as bad. if not
| worse. than before. The writer would
/ not mention This were it not for the
/ fact that whenever the Confederate
| States Departments failed as often
they did North Carolina had to get ~
| the breach and make it good.
| Some of the North Carolina writers
| claim the State did not get fail
proportion Of general officers, that
seems TO be a very clear case: thel
| might safely have gone further anc
said that the state had practically no
| representation in the Confederate
states Government. nor in any OF the
| important departments of it. True
| Governor Bragg was for few month!
/ Attorney General. but that was onl.
| an honory office without anything t
do aud no influence. and the writes
/ had it ON excellent authority that at
! tor few mouths service he got I
hint that the President would IKE