Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/370

 360 Southern Historical Society Papers.

friends of Lieutenant-General Pemberton cannot see his name made

a target for public odium, without doing him the justice of stating

such facts as can now be made pubUc. He did his duty manfully.

Let justice be awarded.

R. W. Memminger,

A. A. G., and Chief of Staff.

Artillery at the Southern Arsenals. By Captain Graham Daves.

Newbern, N. C, June 15th, 1884.

To the Editor of the Southern Historical Society Papers :

Sir : Is not the publication of General Gorgas' papers on the Con- federate Ordnance Department, edited by Colonel W. Allan, to be continued ?

"Paper I," in the January number of the Historical Papers. contained so much of interest and information that many of your readers are quite impatient for the remaining numbers.

In reference to the artillery in service at the beginning of the war. General Gorgas probably did not mean to be understood quite lit- erally, when he wrote :

' ' There were no batteries of serviceable field artillery at any of the Southern arsenals."

At the Fayetteville, N. C, arsenal, there was a fine battery of brass field pieces — four six-pounder guns, and two twelve-pounder howit- zers, with forge and battery wagon complete. When the arsenal was surrendered to the State forces, this battery was turned over to the "Ellis Light Artillery Company," of Raleigh, first commanded by Captain S. D. Ramseur, who, as Major-General commanding di- vision, was killed at Cedar Creek, in the Valley, in October, 1864. The battery first saw service near Norfolk and on the Peninsula, and was subsequently known as Manly' s Battery (Captain B. C. Manly), of Cabell's Battalion, Army of Northern Virginia.

In time the company no doubt fell heir to twelve-pounder " Napo Icons," or to rifled pieces, but guns of that kind were not much known in the early days of '61, and a company provided with a com- plete battery of guns of almost any calibre, with necessary appurten- ances, was then thought to be very well equipped.

Respectfully,

Graham Daves.