Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/161

 Nnrth Carolina Troops. 145

this State armed its troops in 1861. It has been shown that 30,000 rifles and three full batteries of cannon, besides thirty other cannon, were seized at the Fayetteville arsenal, and that 11,000 of the rifles were given to the State of Virginia, the others being used by the North Carolina troops. The ordnance book shows how the other supplies with which to start the war, the powder, the bullets, etc., were obtained.

The first entry in the ordnance book is the list of stores, amount- ing to $242,000, recommended by C. C. Tew and D. H. Hill to be purchased, the recommendation being dated January 12, 1861. This has already been published, as also the order dated January igth to Lieutenant C. C. Lee to go North and look after the pur- chase of ordnance stores. Lieutenant Lee left that day. He went first to Richmond, where J. R. Anderson, of the Tredegar Iron Works, offered to furnish the State with any cannon it needed, iron or brass, at United States Government prices; including 8 and 10- inch Columbiads (cannon of large bore) and field pieces. Crenshaw & Co., of Richmond, offered to furnish 70,000 pounds of pig lead, to be delivered at Norfolk. (It will be recalled that Governor Ellis directed that all proposals be sent to him, and that deliveries must be at Norfolk or Wilmington. He took this precaution to avoid the risk of seizqre.) Mitchell & Tyler, of Richmond, offered to furnish percussion caps, also imported cavalry sabres and webbing for belts. S. S. Cottrell & Co., of Richmond, proposed to furnish cartridge- boxes and bayonet-scabbards, belt-plates and belts, etc. Anderson & Co. submitted another proposal to furnish 300,000 pounds of lead.

Lieutenant Lee went to Baltimore, where Merrill, Thomas & Co. submitted proposals to furnish Merrill's breech-loading carbines at $25 each, Merrill's rifles at $30, and cartridges for the same at $16 per 1,000, also cartridge-boxes, waist-belts, scabbards, etc.; and offered to alter flint and steel muskets, making them percussian $3 each, and " side-percussioning" $3. 50 each.

At Wilmington, Del., E. I. Dupont, De Nemours & Co. offered to furnish any quantity of cannon and musket powder, and deliver it at Norfolk.

At Philadelphia, Horstman, Brothers & Co. offered to furnish cavalry sibres at $5, cartridge-boxes, bayonet-scabbards, etc. Megargee Brothers agreed to furnish cannon and musket cartridge paper. The Goodyear Rubber Company offered to furnish " knap- sack tent," 44 inches high, 84x88 inches, at $20, which Lee said