939 Series I Volume XIII- Serial 19 - Missouri - Arkansas Campaign
Page 939 | Chapter XXV. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-CONFEDERATE. |
bought in North Carolina were taken, by order of General Van Dorn, at Little Rock. Some 700, purchased by Judge Quillin, were taken by General Roane, and I shall be glad to receive his receipts for them, as Judge Quillin's receipt to me for the money is not a sufficient voucher. For the others that were seized the parties did not see fit to send receipts, and I never expect to get any. In the mean time, 500 Indians are waiting for guns. Although one battery was taken from me by General Van Dorn, I succeeded in getting as many guns as I wished. I had twenty-six, of which twelve are iron Parrott guns, and the rest bronze, two of them rifled. The Parrott guns have no fixed ammunition, nor have the rifled bronze guns, and the shells for the latter have no fuses. I procured 3,000 pounds of cannon powder from Nashville, and conveyed it with me to Fort Smith, in February, to which point all my other supplies had been, or were being, forwarded.
When I reached Cantonment Davis, I wrote to Major Clarke, at Fort Smith, directing him to send all my ordnance, ordnance stores,a nd supplies to North Fork Village. Instead of doing so, he undertook to conclude that it would be unsafe to send them into the Indian country, and telegraphed General Van Dorn on the subject, who directed him by telegram to send nothing of mine into the Indian country. Of this order the general never saw fit to send me any notice. I had to leave my ammunition at Fort Smith, because all the transportation was engrossed by General McCulloch's movement to join General Price. Everything remained at Fort Smith until our defeated forces returned to that place and Van Buren, and then everything was ordered to be sent to Little Rock. All my cannon powder went to Little Rock, and has never been heard of since. I have not a single ounce. I supposed you knew this from Major Boudinot and Mr. Watkins, whom I sent to endeavor to procure some, and whom you saw at Corinth. The caissons of my Parrott guns, also sent away, have never been returned; and very little of even the solid shot or other ammunition has been suffered to reach me.
Captain Woodruff brought within him 400 rounds of fixed ammunition of all kinds for 6-pounder guns, 400 of solid shot for rifled guns, and 376 rounds of all kinds for 12-pounder howitzers. Captain West has made up cartridges of rifle powder for himself, and has 400 rounds of spherical case and solid shot for 6-pounders, and 244 of spherical case and canister for 12-pounder howitzers. I have, in addition, the remnants, not so used, and without powder, of nine boxes of 12-pounder spherical case, eleven boxes of 6-pounder spherical case, and four boxes of 6-pounder round shot, with a considerable quantity of balls for the Parrott guns, will be almost useless. I have less than 100,000 rounds of cartridges for small-arms of every description, including 33,600 or Hall['s rifles, of which arm I have not half a dozen, and 44,450 ball and buckshot, and buckshot cartridges for muskets. Beyond these, I have less than 2,800 pounds of rifle powder, which is my whole supply for 5,500 Indians, two regiments and four companies of mounted men, and twelve Parrott guns.
Captain West's artillery company has only about 40 men for duty, and Captain Howell's, a new company, raised in Texas, entirely untaught, and most of the men now absent reaping the wheat harvest, has not men enough to work for guns. Captain Woodruff's company leading me, I remain with twenty guns, a handful of men, and ammunition enough to last in action about half an hour. I have been endeavoring, by purchasing horses with my own funds, and in every other
Page 939 | Chapter XXV. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-CONFEDERATE. |