(By the end of the war, Caleb Huse would have spent £10,000,0001 on arms for the Confederacy.)
London, England, May 21, 1861.
Officer of Artillery in Charge of Ordnance Bureau, C. S. A.:
Sir: In compliance with instructions from the War Department I left Montgomery on the ____ of April, on my way to Europe, via New York. It was my intention to have left New York by the steamer Persia on the 24th of April. I became satisfied, however, after arriving in that city, that it would be very imprudent for me to attempt to sail from that port; and acting under the advice of the gentlemen through whom my financial arrangements were made, I left New York for Canada on the evening of the same day that I arrived. From Canada I went to Portland, and there took passage in the steamer of the 27th. I arrived in Liverpool on the 10th of May, and at once put myself in communication with the house of Fraser, Trenholm & Co., on whom I had letters of credit. I found these gentlemen, and especially Mr. Prioleau, member of the firm, ready to do everything in their power to assist me in carrying out successfully the object of my mission. On presenting my letters it appeared that I had actually but £10,000 with which to purchase arms, &c.
The letter of the Secretary of the Treasury to Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., informing them that my drafts on the C. S. Treasury would be honored to the amount of $200,000, would, I was assured by Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., be of no value in a commercial transaction. They expressed themselves disposed, however, to do everything for me in their power. I left Liverpool the same day for London, and called on Mr. Yancey, of the commission from the Confederate Government. I then lost no time in possessing myself of information concerning the possibility of obtaining arms and artillery in England. A very short time sufficed to satisfy me that of small-arms there were none in market of the character and quality required by the Department. There were muskets to be purchased in any quantity, called by different names. I heard of not a few Enfield rifles. These, when I came to examine them, I found to be for the most part altogether worthless. I could have purchased a few, perhaps 500, short Enfields of good quality. To ship so small a quantity as that, however, after the proclamation of the British Government, would have been an impossibility.
After fully satisfying myself that small-arms that I was willing to send to the Confederacy were not to be had either in England or Belgium, I made inquiries at the London Armory Company for Enfield rifles to be manufactured by them. This establishment is in some respects superior to every other musket manufactory in the world, and in every respect is equal to the Government works at Enfield. Since it was first put in operation it has been constantly employed by the British Government, and they have work on hand for this Government which will require eighteen months to complete. The rifles made at this establishment interchange in every part and with perfect accuracy. The importance of the principle of interchange of parts I need not dwell upon. It is fully recognized by the war departments of every civilized nation. The London Armory Company is the only establishment in Europe, excepting the Government armories, that works upon this principle. It seems to me highly important to obtain rifles from this company, if possible. I found that they were willing to entertain a proposition for 10,000, but not for anything less than that number. After conferring freely with the commissioners and receiving from them an entire approval of my action, I proposed to take from the London Armory Company 10,000 Enfield rifles of the latest government pattern, with bayonet, scabbard, extra nipple, snap-cap, and stopper complete for £3 16s. 6d. This price is somewhat above the limit given in my instructions from Major Gorgas, and I engaged to take 10,000 instead of 8,000. Under all the circumstances, I believed myself not only justified, but required, to go beyond my orders.
The necessity of the Confederacy arming at once is so great, judging from the accounts that appear in the papers, that if I could in any way obtain arms that I thought would be serviceable I should purchase without delay, and I have little doubt that I would be able to send or bring them to some port of the Confederacy. The arms are not to be had, however. Everything has been taken by the agents from the Northern States, and the quantity which they have secured is very small, and many of them of indifferent quality. They have paid enormous prices, and worthless muskets are now held at fabulous prices. One man had orders to purchase 60,000. They were not to be had. He would have contracted with the London Armory Company for all that they could furnish for a year to come, but his instructions were to obtain the whole number within two months. The next steamer will without doubt, as I learn from a reliable source, bring orders for him to close with that company. The greatest number this company can supply is about 1,300 per month. They are under a contract to supply the North with 100 per week for three months, the contract to cease with one week’s notice. If the company accepts my proposition this notice will be given, and at least 1,200 Enfield rifles that would go North will be secured for the Confederate Government. The company will accept my proposition if they can obtain a release from their contract with the Government. This they have no doubt they will be able to obtain. Application has been made, and an answer will be obtained in a day or two. If I could have offered to take 20,000 they would have broken with the Government. This, however, was so far beyond my instructions that I could not make the offer.
The cost of the 10,000 will be about $195,000. I brought with me but $50,000. Bill of exchange for $50,000 more has since arrived. Even this would have been quite insufficient for me to do anything with had it not been for Mr. Prioleau, of the firm of Fraser, Trenholm & Co. This gentleman has most generously assumed the responsibility of the entire contract. I beg leave to express the hope that the Government of the Confederacy will lose no time in forwarding to me $100,000, that I may deposit the same with Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., to meet the payments as they come due. Since Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co. are really taking upon themselves the responsibility of paying a very large sum of money without having received negotiable paper for one dollar of the amount, it would be an act of ingratitude on the part of the Confederate Government, which I am sure it will never be guilty of, to allow any more time to elapse than is absolutely necessary before sending forward the entire amount. Besides this amount for meeting the payments for the muskets, it will be necessary for me to have a further remittance of a considerable amount. I do not think $100,000 would be any too large a sum.
I hope the Department will entirely understand how it happens that I have so violated my instructions. I found it impossible to purchase immediately. There is no other company in all Europe so fair in its dealings and so able to do good work as the one with which I hope to contract. The price is as low as the muskets can be had, for no other company is able to furnish muskets that are interchangeable in their parts. The pattern is the most approved Enfield, actually interchangeable with those made at Enfield. Before acting I consulted the commissioners from the Confederacy, and received their full approval of my course in the matter.
The agent sent by the United States Government to purchase arms is the best man for the duty that could have been selected, namely, Mr. McFarland, who was the superintending engineer of the London Armory during its erection and until it was in complete working order. His instructions to make a similar contract with that company for the United States Government will come too late. In my contract I specify that I shall be the preferred purchaser for from 6,000 to 10,000 in addition to the number now ordered. If I could contract for the entire 20,000 I think I could secure them at 70 shillings, and if the Confederate Government intends to purchase a further supply, I would respectfully suggest that the great importance of interchange of parts, in a country where repairs of arms will be for many years a great expense, should be fully considered. Even in England, a nation of workers in metals, this principle is considered invaluable. In the present condition of affairs I do not think it possible to send a sample to Montgomery. I shall avail myself of the first opportunity to do so.
In the matter of artillery, I have no money to purchase, and if I had it would be impossible to ship in British vessels. If I had the entire order of muskets and artillery ready for shipment I could arrange everything. It will be, however, for some time to come impossible to send any small lot of anything contraband of war. Whenever I have anything to ship I shall have the able assistance of Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co. Their experience and enthusiasm will enable them to do what no other house in England would undertake. Already their assistance has been invaluable to me. Without them I could have done nothing.
I have in my possession detailed drawings of the Armstrong gun, which I shall copy and forward by the first opportunity. I shall also be able to send with these full descriptions of the mode of manufacture, as given by Sir William himself, and drawings of his fuse. These latter are not yet in my possession. Owing to my time having been entirely taken up in making arrangements for small-arms I have not been able to do much in artillery. There seems to be no doubt, however, from the inquiries I have made, that the British Government has entire confidence in the Armstrong gun. To the large guns there appears to be some objection. I shall soon be able to inform myself fully concerning the Armstrong and the several other guns that are now before the “select committee.”
I was shown this morning a new segment shell, invented by Mr. Breton. It appears to be possessed of all the advantages of the Armstrong against troops, and is much more simple and less expensive. The exterior is of cast-iron, of the shape of the projectiles used in the gun sent by Mr. Prioleau to Charleston, and which was used in the bombardment. It is made as thin as possible not to be broken in the gun. Inside the shell is a second shell, made in segments, also of cast-iron. There are nine of these segments, each of which consists of six parts, or rather each of which will easily break into six parts. Thus A is one of the segments, made of brittle cast-iron; c, c, and c, are disks of sheet-iron, around which the cast-iron is poured. The cast-iron does not adhere to the cold wrought-iron, and the segment when taken from the mold is an arch, the voussoirs of which are of cast-iron. These voussoirs are connected at the back, the wrought-iron partitions not coming quite through to the back of the arch.
Nine of these segments are placed together, forming a body, the exterior orifice of which is to fit the interior of the outer shell. The interior space is filled with sand. This mass of segments and sand forms the core of the shell. A mold is now made, and the shell completed as if an ordinary sand-core had been used. It is evident that the shell is very strong to resist pressure from the exterior, but very weak in the opposite direction. The principle may be applied to projectiles for either muzzle-loading or breech-loading guns. When used for muzzle-loaders, the same arrangement is adopted by Mr. Breton as in the case of the projectiles for the Blakely gun.
I have met Captain Blakely and have conversed with him about his gun. As yet I have failed to see anything in his principle which would cause me to purchase his cannon. He uses the same principle that Armstrong employs–of wrapping an interior core with wrought-iron spirals–and in fact he claims the merit of the invention. The chief difference appears to be that Captain Blakely uses a cast-iron core, while Sir William has a wrought-iron centerpiece. The Northern States have purchased some Clay breech-loaders, I am informed, at enormous prices. From the accounts I have received of them, and from a cursory inspection of one, I should think the men about the breech would stand a little better chance than the enemy, but that the difference would be very slight. I am told that they were invoiced as Armstrong guns. The true Armstrong cannot be had. I think, however, that they can be manufactured from the drawings which I shall send to the Department.
I have met Captain Blakely and have conversed with him about his gun. As yet I have failed to see anything in his principle which would cause me to purchase his cannon. He uses the same principle that Armstrong employs–of wrapping an interior core with wrought-iron spirals–and in fact he claims the merit of the invention. The chief difference appears to be that Captain Blakely uses a cast-iron core, while Sir William has a wrought-iron centerpiece. The Northern States have purchased some Clay breech-loaders, I am informed, at enormous prices. From the accounts I have received of them, and from a cursory inspection of one, I should think the men about the breech would stand a little better chance than the enemy, but that the difference would be very slight. I am told that they were invoiced as Armstrong guns. The true Armstrong cannot be had. I think, however, that they can be manufactured from the drawings which I shall send to the Department.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. HUSE,
Captain, C. S. Army.
- about 1.7 billion in 2021 US dollars