Today in History:

583 Series I Volume XXXV-I Serial 65 - Olustee Part I

Page 583 Chapter XLVII. CORRESPONDENCE,ETC.-CONFEDERATE.

of this command are not lettered. Captain Browning's company has no arms; company has fifty-eight sabers. This command will be armed by Lieutenant Carlisle, ordnance officer, District of Middle Florida, as soon as possible. Saddles not very good; they have plain trees which are very narrow at the pommel; they are therefore very apt to make the backs of horses sore and thus incapacitate them for service.

Captain Hunter's company (not lettered) armed with sabers; but 28 men present for duty; company has eighteen Austrian rifles, which are in good order, and the men appear to have taken good care of the arms. Saddles same as Captain Browning's. Men all appear in good condition in these two companies. Thought it does not come exactly under my orders, I take pleasure in stating the soldierly appearance of this squadron, the fine condition of their horses, &c., doing credit to the commanding officer, Major Camfield.

At the same camp, near Tallahassee, on the same date, were inspected Companies D and I, Second Florida Cavalry. Company D, Captain Maxwell, 78 men for duty, with seventy-eight Maynard rifles, sabers, and holster pistols, old pattern; the supply of ammunition for rifles small. I directed the captain to make requisition at once on Lieutenant Carlisle for ammunition. The saddles used by this company are the plain tree (saddle), but they seemed to do very well, as none of the horses' backs were at all sore. The arms of this company in perfect order; the horses appear well kept, and the command presented a very good appearance, doing credit to its commander.

Company I, Second Florida Cavalry, Captain Parramore, armed with Maryland rifles, 40; Mississippi rifles, 6; Enfield rifles, 5; caliber carbines, 30; Hall's carbines, 7; double-barreled shotguns, 5. Saddles same as those in Company D. This company has also sabers. I would respectfully state that the ordnance officer in the District of Middle Florida is informed about the armament of the troops in his district, and that so soon as arms are sent him he will issue them to the troops in proper order. This company has taken good care of their arms, though the horses were by no means as well kept, nor did the men present as good appearance as of Captain Maxwell's company (D) of this command.

On the 11th of January, the ordnance, depot, under charge of Lieutenant S. S. Carlisle, at Quincy, Fla., was inspected; there were in depot some few infantry accouterments made of canvas, covered with a sort of lacquer. These accouterments are necessarily very poor, and the ammunition can therefore last but a short time, comparatively, in such boxes. The belts are also much too short, which fault is general with these accouterments; it puts the men to much inconvenience, and when marching with a full supply of ammunition, the belts, only held by a simple cord or string, would be very apt to break and thus produce great confusion. I would respectfully suggest that these accouterments be either mended (that is, that the belts be made longer), or that other belts be issued to the troops having very short belts. There were also in depot at Quincy some 300 damaged arms of various kinds and calibers, which Lieutenant Carlisle, ordnance officer, told me he would send to Major Humphreys, at Columbus, Ga., for repairs, as soon as the river, then very high, would allow, there being no means of repairing arms at Quincy.


Page 583 Chapter XLVII. CORRESPONDENCE,ETC.-CONFEDERATE.