Today in History:

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

Page 587 Chapter XLVII. CORRESPONDENCE,ETC.-CONFEDERATE.

picket to Bloody Bluff, which is the nearest picket-lost on the river to the enemy. Arms in only tolerable order. The company have in use some private and some public saddles; this company was inspected on the 21st of January.

Captain Thigpin's company (A), Second Florida Cavalry, stationed on Dead Lakes, some 90 miles below Chattahoochee, Fla.: 67 men for duty; no Government arms; private arms in hands of company; 4 flint-and-steel Sawyer, 14 Harper's Ferry rifles, 9 carbines, 4 private shotguns, 29 State shotguns. Saddles good; company well supplied with ammunition for present purposes.

First Regiment Georgia Regulars, Colonel Magill, stationed near Hammock's Landing: The battery at Hammock's Landing, 14 miles below Chattahoochee, on the Apalachicola River, consists of six guns, three 18-pounders, one 24-pounder, two 32-pounders. This battery is garrisoned by Companies B and D, Bonaud's battalion. The battery shows care an attention. Major Bonaud seems to have given his personal attention to the guns, &c. The guns, ammunition, &c., are in fair order; some few implements are needed, for which requisition had been made. The magazines of this battery are very poorly constructed, and when it rains at all hard the water flows in and the magazine floors soon become covered with water. This is a serious evil and it should be corrected as soon as practicable. Powder was dry, as well as could be observed; many of the fuses fixed in the shells are damaged. The commanding officer was instructed to turn in these shells to the ordnance officers of his district.

On the 27th, the Sixth Battalion of Florida Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Martin commanding, armed with Enfield rifles ans smooth-bore muskets: The companies are uniformly armed, and the arms in fine order; many of the guns I, however, observed had the names of the men cut on the stocks of the guns. I called the attention of the senior captain in charge of this battalion to the fact that cutting the gun-stock, &c., is an abuse of public arms, and hence a punishable affair. I desire to report the excellent condition of the guns in the hands of the following men: Corporal Corrigan, Private Josiah Dixon, Private O. Corrigan, Company A, Sixth Florida Battalion, Lieutenant Davis commanding; Private Spanski, Company F, Captain Mootey.

The guns in the remaining part of this battalion in fair order. Station, Camp Finegan, within 8 miles of Jacksonville, Fla., near railroad. Inspection made on the 27th day of January. Company D, Captain Tucker, all armed with smooth-bore muskets, which Captain Tucker seems to have taken great care to put and keep in good order. This battalion carries their ammunition, say 40 rounds, in their boxes, and the paper of the cartridges has become very much worn, and in some instances so much that the powder has fallen out, leaving no powder at all in the cartridge. I therefore respectfully submit that where troops are not in the immediate presence of the enemy it would be well to keep the ammunition in the ammunition boxes, only allowing the men a few rounds for emergencies; thus the major part of the ammunition would be well preserved, which, by the constant friction in the cartridge-boxes, is rendered often unserviceable. There were very few ordnance stores in depot at Lake City, Fla. Some 300 smooth-bore Tower muskets and 150 Mississippi rifles, which Lieutenant Buckman, ordnance officer, informs me can soon be put in good repair; the latter would be


Page 587 Chapter XLVII. CORRESPONDENCE,ETC.-CONFEDERATE.