Summary:
Confederate Colonel Armistead Long writes General Gustavus Smith in October,
1862. He discusses orders concerning the artillery. He also directs Smith to
inquire in Staunton about guns available for the Richmond defense, since many
were stockpiled in that place.
Maj. Gen. GUSTAVUS W. SMITH,
Cmdg.,&c.,
Richmond, Va.:
October 16, 1862.
GEN.:
By direction of Gen. R. E. Lee, I inclose herewith an extract of Special Orders, No. 209, and desire you to direct Maj. E. F. Moseley, First Regt. Virginia Artillery, to proceed at once to join this command, bringing with him the men from Capt. Wyatt's and Ritter's batteries. You will direct him to turn over such public property as is not wanted with the companies to the proper Departments in Richmond, and make the necessary arrangements for the transportation and subsistence of his men on the march. Should the men be sent by railroad, it is desired that Lieut.'s Robertson and Thurmond be directed to assist Maj. Mosley in taking charge of them, and that the commanding officers of disbanded companies be directed to make out descriptive lists of their men. Should the men of Capt. Young's battery prefer remaining in the artillery, the men are to be turned over to Maj. Moseley, who will bring them up for distribution. Should they desire to return to the infantry, direct Capt. Young, to report with his company to the commanding officer of the regiment from which he was detached. The officers of the disbanded companies will be disposed of in Richmond as you may think best, under the direction of the Secretary of War.
Should you want the horses and guns that have been turned in, you had better keep them at Richmond. Should you want other guns for the defense of Richmond, you can get them from Staunton. Forty guns from reduced batteries have been sent to that place.
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. L. LONG,
Col. and Military Secretary.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 19, Serial No. 28, Pages 669-670, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
