CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA, AND WEST VIRGINIA FROM APRIL 16 TO JULY 31, 1861
CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. – CONFEDERATE
O. R. – Series I – VOLUME 2 [S #2] CHAPTER IX, p. 877
Headquarters Virginia Forces,
Richmond, Va., May 25, 1861.
Hon. L. Pope Walker, Secretary of War, Montgomery, Ala.:
Sir: Being very much embarrassed in furnishing the troops which have been called into service by the State of Virginia with arms, ammunition, and the necessary accouterments, on account of the limited supply and the small size of our arsenal and workshops, I beg leave to suggest that the troops ordered to this State may come provided with arms, ammunition, cartridge-boxes, knapsacks, haversacks, and all other necessary equipments, and that their organization be as complete as practicable.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE,
General Commanding.
Harry Smeltzer
Only lip service thus far is paid to the scarcity of resources faced by the Confederacy during its early months (actually the first entire year of the shooting war). Lee’s message, in typical Lee fashion, vastly understates the crisis.
And when you cast your eyes to the Western Theater. . . . whoa. Mother Hubbard who lived in a shoe was wealthy by comparison.
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Maybe a corrective is in order?
I’m reminded of Gov. Brown of Georgia, who was loathe to allow arms raised for the defense of his state to leave with its troops for another.
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