Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, May 1999 Page: 55
[57] p. : ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Reminiscences of the Old Brigade
with us their last rations, and did all in their
power to shield us from harm and to carry our
banner to victory.
October 13, 1887
Chapter II
Reason for the Organization of Sibley's
Brigade and the Expedition to
Arizona and New Mexico, etc., etc.
As has been before stated, when the Con-
federate government was formed, it was poor,
without an army or navy, without arms or am-
munition to supply an army, and having no
money to buy arms with.
Born in 1861, while yet in its very infancy
it found that it not only had one of the richest
and most powerful nations on earth to contend
with, who had an unlimited supply of money, a
grand army and a powerful navy, but every
other nation on earth was disposed to give that
nation all the secret assistance they could, and
to frown upon the new born infant. The United
States had the entire world to recruit from; the
Confederate States had to rely upon her sons
alone.
Yet the people of the South, aware of all
this, were undismayed, for they had perfect con-
fidence in the patriotism, courage and endur-
ance of the sons of the South.
And while the ready manner in which those
sons responded to the call increased that confi-
dence, yet the want of arms was a sore draw-
back on the success of the southern arms.
Looking back now at the commencement
of that struggle seeing the South spring as if by
magic into a confederacy with valiant warriors
at her command, one can call it the battle be-
tween the giant and the baby in which the giant
was badly wounded until the baby by its own
tremendous exertions necessarily exercised to
content with a giant, became exhausted by the
force of its own efforts.But in those first days of our struggle while
the sons of the South eagerly tendered their
services to the South, yet the impossibility of
arming them compelled the southern leaders to
decline the services of many who offered them-
selves.
It was inability to procure arms that caused
Johnston and Beauregard to have to struggle at
Bull Run against a superior force, for at this
early day the people of the North underrated
the soldery qualities of the southern soldier,
and really thought that with seventy-five thou-
sand men they could dictate terms of peace to
us in Richmond in ninety days.
It was this inability to procure arms in the
early days of our struggle, that caused Johnston
and Beauregard to have no reserve force at Bull
Run with which to pursue the routed foe, and
reap the rich harvest of a brilliant victory.
It was this inability to procure sufficient
arms for our soldery that prevented Johnson
and Beauregard from pursuing the routed foe
to Washington City, and taking possession of
the capitol of the enemy.
It was this inability to procure arms that
caused Stonewall Jackson to have to contend
against such desperate odds; and, it was this
inability to procure arms that contributed largely
to our final defeat.
The leaders of our government were in-
formed that there were many thousands stands
of arms belonging to the United States govern-
ment stored in the different forts of Arizona
and New Mexico.
They were also further informed, and be-
lieved it to be true, that if those Territories were
taken possession of and held by our forces, that
many of the citizens there would flock to our
standard and enlist under our banner.
And it is a fact, too, that had the southern
arms have taken possession of and held those
Territories, that many good soldiers could have
been obtained from those people, as it resulted
however, all the troops we got from there were55
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Nesbitt Memorial Library. Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, May 1999, periodical, May 1999; Columbus, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151406/m1/7/?q=nesbitt%20memorial%20library%20journal: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nesbitt Memorial Library.