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[Illustration: Caleb Huse]




DEAR SIR:--

In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitably
entertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks," on the Hudson,
just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatly
interested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences as
agent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate States
during the Civil war.

I was so impressed by this unique bit of history that I succeeded, after
much urging, in inducing him to write it, believing that it should be
preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish it.

His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume,
but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for.

I am sending you herewith a copy of this pamphlet. If you wish to keep
it, please send 25 cents in enclosed coin card. If you do not want it,
please return it flat by pasting the enclosed stamped and addressed
envelope on the enclosing envelope.

  Yours truly,

  J. S. ROGERS.

  Room 118, Barristers Hall,
  15 Pemberton Square,
  Boston, Mass.



THE SUPPLIES

FOR THE

CONFEDERATE ARMY


HOW THEY WERE OBTAINED IN EUROPE
AND HOW PAID FOR


PERSONAL REMINISCENCES AND
UNPUBLISHED HISTORY


BY

CALEB HUSE

MAJOR AND PURCHASING AGENT, C. S. A.


BOSTON

PRESS OF T. R. MARVIN & SON

1904




BY JAMES S. ROGERS

BOSTON, MASS.




In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitably
entertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks," on the Hudson,
just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatly
interested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences as
agent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate States
during the Civil war.

So impressed were they by this unique bit of history that they
succeeded, after much urging, in inducing him to write it, believing
that it should be preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish
it.

His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume,
but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for.

If the cost of publication is not met by the nominal price charged for
this pamphlet, the satisfaction of preserving the record in print will
compensate for any loss sustained by the

  TWO FRIENDS.

  _August, 1904._




REMINISCENCES


On my return in May, 1860, from a six months' leave of absence spent in
Europe, I found an appointment as professor of chemistry and commandant
of cadets in the University of Alabama awaiting my acceptance. During my
absence the President of the University and a committee of the Board of
Trustees visited West Point and the Virginia Military Institute and,
pleased with the discipline of both institutions, decided to adopt the
military system, and applied to Colonel Delafield, then the
Superintendent at West Point, for an officer to start them. Col.
Delafield gave them my name but was unable to say whether or not I would
resign from the army. I was then a first lieutenant of artillery; and,
as such, was on the rolls of the garrison of Fort Sumter.

I accepted the position and began my duties in September. My leave of
absence had expired in May; but the authorities of the University,
fearing that I might regret severing irrevocably my connection with the
army--which I had entered as a cadet at sixteen--obtained from the
Secretary of War an extension of the leave till May, 1861, when I was to
resign if all was satisfactory at that time.

It is proper to mention here that the introduction of military drill and
discipline at the State University had no connection whatever with any
secession movement in Alabama, and the fact that a Massachusetts-born
man and of Puritan descent was selected to inaugurate the system, will,
or ought to be, accepted as confirmatory of this assertion.

Discipline was almost at an end at the University, and in seeking ways
and means for restoring it, the attention of the Faculty and Trustees
was directed to the Virginia Military Institute which had been in
successful operation for about fifty years. As this institution had been
organized by a graduate of West Point, and in some respects resembled
the United States Military Academy, it was hoped that in Alabama good
results might be secured by the adoption of similar methods.

Military drill is taught at the present time in many schools and
colleges, but the intention of the Alabama University authorities was
not merely to drill students, but to hold them under military restraint,
as is effectually done at West Point, and, I may add, as cannot be done
in any college designed to qualify young men to become civilian members
of a great republic.

West Point and Annapolis have proved themselves noble institutions for
the purpose for which they were designed--that of training young men to
become officers over other men--but the mission of these schools is not
to fit young men for civil life. Their methods cannot be grafted upon
literary or technical civil institutions, and it is not desirable that
they should be applied to civil colleges or schools of any kind. But the
University of Alabama was a military college so far as concerned
discipline, and to this end I was given a Colonel's commission by the
Governor of the State, with two assistants, one a major, the other a
captain. Tents, arms and infantry equipments were purchased of the
United States Government, and a uniform similar to that of the West
Point cadets was adopted. The students were assembled on the first of
September, and a camp established on the University grounds. Drills were
inaugurated at once and regular camp duties were required and performed.

Everything seemed to be progressing very satisfactorily till one day,
some three weeks after the pitching of the camp, the President of the
University (Dr. Garland) desired to see me at his office. On entering I
found him and a trusted professor awaiting my coming, with disturbed
looks. No time was wasted in the preliminaries; Dr. Garland came to the
point at once by telling me that there was a mutiny brewing in my camp
which it would be impossible for me to quell. He then explained that the
cadets were dissatisfied because I was a northern-born man; that they
called me a d----d Yankee, and intended running me out of the State. He
thought they would be successful, for the ringleaders were old students
who had given a great deal of trouble before I came, and, what made the
matter worse, these students were sons of influential men in the State,
and the mothers of the mutineers were encouraging them.

I asked if any of the Trustees or the Faculty wished me to resign and
was assured of the contrary. I then said that, but for one thing, I
should have no hesitation in resigning. The cadets, backed by their
families, had threatened to run me out of the State; I should put upon
them the responsibility of executing their threat; I should not resign.
I went back to camp and never heard anything more about the "mutiny."

I mention this incident only to show the feeling existing in an extreme
southern State at that time--less than two months before the election of
President Lincoln.

The story of the intended mutiny was well founded, and was only one
phase of the general feeling of unrest throughout Alabama. But, even at
that time, which was within six weeks of election day, the idea of
secession did not prevail. Probably had its people been called upon to
vote on the question, there would have been a very large majority
against secession. After the election in November the unrest manifestly
increased, and conservative men began to consider secession possible and
even probable.

At the University there was no excitement. Instruction went on as usual
and the era of orderly deportment, begun in camp, continued, much to the
satisfaction of every one and especially to the citizens of Tuscaloosa.
But military discipline, to which, as admitted by every one, the
improved deportment was due, added to the outgo of the University
without materially increasing its income, and the only hope of obtaining
money to meet the increased expenses was through an appropriation by the
Legislature. To secure this, President Garland proposed that the
battalion of Cadets--for so the students were called--should go to
Montgomery and be reviewed by the Governor and by the Legislature, which
was then in session.

This idea was strongly opposed not only by members of the Faculty but by
men whose sons were in the University. The fear prevailed that the
students would be unmanageable under the many temptations which
Montgomery would afford, and that even the well-meant hospitality of the
citizens, which was sure to be generous, would cause trouble. Whether to
make the trip or not was left to my decision. I decided without
hesitation in favor of the expedition, and arrangements were made for
two steamboats, one to take us down the Black Warrior, the other for the
journey up the Alabama to Montgomery.

In Mobile the cadets were cordially received, and conducted themselves
to my entire satisfaction. On the steamboats their behavior was all that
could be desired, and in Montgomery everybody was proud of their
appearance and deportment. For sleeping accommodations the cadets
carried their own blankets and turned in on the floor of a large hall.
Camp discipline was maintained and perfect order prevailed.

The battalion was reviewed in front of the State House by the Governor
and both Houses of the Legislature, and everything passed off most
satisfactorily. In the evening, after the review, a committee of the
Legislature called on me and asked what I wanted. The reply was: An
annual appropriation so long as the military organization was maintained
at the University.

I remember that a cousin of Senator John P. Hale of New Hampshire (one
of the most pronounced abolitionists of the country) was a member of
the committee. He said to me: "Now you come up to the House tomorrow and
see how we will put this matter through." I did so, and certainly it was
"put through," for, while I was there the bill was given all its
readings--the rules being suspended for the purpose--and it was taken to
the Senate and similarly rushed. The Governor signed it, and the next
day the cadets started on their return home.

We had left Tuscaloosa in a heavy rain-storm, escorted to the
steamboat--some two miles--by the Montgomery Guards. The trip had been
entirely successful and there had not been a case of misbehavior from
start to finish. Of course drinking was the one thing to be feared, and
when one considers all the temptations on the steamboats and in Mobile
and Montgomery, it is a little remarkable that there were no infractions
of the rules, one of which was that no cadet should enter a bar-room on
pain of instant dismissal.

As already stated, I went to the University of Alabama under leave of
absence which was to terminate in May, 1861. In February I received an
order revoking the unexpired portion of my leave and directing me to
report for duty in Washington. I replied that my leave was granted with
the understanding that I was to resign at its expiration, and as I saw
no reason to alter my determination, I offered my resignation. There was
no expectation on my part that my future would be any other than such as
my position as professor in the University of Alabama would occasion.

My resignation was accepted February 25th. In April--I think it was
April 1st--I received a telegram from the Confederate States Secretary
of the Navy Mallory, to "come to Montgomery and take a commission for
active service." I think I am quoting the words of the message. I
started without delay, and on arriving in Montgomery was introduced to
Secretary of War Walker, who soon said to me: "The President has
designated you to go to Europe for the purchase of arms and military
supplies; when can you go?" I replied that, of course, I could go
immediately, but if any preparations were to be made which would
require time, I should like to return to my family before starting.
"Take ten days," said he. "Be back here at the end of that time." I was
then introduced to Col. Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, to whom I was to
report.

I returned to Tuscaloosa and early in the morning of the tenth day of my
leave of absence, I drove into Montgomery on the top of a stage-coach.
When near the town we met a man on horseback who shouted that Beauregard
had opened fire on Sumter. By this I know that it was April 12th. There
was naturally much excitement in Montgomery, especially about the War
and Navy Departments.

On reporting to Col. Gorgas, I found that no arrangements had been made
for my going to Europe. I had no orders and did not know what I was