I had fun all day yesterday going through the O.R. I concentrated on the period around the Battle of Tishomingo Creek. I saved all the messages and poked through them. What I learned was General Withers had sent a stand of 3,000 arms from Montgomery to Selma where it was redirected by General S. C. Lee to Forrest.
On December 4, 1863, Union General S. A. Hurlbut wrote...
"Colonel Bell (Forrest's) came to Gibson County with 575 men; brought 1,000 Enfields and 60,000 rounds."
On February 18th, 1864 General Forrest wrote...
"Have just learned that General Clark, or Governor Clark, has some ammunition, caliber .54. Cannot some of it-say 50,000 rounds-be sent up on hand-cars to Atresia? I can get along with that amount, having plenty for all other arms except the Austrian rifles and Sharps rifles. The ammunition, I understand, is at Macon or Columbus."
On February 20th, 1864 General S. D. Lee wrote...
". Forrest needs ammunition, caliber .54; at least 50,000 rounds."
What weapon was this? It could be the Hall's carbine or Austrian Lorenz Rifle Musket used heavily by the Army of Tennessee or even some Sharps weapons.
On February 29th, 1864 Ass. Adj. Gen. J. P Strange wrote...
"General Forrest...He directed me to say to you that he desired all the teams to be in as good order as possible, the weak and broken-down mules to be exchanged for other in good condition; that you would send all the surplus ammunition, if any, together with such as may not be of the right kind, to this point; also, that you will exchange, all the muskets as far as it can be done for others guns of caliber. 54, placing all (if it can be done) Enfield rifles in one regiment. You will order all the gunsmiths and tools, in charge of an ordnance sergeant, to this point to report ot General Ruggles' chief of ordnance, who will procure suitable buildings and put them to work..."
"MERIDIAN, MISS., May 17, 1864.
Major-General FORREST,
Tupelo:
I send you 3,000 stand of arms to-morrow from Demopolis, and about 2,000 accouterments. Has Gholson's brigade got accouterments? Did you receive the countermand to your move?
S. D. LEE,
Major-General, Commanding Department."
Forrest had asked for more arms planning to move into Tennessee, but his rear would have been very weak without the arms...
" Take the 3,500 best armed and equipped for the expedition ordered and 1,400 at Grenada and Panola, and it would leave General Chalmers here with balance of his division and Gholson's brigade with less than 700 guns."
Also Forrest was halted from moving into Tennessee by General S. D. Lee due to changing developments in the area.
"TUPELO, May 17, 1864.
Major-General LEE:
Dispatch received. Will await further orders. Will be at Corinth to-morrow. Write you fully this evening. N. B. FORREST,
Major-General."
By May 21, 1864 HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, FORREST'S CAVALRY, Tupelo, Miss., sent out orders to it's commands to..
"The troops will be provided with two days' cooked rations, one day's forage of shelled corn in forage-sacks, and sixty rounds of ammunition to the man, forty of which will be carried in cartridge-boxes and twenty in the ordnance wagons...A supply of arms is expected by the train to-day. You will send in your ordnance officer at once with requisition for such arms and ammunition as you may need..."
40 Rounds of ammunition for a cavarly sized cartridge box sounds like alot, but not for infantry size cartridge boxes.
On June 21, 1864, J. B. Russell, Chief Ordnance Officer of Forrest's Division wrote about what was captured at Tishomingo Creek...
"Stand small-arms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,500
Cap-pouches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 60
Cartridge-boxes. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 514
Rounds small-arms cartridges. . . .. . . . . . 300,000 "
Did Forrest keep these weapons?
On August 20, 1864, General Maury wrote to Mississippi Governor Clark...
"The arms intended for you were sent to Forrest on the 17th. Captain Evans explained the facts to Mr. Browne, Colonel Stewart's clerk. There are now here and at Demopolis enough arms to meet the call in your telegram just received (2,000). The supply of ammunition at hand is very small, but I am convinced that it will be properly increased in full time. Forrest's ordnance officer reports 100 rounds on hand for all Enfield rifles with Forrest. This can be divided out to all Enfield rifles you may immediately send (with your troops) to Forrest. there are enough of small-arms to furnish all the troops yet reported in this State and Alabama."
Fun stuff!
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David Upton