America’s Civil War: Arming the South With Guns From the North
By Gerard A. Patterson

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Wayne, a native of Savannah, was more than happy to assist his fellow Georgians despite the peculiar circumstances of their visit. He himself would resign from the Army in a matter of weeks, eventually becoming adjutant and inspector general of Georgia and later a Confederate brigadier general.

Upon reaching New York, Semmes and Hardee set up shop at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, a massive six-story structure facing Madison Square that had opened only the year before. Over the next 16 days they would meet with a procession of representatives from some of the best-known companies in the country. When it came to negotiating and signing contracts, Hardee—because of his active military status—apparently deferred to Semmes.

Amazingly, the Georgians were able to conduct their business somewhat openly, without interference from federal, state or local authorities. On December 11, the “Arrivals in the City” column of The New York Times noted: “Lieut-Col. Hardee of the U.S. Army; G.P. Moores and lady of Baltimore; Col. Crocker of Milwaukee; C.B. Rundell and Paul J. Semmes, of the U.S. Army, are at the Fifth-avenue Hotel.” Hardee was being open about his identity, but Semmes chose to disguise his true affiliation.

As soon as they were settled in, Semmes began an almost daily ritual of writing Brown at the state capital in Milledgeville in a businesslike manner, invariably “enclosing herewith” another contract he had signed. It was strictly one-way communication, as the governor thought it wise not to correspond with his emissary in New York.

Semmes attempted to address the need for artillery pieces when, on December 19, he contracted with Robert P. Parrott to buy 16 of the rifled cannons that bore his name—the soon-to-be famous Parrott Guns. The 1,000-pound cannons were to be cast at the supplier’s foundry upstate. Included in the transaction were 3,500 rounds of solid shot and 4,000 shells, as well as 100,000 pounds of lead.

In notifying Brown of the deal, Semmes said “the rifle cannon is as yet an experiment” but insisted that “its marked superiority over the smooth bore is acknowledged by all.” Ultimately the deal fell through. Parrott was one of the few Northern suppliers the Georgians would deal with who apparently had second thoughts before delivery was made.

The Parrott arrangement was petty compared to the one Semmes entered into the next day with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. for tons of musket and cannon powder, cartridges and percussion caps, all to be delivered by ship from Philadelphia to Savannah. Lest Brown be concerned with how all these explosives were going to be stored, Semmes informed him in a follow-up letter: “Your Excellency will find herewith enclosed, a plan & specifications for a Powder magazine…which will hold when full 1250 barrels of 100 pounds of powder—furnished at my request by E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. of Wilmington, Del., from whom the powder was purchased.”

On December 21, the Colt manufacturing company of Hartford,?Conn., was ready to meet Georgia’s needs, agreeing to provide “300 of Colt’s new model army pistols which are to be delivered on shipboard in two weeks.” The company, Semmes let Brown know, “is now filling an order for several thousand of these pistols for the United States government at the price agreed by me.”

The next day Semmes had another contract to send, this one with the Augustus Veile Co. of West Troy, N.Y., for 18 siege gun carriages and a variety of artillery equipment, from horse harnesses to gun sights. At one point the purchasing agent was solicited by an aggressive supplier who addressed him in a note as “Genl Semmes” for some reason and informed him: “We have just got hold of 930 Enfield Rifles, those made by Robbins & Lawrence for the British Government. Every one inspected by said Govt—Entirely new—never out of case since inspection—there is a great demand for these now but we thought best to mention to you before they were sold. Should you want them please let us Know as Early as you can.”

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