Benjamin Strong Jr. to William Phillips
Title
Benjamin Strong Jr. to William Phillips
Creator
Strong, Benjamin, 1872-1928
Identifier
WWP18543
Date
1917 February 26
Description
Benjamin Strong Jr. writes William Phillips regarding a book on supplies for the Confederate Army.
Source
Benjamin Strong Jr. Papers, New York Federal Reserve Bank
Language
English
Text
Denver, Colorado,
PERSONAL.
My dear Phillips:
With this I am enclosing a letter to Basil Miles, answering one just received, which I am again forwarding to you to go in the Embassy Pouch, if not taking liberties with your courtesy in that regard.
I have just come across a curious little book in the Public Library out here and am wondering whether you have heard of it. It is entitled - “The Supplies for the Confederate Army, How They Were Obtained in Europe and How Paid For” by Caleb Huse, Major and Purchasing Agent, C.S.A., published in 1904 by T. R. Marvin & Son, Boston.
This little book of thirty-six pages is a rather brief and sketchy account of the experiences of the author covering a period of three or four years while he was acting as Purchasing Agent abroad, under commission from Jefferson Davis from 1861 to 1864.
Huse graduated from West Point, accepted an appointment as military instructor in a souther academy just before the outbreak of the war, resigned from the army, then accepted a Confederate commission and at once went to Europe as Purchasing Agent. The interesting matter contained in the book consists of an account of the purchase of 100,000 rifles and 10 batteries of artillery, consisting of 60 pieces, from the Austrian government which were delivered to him at the Governemments Arsenal at Vienna, and subsequently deliverded via Hamburg and Bermuda, notwithstanding the protests of the United States Minister, Mr. Motley.
Major Huse died quite recently but prior to his death he purchased a place and established a school of preparation for West Point somewhere on the Hudson, near the Academy, and I first heard of him through a retired United States army officer, who knew him quite well in his West Point days and frequently talked with him of his experiences during the Civil War.
I doubt if the book has much historical value and there are one or two pieces where I am inclined to doubt the accuracy of the statements it contains, but it does throw an interesting side light on this question of minitions traffic and I thought if you had not seen it, you might be interested in looking it up. Doubtless there is a copy in the library in Washington; if not, possibly I can arrange to have this one sent to you
.Hoping that you fellows are not being worked to death and with kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
PERSONAL.
My dear Phillips:
With this I am enclosing a letter to Basil Miles, answering one just received, which I am again forwarding to you to go in the Embassy Pouch, if not taking liberties with your courtesy in that regard.
I have just come across a curious little book in the Public Library out here and am wondering whether you have heard of it. It is entitled - “The Supplies for the Confederate Army, How They Were Obtained in Europe and How Paid For” by Caleb Huse, Major and Purchasing Agent, C.S.A., published in 1904 by T. R. Marvin & Son, Boston.
This little book of thirty-six pages is a rather brief and sketchy account of the experiences of the author covering a period of three or four years while he was acting as Purchasing Agent abroad, under commission from Jefferson Davis from 1861 to 1864.
Huse graduated from West Point, accepted an appointment as military instructor in a souther academy just before the outbreak of the war, resigned from the army, then accepted a Confederate commission and at once went to Europe as Purchasing Agent. The interesting matter contained in the book consists of an account of the purchase of 100,000 rifles and 10 batteries of artillery, consisting of 60 pieces, from the Austrian government which were delivered to him at the Governemments Arsenal at Vienna, and subsequently deliverded via Hamburg and Bermuda, notwithstanding the protests of the United States Minister, Mr. Motley.
Major Huse died quite recently but prior to his death he purchased a place and established a school of preparation for West Point somewhere on the Hudson, near the Academy, and I first heard of him through a retired United States army officer, who knew him quite well in his West Point days and frequently talked with him of his experiences during the Civil War.
I doubt if the book has much historical value and there are one or two pieces where I am inclined to doubt the accuracy of the statements it contains, but it does throw an interesting side light on this question of minitions traffic and I thought if you had not seen it, you might be interested in looking it up. Doubtless there is a copy in the library in Washington; if not, possibly I can arrange to have this one sent to you
.Hoping that you fellows are not being worked to death and with kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Original Format
Letter
To
William Phillips
Files
Collection
Citation
Strong, Benjamin, 1872-1928, “Benjamin Strong Jr. to William Phillips,” 1917 February 26, WWP18543, Benjamin Strong Jr. Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.