CHAP, xxvin.] AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865. 445 



it could be thrown about like a rope , and by simply 

 facing to the right or left, and double-quicking in the 

 same direction, every man could be quickly concentrated 

 at any point where it was desirable to mass them. 



" It must be remembered that Morgan very rarely 

 fought with the army ; he had to make his command a 

 self-sustaining one. If repulsed he could not fall back 

 and re-form behind the infantry. He had to fight 

 infantr}'', cavalry, artillery ; take towns when every 

 house was a garrison, and attack fortifications with 

 nothing to depend on but his own immediate command. 

 He was obliged, therefore, to adopt a method which 

 enabled him to do a great deal in a short time, and to 

 keep his men always in hand whether successful or 

 repulsed. With his support from four to five hundred 

 miles distant, an officer had better learn to rely on 

 himself." 



In reference to the armament of Morgan's command, 

 the weapon that was always preferred by both officers 

 and men was the medium Enfield — but, as in many of 

 the other Southern partisan corps, the men were at first 

 armed with what they could get. The consequence was 

 that when Morgan's regiment was organised, one company 

 was armed with the long Enfield, another with the 

 medium, and a third with the short Enfield — a fourth 

 had Mississippi rifles, a fifth shot guns or fowling-pieces, 

 while the sixth company carried a species of Enfield 

 carbine. Nearly every man had a revolver, some two ; 

 when they had captured sufficient, each man was provided 

 with a pair. The pistol best liked and most used was 

 the army Colt revolver.' 



In addition to the mounted riflemen Morgan had two 

 mountain howitzers that could be drawn by two horses 

 each, over almost any kind of ground. These cannon 

 were of the greatest service, and the men became much 

 attached to them. They called them aff"ectionate]y the 

 " bull pups," and cheered them loudly whenever they 

 were being taken into action.^ 



Such was the armament and method of fighting of 

 ^ History of Morgan's Cavalry, 178. « ibid. 179. 



