COOK & BROTHER

CONFEDERATE ARMORY

To this building in 1862 was brought the machinery of the armory

established in New Orleans at the outbreak of the War by Ferdinand

W.C. and Francis L. Cook, recent English immigrants, the former a

skilled engineer for the manufacture of Enfield rifles, bayonets and

cavalry horse shoes. Said to be the largest and most efficient pri-

vate armory in the Confederacy. It produced a rifle declared by an

ordnance officer to be “superior to any that I have seen of South-

ern manufacture.” Under contract to supply 30,000 rifles to the

Confederate Army the armory operated until its employees, organized

as a reserve battalion under Major Ferdinand and Captain Francis Cook,

were in 1864 called to active duty upon the approach of Sherman’s

army. The battalion took part in the battles of Griswoldville, Grahamville, Honey Hill and Savannah where Major. Cook was killed.

After Grisoldville Gen. P.J. Phillips reported that Maj. Cook and his

men “participated fully in the action, deported themselves gallantly

and … . suffered much from wounds and death.” Leased by the Con-

federacy in 1865 the armory was operated until the close of the

War. The property was bought by the Athens Manufacturing Co. in 1870.

029-2 GEORGIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 1955