Brazoria
County brothers make guns for the South... It
is a well-known fact that during the American Civil War, the North
had the larger amount of resources when it came to manufacturing
weapons. That part of the country had most of the factories and other essential things required to supply troops in the field. The
U.S. Army, it
seems, had every advantage when it came to ordinance and raw
material. You would think that with so many advantages, the North
would have crushed the rebel army in a matter of days. We
know however, that it was not to be — and thousands of young
men, most of them Americans, were slaughtered on battlefields from
Virginia to Texas — the worst tragedy in the history of the
United States. It
is my belief that the tremendous number of casualties in this
conflict can be attributed, in part, to the invention of improved
weapons. Much has been written about the gun manufacturers of the
North — but the South had weapon factories too, and some of them
were in Texas. Growing
up in Brazoria County, I had often heard the old-timers talk of a
gun factory that was located at East Columbia. According to The
Handbook of Texas, J.H. Dance and his brothers came to Texas
from North Carolina in 1848. They opened a metal and ironwork
factory at East Columbia and prospered in the manufacture of
gristmills and cotton gins. When
the Civil War broke out James Dance enlisted with the Brazoria
Volunteers. He later became a first lieutenant with the
Thirty-fifth Texas Cavalry. His brothers George, David, and Isaac
also enlisted, but they were assigned to continue the operation of
their factory. The Confederate Army needed weapons and the Dance
boys were determined to do their part. The
Dance's steam factory on the Brazos River began to mount cannons
and repair wagons for the Confederate Army. They were also
grinding cornmeal for the troops. George Dance, in April of 1862,
requested that the government send him $5,000 to finance the
production of firearms. He received some aid and had hoped to
produce 50 revolvers a week. Production
was slow however, and the Dances had only delivered about a dozen
of their Colt-style revolvers by October of 1862. These guns were
shipped to the arsenal at San Antonio. When
U.S. troops captured Matagorda Island, the citizens of Brazoria
County were sure that the area would soon be invaded. The
Confederate government decided to move the Dance factory farther
inland and out of harm's way. The Dances were relocated to a site
in Grimes County where they built a powder mill and another pistol
factory. As
the war was nearing its conclusion, the Dance brothers shipped out
the last 25 of their six-shot pistols on April 18, 1865, to the
Houston Depot of Supplies. When the conflict was over, the Dances
returned to East Columbia and the manufacture of gristmills and
cotton gins. *I
would love to see a Dance revolver. I'm not sure if there are any
photographs of one. They are considered one of the most highly
prized antique weapons, valued for their fine craftsmanship as
well as their rarity. It is believed that fewer than 400 were
produced between July 1862 and May 1865. They were copies of the
six-shot Colt pattern and were made in both .44 and .36 caliber. The
Dance brothers proved that resourceful individuals can adapt to
all situations, both in war and peace. The resilient old firm of
J.H. Dance and Company is known to have prospered long after the
war ended.
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