Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-11-20
The Arms of the state.

In the local column of the Dispatch, yesterday the
following article containing much valuable and timely in
formation, appears
volunteer infantry Of the State that 5000 smoothbore
percussion purchased by the Commissioners from
United States Government have been received at the
Armory in this city Experienced officers OF the regular
service consider this better weapon for volunteers than
the Hed musket Although its range is less and its ac
curacy when firing at small objects is not great the
rifed musket in the hands Of good rifle shot, yet, in
firing at masses az ordinary ranges and with unpractised
troops il is efficient nasmueh as it can be loaded
with more rapidty does not foul or Lead carries both
ball and buckshOt and i not so delicate and so liable TO
get out Of order as The Minnie musket
Be this as Il may however, it the only reliable
muske the Commissioners could get, and they had no
option but 70 take it. The Government will not sell
Minnie muskets, there being no law authorizing such
sale aud no private arms company can get ready TO
manufacture ried muskets which will stand the Govern
nens proofs sooner than it be done at the Armory
here.
We are informed that requisi,on has been made the
War Department for 900 more Of the smoothbore per-
cuson musket aud it is supposed that there about
600 nov in the hands of the volunteers. We shall soon
have therefore, 10000 ofthem. 10000 hntlock muskes,
OF the United States make equal IN quality TO the others,
aud with nts in them have been reserved by the Com
missioners from the sold to Mr.. Anderson, until
1000 Of the new rs muskets have been manufactured
Mexico and considered by high authority, as not at
al inferior to the percussion musket
contract has been made for the requisite accoutre
meuts 500 sets Of which have been delivered and the
delivery will progress at the rate Of at least 800 sets
week until the wants Of the volunteers supplied
The State therefore, is nearly ready to send 10000 in
fantry the Geld.
Ia addition TO thirty or forty bronze ielt-peces al
ready possessed by the State the Commissioners have
purchased thirteen ron-raed field guns OF the Parrot
81. Dbl hall To-, ,v,N
have obtained by requstoS six twelvepounders, navy
how,zers one OF them ried These last are not only
provided with navy carriages, which enables them TO
be put in boats and used in creeks and rivers but
will soon have army carriages and will constitute for
mdable battery Of mountain howitzers, They cannot
be transported on horses but will be light enough to
traverse our mountain regions With ease
Without counting the large number Of smooth-bore
iron pieces Of various cabre in our arsena we have at
least sixty bronze aud red eldpleces and hoEitzers
and can equip ten batteries Of six. fifteen OF four
pieces each eontrc; has been made for 5000 shells
aad shrap1e besides those purchased with the Parrot
guns.
Arrangements have been made to manufacture Bro
fuzs here aud to purchase friction primers for the
artillery and balls and percussion caps for the infantry
And have heretofore said, five hundred barrels
Of Dapout powder have been purchased and stored in
magazines built for the purpose here and at Lexington
Nor have the cavalry been neglected. Two thousand
new slbre have been purchased and thousands old
oues OF excellent temper have been and scabbarded.
One thousand revoyers OF the pattern used 10 the Eng
sh army, known as the Dean Adams pistol, have also
been bought, and now in the Annoy undergoing
zeal inspection before being paid for. Two hundred
light artillery sabres Of the United States pattern have
been bought and these well the cavalry sa6res,
we're inspected under special order procured from the
War Department by the United States inspecting oi
GERS aud passed al toe Government tests.
From the foregoing statement it will be seen that We
can at this present tme arm efficiently about twenty
five thousand men Of all This is about Il per cent.
OF our entire popultona proportion rot inferior the
standing armies Of the great military Powers Of Europe,
and force greater than the State could keepin the field
We learn, also that the model of the new Virginia
musket has been determined on, after consultation with
the Ordinance officers Of the regular service with our
Master Armorer Mr.. Adams and with Mr.. Burton, the
late Master Armorer OF the great Eafed establishment
in England. and after experiments at Lexington with the
L. ; Minnie nusket and the Enfield musket.
"The Virginia musket will be a combination of the T.
$ rided musket and the Brt,h Enfield muske and it Is
hoped will possess the advantage Of both The model
81 nov being constructed at Springfield, under Mr.
Adams supervision, and by special permission Of the
War Department the State defraying the cost. When
completed it will be used in getting up the machinery
for our Armory here.
"In determining the model arm, the Commissioners
we're necessarily obliged TO decide upon the relative me-
s Of muzzelosdng and breeeh loading arms for imam
try Wishing be governed by practical experience in
this matter and by theory they applied 10 the War
Department through Senators, Messrs. Mason and
Hunter for information TO the uSlges Of the Euro
pean armies in the particular and learned from the Or
dnance Bureau that far as the Department ill.,
formed al the great armies of Europe adhered 10 the
muzzle-lOading musket tor infantry.
They then instituted course OF experiments az Lex
ngton under the charge Of Moi Cos:on, test the
.tive merits Of muzzle and brecchoading musSets and
the result was a report from him, recommending most
decidedly adherence TO the muzzle-loading musket