Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-18
yReIyIrs CONTRIBUTION OF ARMS.

VGRGINIAS CONTRIBUTION OF ARMS.
Tic annexed Rspor! Of Col Dinmoak O. isf Of the Ord
nance Department Of virgiLii, will show what the
Sae has done in tho way Of furnishing arms for the de-
ienca of Southern libery
HEADouARrss. OEDsAscE DIPARrxESr.
Richuefd Va, Oct 81, 1861.
Sir-I have the honor 10 ley bef re you
Statement A. containing Issues from the state Armo-
~ for the last years snd the As twelve moths
Statement B. containing is,ues from he Virginia MIL
tary Institute, from April 10. 1861, to September l6
1861.
Statement G, coutaiung transfer Of laboratory, ma.
chnery hands fixtures s1d muuions sppertaning there
TO- to the Consiera;e Stairs on the 18th June, 1867.
Statement D. c3nt,iniGg list OF articles remaining on
| hard the Isl November 1861.
Alter my Las, annual report and prior to the orgapza.
toa Of the Ordinances Department. engaged as Su
pera,endent Of the Arnory the reconstruction CT the
A-mory huidngs preparatory the introduction Of ma
chinery for the minu'actrre of small! arms.
had removed all the wood work from the ground
flo ,Is to the roof, aud was finishing the details Mr.
Adams the Master Armorer, being st the North pre-
plii1g the model muskst) when the Ordnance Dspart-
ment was orgnz d. and had the holor Of being placed
a. ts head. Beading the duties OF the two DEPART
msns, continued the pepara.ion Of the buildings SO
that when the mlchirery taken from Harpers Ferry
ald brought here il was put in placr and was neary
ready for cpaElop when the convention OF the State
thought proper transfer the 1hoc Enlistment, eI-
Gu i've Of tie State tcers to the Confederate Govern
ment, during tho p7tssnt war.
siderable c,rfuio, and delAv in The Ordnance D9n,r.
ment of tue sac, pressuglv erglgtd as it n pre-
parr z ans ss1dng to the field al kinds Of and
mu litions of war then most urgently demarded.
A /. was pos BIZ. the materials, cannon,
s,1.u orns AZ, h,l,neing to tho Safe rs remove5
tobacco fac cry il this city, where the operations Of
the dep utment renewed, ard are sti going on.
At ire organ z ron of the 0idoance Department, lst
~ :, "a IN, 49,. u Ia, G,,ar .nd Co.tI.n 40 c.
- M ,Soaa oonII'n Csn,.ir CogIIan ,sno,,aJ
;.,N,t. Css; o. 80 80 o. ,,.o q ~, ,s
=. ~, "a C.n,,r p.,So - ~ oaJ
a. "a VI n'S -. ~, 49, 80. A..
" IA n;s T.; ,hs rons.da,.,s = cSIano. nansr,.
- a,.o oa L aa Ii, IssI "a snhscansn,I as;pr.J
~, .o,".,;.,ie. o' - :; ~. So n,na,.men,
n DO sTb of ,r C,n,,n RncL bot, v,s annointed
49, IN "a rIna.1.S ;,nsSi,, H. aon.
80 ~ 80 ri n. IN Of Line whss he vss A.
tc5ei IN on1ss r,. serycs in tb VI ise legion where
he now il
Leuensnt Coonf Burton wa, opp,inted 10 tbis corpa
on the lat Jun, aud was assigned to the supe,inte
denes of the machinery deoartment IA the armory Il,
bed bis commission Ia the State service aoli he Ia.
Aucn,t when he rstigred
Omit, Garter continued in this Deparmert until the
18Th Jane when AZ hs own quest he WAS detached On
topf.dt rate ssr,ice. 10 which he now IA.
These pentIemep while Ia tho service Of the Stale.
n, frmad n. d,ti., assigned 10 them yery
pu ram Caotin Cogban who has be,n nm ,irpe In IL
nten,ion ami aj,hfpinee, fem the date OF bis oommi
- 81, b;s d. b,v, rsc.vsd mos, valu,h,s as.is,.
anco IN .vsrv b.,ncb az tho feryiee
Ycur excelercy will 1emember that this depsrtmeut
had no authority nor vas there Gny appropri,tou for
tie pu,chsss of rms munitions or macbp.s of war un.
t within fw days OF tn, massage cf ths ordnarc, of
scsssoo: tha, a, coon as was ed and had the
me n, IN nurcbase rent Nj. & Ad.ms tho master ar
n,,,er % b ETr,b r;,b m,a,a 10 nropra snch essen
,;,, a. ocssor COW m,cbIns. hnIla, m,cb;nss ssbres
nio's ra,blnss and otber Ari,s of which The STATE
was deGciu; ali th the public a-uouuc ,nent of the
state secession following 40 soon alter his leaving hefe
caused bin to fail in Obtaining single article and that
his return was only ,f c:ed by his Disgusting himsef
and pas iug rs a common laborer seeking work.
Fliirg 10 CD ain these in plrtant labor saving ma.
ch:nfs at tie time wtel the en.mey was approachi
this border Sar AID when no ammunition Of any kind
was prepared no clnCon carriages ready and great de-
fcenev existed In other esseuiis for troops takrg tho
6l his depsrment rad 10 tey soley ut on the upsid
ed humln hands. Takirg into consideration these dc.
f,isDd s-the limited AID crude materials at hand 10
work with and the fac, that the Gu uoyees and tpsra
tv,s ten into the v,rious dcuartmsps Of the labora
, we're almost en- i,ly perleuced IL Ia subieet Of
a,ssco that spch toTup,te resuls have hen arrived
., s L ,ho a.or,.nvirg .,stsmcn,s
r. 80 S,i ah4re srnnn-,red UsIe as, asded ,boss
ooaI N ha nerfo,msd in connection with the rsmev.I
81 ,ha u,Ter, Isr,y r,,cbnerv ard the o,dnanc and
s,or.' =, he ,;osna,y NV Ysra Prom The obsrss
the latter was. however. afer time relieved.
onlv refer to these matters that tho,e who rsoui
sitioa NAV nor have been rn as promptly and as ly
a, exo ced will understand :ha ases Of such failures
In connection with this subject of armed prepsrator
Il NAV not be GU of pce 20 refer 10 those distinguished
men whose conus,s prevailed tbs establishing nj of an
A,morv ard the n,rrv of sustsininpi n.
Reside, A l,te, numb r Of .nu,s, riae. pisto'si
s,bre,. g., e. there wrr mad, AZ this esabisbms,t
m arc ,han dry ye,rs ago. uOs,r of $50 iron 6eld
guns. These last had been preserved with care up TO
about ten years ago. whe1 the L.gi ure ordered th,m
to be sill Pndiag, however tha, bat one-hslf cf a
cent per pound could BE- obtiaed for them our dol ars
for pounderl, did not sell them o! these, large
numbsr well mounted, and with suitable ammunition,
were sent into the field before the battle Of Bethel and
the whole number, With the exception Of 27 pieces have
been sent 10 the field up to this date. Ia addition TO
these l62 other pieces OF various caibres hsvs teen
sent to the field as viii be seen by satemaLt A-nsk-
ing n all Sl5 p!,c,s These ars independent of any -
sues from the nayy ward
OF the large rumber OF n, lock muskets hch were
To he t,ksn nv Josenh r. Anderson 4 Co in mart nav