, 1862-04-03

tTacted for, cost tho Government sainetee,, dol
lars apiece Major Hagner testified before the
Committee on Government Contracts last fall,
{page 26 Of their report) that the average cost
OF muskets, rifles, pistols and carbines should
not exceed twelve dollars and a half each. His
estimate Of the number required, in addition
to those in the Government arsenals, WAS only
three hundrcd Thousand. This, however, was
upon an estimate Of half million soldiers.
The addition Of two hundred thousand to the
lumber Of troops would necessitate cores
pondiDg addition to the number Of arms,
bringing it up to half million pieces necessa-
r. to be bought Il appears that rather more
than four times this number hare been pur-
chased and contracted for.
The largest single transaction Of tho Gov
firm Of q. Boxer s. Co., so Cliff street, New
York. On the 4tl day of September, 1861,
Boxer & Co. addressed Secretary Cameron
offering the Department ttupaoards Of one
hundred thousand stand of arms, rifed per-
cusion muskets, new and in good condition. j"
IheEc arms we're offered s@at price not ez-
ccc:ing eighteen dollars each" They also
rendered, in the same letter, "18, 900 cavalry
satrcs ct a price not to exceed $3.50 apiece. il
These arms, they said, were in Europe, ready
to be shipped. bIr. Cameron accepted the
offer the following day, {Sept. s. having first
procured the following endorsement on the
back Of the Boxer proposition:
II 1approvc the carrying this through carefully,
cautiously, ard expeditioasly. Ayoidconhicts and
interference. 4. LINCOLN
September s, 1861 '~'-''
Mr.. Lincoln has no recollection Of the mat
ter except that the Government was IN great
need Of arms, and his special authority was
sought in this case-the details be left, OF
course, to the Department; all Of which was
natural and proper. Mr.. Camcron's letter to
Boxer i Co., dated Sept. 5, 1861, says he ac-
eepts the offer, "tle price not to exceed SIS
was fixed for either the mnskets or the sabres,
and the reason will be found in the sequel.
Mr- Cameron then appointed q Mr. George
Wright to so to Europe With Boxers agent 10
inspect ana receive Ike arms, and Gen. Ripley
gave Dir: Geo. Wright his Instructions in let
arms must be Of one calibre, and TINT calibre
| must be either SO (ifty-eight hundredths OF
an inch,) or 60, "or with such slight Shades
Of difference that they will take one ammu.
milton for those ca1ibres.''
Early III October Mr. q. Boxer writes from
some part Of Europe (place not designated)
that he cannot furnish 77!Ned muskets Of IS aud
;Ga calibrc, but that he and Mr. Geo. Wright
think that smooth bore Of 10 or .72 ca1ibre a
preferable arm, and th8t he can furnish the
latter without delay. On the Esd Of October
Gen: Ripley, to whom the matter is referred,
! according to Mr. Boxers desires, stipulati1e,
however, that the arms shall be 'f1rst-class,7
I and all Of o7.e cal5brc. This is approved by Mr.
Cameron, but nothing is said about prices.
Mr. George Wright then comes on the carpet
with a letter stating that be cannot 1inspcct''
| the arms Tithin the time specified, nor any.
thing like it, because they are scattered all
sytr FAnce, Belgium, Austria and Prussia
! Nevertheless, on the 10th Of January last
| Cen Ripley Is advised Of the arrival Of arms
I in considerable quantities, and he addresses i
note to Secretary Cameron asking for a copy
| nj fEn u rrrfY7of ~ Ex1h hoe
to refer to it; to which he receives no reply,
because there is no contract.
On the 18th Of February, Capt. 8. Crispin
Of the Ordnance Department, writes the result
oflis examination Of 81 ,44S5 Of the Boxer mus.
kets. al that had been received up TO that
s'fszn didtr trent varieties, Of the following cali
bIes, TO wit: 10, .55, IS, ~, 10, 10, Il. II
.O:'. 81. There we're also SIG noudescripts'
winch could not be classed in any Of theaboye
varieties, Capt. C1ispin pronounced l7,S3e
q the tGe LOT utterly worthless 1876 fair arms
! French and Prussiaa manufacture, more sub
staDtial acd solid than the other, but hiehly
| Objectionable On account Of their large bore,
suecessitating the use ofammunition Weighty
to carry snd giving 1econ fnconyeniently
great" Soft iron bayonets were prefixed t
15,5oS Of them, which Of course rendered them
yalueless. Out Of 23 sabres inspected at thai
time, only 10 came up to standard. All the
muslets were accepted at eighteen dollar;
each, and, as appears on page 2s225 OF the vol
| ume, Mr. Cameron agreed to take Of Boxer L
Co, 5000 more muskcts at SIS, and Il, ,oOG
more sabres at $50.
Tie transactions of the Government with
Boxers Co., foot up g, SIC, 900, and the Hon.
Joseph Holt settled with them last week at q
! reduction Of one million three hundred thousand
dollars! And even with this enormous sum
showed of, they realize pro6t Of over twenty:
| five thousand dol1ars, which is ~ per cent
| advance Oh the actual cost Of the arms tc
them. -