The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-03-14
The old ARSENAL at PiEesvilIe.

The old arsenal at PiEesUiLJe.
HISTORY AND REMINIscENcEs-wHo AND WHAT
ARE IN IT, ETC.
From the Baltimore "DaiIy SUM-"
The old United States arsenal, situated at
Pikesville, eight miles from baltimore, on the
Reisterstown turnpike, has so long been buried
from newspaper notice that it is by many in
Baltimore nearly forgotten and to others entire
ly unknown. It's resurrection now is owing to
the fact that the chief of the bureau of ordnance
at Washington has recommended to Congress
that the Pikesville armory and a number OF
others be sold. The reason given for this ac-
ton is that the arsenas are of no practical value
compared with the expense of keeping them up.
THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.
The ground the arsenal stands on was pur-
chased by the government from DR.. James
Smith, of Baltimore county, in 1916, for the sum
of $895.12. The money was paid by Gen. Nehe-
miah Baden, who built the arsenal and was its
first commander. The area OF the ground is IA
acres and lat perches, with front on the pike
of 800 feet The east side is ,504 feet deep, and
the west side 200 feet while the north or rear
side has front of 224 feet. The buildings
stand back from the road, with walks and gar
den beds in front, while neat railing on wall
foundation extends around the entire boundary.
The built incosure is hollow square, and is
arranged with skill and taste. Over the portal
or main entrance is a cannon ball which it is
said was thrown from q gun on an English
frigate into Fort McHenry the night "The Star
Spangled Banner" was written. To the right
of the portal is the arplcry buildings, with a
high projecting abutment, surmounted by the
United States arms and motto, while to the left
is the pretty manor of the commanding officer.
The manor house is two stories high, with
roof sloping downward on all four sides. 1t is
square in shape, but the windows and doors are
semi circular at the top and are recessed.
graceful iron trellis work, forming two piazzas,
runs from the ground to the roof.
The buildings all painted shade of dark
yellow, with brown reliefs, and have gray slate
roofs. Along the road in front is line of locust
trees, whilo between them and the house,
shading the walks, are spruce, sycamore and
cedar trees of fine variety. Shrubbery and
plants surround the pats of lawn, and great
ivies reach above the ancient gables of the
mour hall. Inside the walls there is piazza or
square, formed by two story brick buildings on
the four sides. Along the right are the work
shops and guard rooms on the left the servants
quarters, and at the rear the commissary hall
and barracks. Further on are inclosed squares
of ground, with stables and magazines on them
Under a shed four gun batteries and carriages
are standing, ready to fall to pieces. They be-
long to the State of Maryland, and not having
been used by the militia, were stored in Balti-
more, it is stated, at a cost of $4,000 a year,
which grew so expensive after some years that
by consent of the Secretary of War they were
removed in dilapidated condition to the arse
nal. The wood work is now entirely rotten.
THE MAGAZINES.
The powder n agazIno ntains about o40 kegs
of powder, and looks very peaceful and COM
Portable inside, but visitors, if admitted by spe
cial order, seldom care to stay any length of
time.
The ordnance magazine to the left is very at
tractive and interesting inside. Stacks of old
flint locks that did good service both in the
Mexican and Indian wars, and guns of an old
pattern that did some bloody work in the late
struggle are stored away, while tiers upon tiers
of rusty boxes inclosng shell, case shot, and
spinkle, extend along the side. A lot of Parrot
and Hotchkiss shells are also kept in boxes
The occupied quarters in the inclosure are made
attractive even this early in the year by beds
of Towering plants set inside the windows, but
when the summer comes the entire place is
simply paradise OF verdure and beauty.
THE VETERAN OF THE ARSENAL.
The veteran of the arsenal is Mr.. G. J. Lam
berton, now eighty odd years of age, and who,
in the capacity of clerk, has been living in the
place over fifty years. The old gentleman can
not be brought to believe that it is plated
to sell the place. He is very deaf, the cause of
his deafness being an explosion that took place
in the arsenal in June, 1881, when Col. Bankard
had command. At that time the best laborato-
ry in the United States was in the armory at
Pikesville, and the most of the ammunition re-
quired was made there. Veteran Lamberton
and two men were making rockets and fire.
works for the Fourth of July celebration at AM
napolis, when, by one of the men dropping a
small pebble in some compound, the brick
building was blown into shreds within an in
slant. Mr.. Lam berton was blown some twenty
five feet and buried beneath bricks and rafters,
while both the other men were shot up like
rockets and fell much manned. Mr.. Lamber-
ton recovered from his injuries, but was made
deaf for life
THE OFFICERS.
The first commander of the arsenal as stated
a 5ove was Gen. Nehemiah Baden, who was sue
reeded in 1880 by Capt. j. A. Bankard. The
uext officers in succession were Lieut.. Daniel
| Tyler Col. Maynadier, and Col. Benet; the last
uamed being now chief of ordnance at Wash
ngton. Major Huger, of South Carolina, was
! the next commander, and when the war broke
| out he resigned and Immediately in company
| with his family drove out the Reisterstown road
| in country wagon and crossed into Virginia.
| He afterwards became the Confederate chief of
ordnance. He left Sergeant Stevens in charge
of the arsenal, but within few days after he
| left, Gov. Hicks sent out the "Forrest Rangers
| to protect the place. The Rangers wanted to
raise the Confederate flag on the arsenal, but
| Veteran Lamberton would not let them. One
| night party of Union men under Capt. Pether-
| bridge went out the road to take the arsenal,
but the Forrest Rangers drove them away. In
| this melee Mr.. Lam berton narrowly escaped
| being shot. Sergt. Stevens was soon afterwards
| arrested and imprisoned in Fort McHenry for
| giving ammunition to the other side. The
| Rangers were disbanded by the Governor, the
stores were all taken to Fort McHenry, and
Mr.. Lamberton placed in charge of the place
and continued for six years, when in November,
| 1857, Capt. M. j. Grealish was appointed store
keeper, which position he still retains.
HARRY GILMoR's RAID.
Mr.. Lamberton tells thrilling story of Har-
| ry Gilmor's raid. When the patrotlmen along
the Reisterstown road ran into the arsenal and
said Harry Gilmor's men were coming the fur
niture was moved out of the quarters and a
company of volunteers from Baltimore started
| for home on the double quick run. The arms,
| &C., had been taken away the day before. Gill
mor's men wanted to blow up the arsenal, but
| were ordered not to do SO by Major Gilmor.-
The people were in the greatest state of excite
ment, fearful that the village would be destroy
| ed. The daring raiders went quickly away,
| however, accom- panied by several stray horses.
Mr. lam mberton, who states the above, also re-
| lates a number of other "reminiscences.
| 1t is understood that property holders in
Pikesville are very well satisfied over the pros
pect of the sale OF the arsenal. In addition to
Captain Grealish and his family, and Mr. Lam
berton, there are now living in the arsenal Ser
geant Alfred Guiton and two privates, each
with their families.
| The value of the stores now in the arsenal is
| $4,000 while the estimate of the worth of the
ground and buildings at the last appraisement
| by the government was fixed at S6S,000.
@~Mr. Godfrey Simpson, who is accustom
ed from time TO time to make visits to Oshkosh
with the boys, returned from brief but event
ful sojourn in that great center OF hilarity at a
late hour yesterday morning, Just as the clock
struck one three times. Being in state of
comparative tpsidity, bordering on absolute
drunkosity, he was to the last degree obfusca-
| ted, and after making several but Intellectual
clutches at the house as it madly walized around
him he made frantic dash at the first door that
came along and bulged noisly into the cow
shed. Old brindle met him, tucked her cud un-
der her tongue, wrathfully jabbed her knobbed
horns into the Simpsonan ribs and tossed the
gentleman over the alley fence Boiling with
Just indignation, Mr.. Simpson raised himself
into sitting posture, and with vivid recol-
lection ofsomething like handles having thump-