Rock Island Argus., 1899-04-08
PROMOTION PLEASES
People Here Glad of Gen. Buf-
fington's Assignment as
Chief of Ordnance.
FORMER ARSENAL OoMMANDANT.

Took Especial Pride In the Local Govern
ment Plant. at which He Made Import
ant Improvements-Invent of Disap-
pearing Gun Carriage-A Brilliant Mill
tary Career-The Small Arms Plant.
Rock Island-the three cities, in fact
found pleasure in learning of the
promotion of Col. A. X. Burlington to
the executive head of the ordnance
department of the United States army.
with a corresponding advance in mil
itary title to brigadier general. He
was former commandant ut Rock
Island arsenal, and as such contrib
| uted considerably to increasing it's
importance as a manufacturing estab-
lishment, also making numerous i'm
| provements at the post. He always
evinced noticeable pride in the arsenal
and hence the surrounding communi-
ties feel that his assignment to the
head of the ordnance department was
particularly fortunate for them, as he
doubtless will continue to entertain
the same interest in the Rock Island
government post that he did when
serving as its commander, and for
which he can do so much in the posi-
tion that he now holds.
Gen. Burlington has an interesting
military record. From 1861 to 1865
he was engaged in drilling raw troops
in and about Washington. assistant at
and commanding for short time St.
Louis arsenal, Missouri. where he
mustered troops in Illinois for Mis-
souri, regiments, and at the arsenal
and Jefferson barracks into the United
oar-uioa an1 niza1 tho
ployes of the arsenal into a regiment
of Missouri enrolled militia, OF which
he was commissioned colonel by the
governor of Missouri. He took ar
tillery to Pilot Knob, threatened with
attack, to strengthen its defense; was
adjutant general in the field of the
9TH division, Army of the West,
chief ordnance officer for Gen. j. ID.
Cook, in Western Virginia.; ordered to
Washington and placed in charge of
inspecting and rifling guns in the
coast forts and elsewhere, and at the
time of the escape from England of
the Stonewall, of arming the north |
east coast from Eastport, Me-, to Bos-
ton harbor. He was also placed in |
command of the New York arsenal.
With Gen. Sheridan.
In 1865 Gen. Burlington was ordered /
to command of Baton Rogue arsenal |
La.), and was on duty as chief ord
nance officer for Gen. Sheridan, COM
the department of the gulf
and 5th military district; in 1867 or
dered to command, for six months,
Watertown arsenal (Mass.), being
afterward assistant at this post; in
1868 assistant at Watervliet arsenal,
Troy, n. Y; In 1872 ordered with Col.
j. q. Benton, after the "Virginiush
affair, to arm the southern coast, and
afterward left in charge of armament.
While on this duty he devised the pres
ent Buffington-Crozier disappearing
gun carriage, with which the coast
east and west is now being armed,
and presented the invention without
cost to the government. From 1873
to 1880 Gen. Burlington was on duty
at the arsenals at Watervleit, Indian
apolis and Allegheny. He served from
1881 until 1892 as commandant at the
armory at Springfield, Mass.
While there he improved the guns by
a number of personal inventions,
which were given to the government,
new methods and reduc-
ing cost of manufacture.
At Rock Island Arsenal.
Gen. Burlington (then coloneD came
TO take charge of Rock Island arsenal in
1892, where he served until 1897, when
be was transferred to the command of
The United States powder depot ut
Dover, n. j. While at Rock Island
arsenal he overhauled, besides max
ing repairs and improvements of
water supply and water
plants, much of the basis necessary I
for the manufacturing plant, which {
was enlarged and established in all
details for field and siege gun manu-
facture; put in new wagon floors, with
steel beams of the bridges between
Rock Island and Davenport, and built
1 new and larger bridge with double
,ailroad tracks, having road capacity s
with the heavy in
;reasing traffic over it-a bridge in I
some respects in advance of any eX- t
sting bridge of like character. The !
work done during Commandant Buff |
ington's regime made possible the a
increased product at the arsenal dur
nd aft hn D.1h Il