The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-02

for sleeping quarters. There was also
commissary building and an octa-
gonal tank house, 30 feet in diamete~,
containing tank with a capacity of
$4,000 gallons of water.
These buildings were constructed
10 36-foot sections, so that, when they
ceased to be used for hospital pur-
poses they might easily be moved and
USED in sections for dwellings or
shops.
There were also erected later a
chapel and barracks for the Veteran
Reserve.
The cost of these buildings was
SCI ,5SS 81, part of which was contri
buted by the general Government.
In 1866 Gen. Pitkin reported that
he had sold the barracks erected at
st. Adams for the Frontier Cavalry
for S1127.26 and the guard houses
at Highgate. East Highgate, Swan
ton East Berkshire, North Enosburgh
and Enosburgh Falls for $7S,25. 1t
had teen intended to divide the prop
erty on the hill into lots and sell them
to individual purchasers, but an OPP
portunity occurring to dispose of 1t
all in a lump that was done. After re-
serving the land on which the arsenal
stands and a stream of running water
for the use of the arsenal, the prop
erty was disposed OF to the trustees
of the Vermont Conference Seminary
and Female College for S15,500. This
involved a net loss of about one-half
the original cost. but the trade was
so much more to the benefit of the
State than many of those made in and
after the war that it relieves the tran
saction from any suspicion of graft
ing.
There were other hospitals in the
State. one at Brattleboro, one at Rut-
land, and the marine hospital at Bur-
lington, owned by the general Gov
eminent and turned over to the use
of the State.
Under the new National Guard law
all equipments for the military arm
are furnished by the general Govern
ment. All the surplus arms, ammu-
milton and accoutrements, as well as
supplies not issued to the troops, such
as tents, blankets etc, are stored in
the arsenal and are under the care of
the military authorities of the State,
but they are the property of the United
States and reports of their condition
are made to the quarterrnaster-g general
of the United States, not to the Cow
ernor of Vermont, as formerly.
The Seminary Hill arsenal is the
first and only one erected by the State.
The Champaign Arsenal was the only
military structure erected by the
United States on Vermont soil until
the erection of the buildings at Fort
Ethan Allen. Some earthworks were
erected during the colonial wars and
the war of 1912 but these were only
temporary. In 1916 the United States
purchased from f. ID. Woodbridge ten
acres in Vergennes, and in 1928 eight
cen acres more In 1927 the construc-
ition of the Champlain Arsenal was
commenced, Congress having made an
appropriation of $4,000. This was
rated as an arsenal of the third class
and when completed cost $23,375. This
included the value of the land, $2100.
There was stored in that arsenal nine
pieces of brass cannon. 26 pieces of
iron cannon, 81 artillery carriages,
1880 round shot and shells, 5000
pounds grape shot, 4077 muskets with
bayonets, 401 rifles, 500 sets infantry
accoutrements, 4S,63S pounds pig
lead, artillery equipments, canister
land strapped shot and shells, cannon
land musket powder, fixed ammuni
ton and small arms, cartridge bags,
Laboratory paper and stores. muSket
and rifle fiintS, muSket bullets and
buck shot, the whole valued at $S2,-
S7S.56, with tools and materials val
ued at $132S.26. The importance of
this post soon declined, and in 1899,
instead of the captains or lieutenants
who had been in command there, the
place was left in charge of a military
| storekeeper. Special authority was
secured from the Secretary of War
whereby the State of Vermont was al
lowed to store it's military supplies
in some of the buildings, and before
the breaking out of the war the value
of these supplies was estimated at
about $4,000.
| The old Cbamplain Arsenal is now
the Vermont Industrial School. That
institution was first established at
Waterbury and was known as the YER
mont Reform School. The buildings
were burned December ~, 1874. A
special session of the Legislature was
summoned January 10, 1875, but re-
fused to make an appropriation for
rebuilding, merely authorizing the use
of any unappropriated money in the
treasury. In the spring of 1875 Gov
ernor Peck purchased the arsenal
grounds from the United States for
$11 900 and 104 acres of the Sherman
farm adjoining or $7772. paying for
it out of the general appropriation of
100000. Some of the buildings that
remained were in sufficiently good
condition so that they were immediate
ly fitted up for occupancy, and the
Industrial School has been located
there ever since.