Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-04-09

Loading Gun Made There in 1878.
In your valued issued of the 29th
there appeared under a Washington
date line the stattment that, Mr..
Sturgiss has undertaken to obain an
appropriation from the government for
the payment of the claims Of two con-
tractors, and one hundred employees Of
the government for work done in the
arsenal at Charles Town about the
time Of the outbreak OF the Civil
War. -
Mr.. Sturgiss has also undertaken
to obtain another appropriation for
Charles Town TO cover a war claim,
a school house in Bolivar district in
Charles Town, etc. -
The u. s. Army and Arsenal were
both located in Harpers Ferry on 4
site said to have been selected by
President George Washington about
1894. In 1896 the first buildings were
completed, and a Mr.. Perkines Ian
perintendent. The Bolivar schools
were situated in Harpers Ferry, Boil
war and near Halltown, but all in the
Harpers Ferry school district. Both
the L. S. Armory, and school bills
were drafted by me, and offered by
Hon. G. c. Sturgiss, who secured a
favorable report ON both bills, and
both will probably pass this session
of Congress.
The Armorers Bill is based as an
audited payroll, which had about 500
names on it, 375 of whom have been
paid already and the balance should
have been paid in 1861, but got scat
tered. The amounts were small. so
they were delayed year after year I'M
I'll the present.
In February, 1861, the TIarpers
Ferry u. S. Armory was the best gov
eminent armory in the world. 1t was
here the first practical breech-,oadinS
rifle was made by Hall in 1918, and in
1880 the interchange system of arms
was invented by Benjamin Moore
(master arm1rer) The one gave a
quick firing gun, the other a system
by which the limbs (parts) of a gun
could be made in different nations, or
cities or shops, and all brought to n
place and assembled, all perfectly fit
ting in the gun of its proper number.
Prior to this all parts of machines
had to be made and filed up to fit each
machine or gun.
Prior to 1890 If a gun was injured,
| 20 uva, cont hn,l- +o -, orp,1rr +A hn
repaired, After that date the soldiers
carried limbs of the gun they used on
their cartridge boxes and repaired
them in the field.
About February 1861. A. NJ. Bar
bour. superintendent of the aTmory.
and Logan Osbourne, were elected as
the Union delegates to the Richmond
convention over William Lucas and
Andrew Hunter (the secession dele
gates). Both Barbour and Osbourne.
however, voted for the ordinance Of
secession on the night of April IT,.
1861, when Virginia seeded from the
National Union.
Lieutenant Roger Jones was in com
mand Of forty-two regular soldiers,
and took charge OF the U. s. Arsenal
and Armory on the night of April II.
The next morning when the hell IN
front of the armory was rung for the
workmen to commence their days
work, the regular soldiers told the
workmen and arnorers that there
would be no work in armory OF arse
nal that day. and about - o'clock
noon (the 1Sth) by order OF Lieuteh-
ant Jones, the armory and arsenal
were blown mp and burned.
He double-quicked his soldiers
across the Maryland bridge and en-
trained them for Carlisle. Pa, where
the u. S. Cavalry barracks were then
situated on the site now occupied by
the Indian school. Lieutenant Jones
just got out in time, as the Virginia
militia marched into Harpers Ferry
at midnight on April is, looking for
arms, etc, to equip their men. and on
the 18th troops came in from Missis-
sippi. Kentucky, Alabama ana Ten
nessee.
Lieutenant Jones stated to the writ
er that he had no orders to fire the
armory. bu knowing he could rot get
the arms away to Washington, as Bal
timore was in the hands of a seces-
sion mob that nearly destroyed the
Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, April
10, he concluded to destroy the arms
and machinery rather than have them
fall into the hands of the Confederate
forces. President Lincoln compli-
mented Lieutenant Jones for his &C
ton and promoted him rapidly, until
he was made Inspector General Of the
United States Army about 1880.
The March payroll for 1861 had
been made up, but not paid when the
armory was burned. Many vent TO
Washington, D. c.. and got their non
ey: others took their families and
went North, West or South, wherever
they had friends, and so got scattered
and by this means about 125 wer ~
or uasd Ou{ta a few Of these men