THE STATE ARMORY. - This valuable establishment, which, from its importance
to the cause of Southern independence, may, with more propriety, be termed a
national than a State institution, is situated at the foot of 7th street, upon
the banks of James river, from whence it draws its abundant supply of water, for
the propelling of the machinery required in the manufacture of small arms. The
building itself had for many years been used rather for the receptacle than for
the manufacture of arms, until shortly after the 'John Brown raid,' when the
attention of the people of the State, having been thus called to the threatening
aspect of Yankee radicalism and to the wisdom of being prepared for any
emergency, the Legislature, in deference to the popular will, appropriated a
large sum of money for the establishment of a Virginia State Armory, and shortly
afterwards a Board of Commissioners, to whom was entrusted the duty of carrying
out the purposes of the Legislature contracted with the proprietors of the
Tredegar Works in this city to provide the establishment with all the requisite
machinery, tools &c., for the manufacture of 5,000 rifle muskets a year, at a
cost of $156,590. Before, however, the Messrs. Anderson could enter fully upon
their contract, the National difficulties had culminated in the disruption of
the Union, and the enforcement, by the mobs of the North, of a practical embargo
upon the exportation of their manufacutures to the South. Under these
circumstances, little, if any doubt can be entertained, that but for the timely
acquisition of the works at Harpers Ferry, very much of delay and of difficulty
would have been encountered before the South could have supplied herself with
the required machinery, even for the repairing of disabled muskets, &c.
Providence, however, appeared to exert itself upon the side of the patriots, and
the same controlling power which subsequently supplied us with necessary cannon
from the Gosport Navy Yard, and with powder to render them effective from Fort
Norfolk, also secured to as, despite the vindictive spirit of our enemies, the
invaluable works of the national armory, at Harpers Ferry. Machinery of the best
description, worth in the aggregate upwards of two hundred thousand dollars, and
which, under the most favorable circumstances, of ordinary methods of supply,
could only have been furnished us after years of delay.
With the abandonment of Harpers Ferry by the Yankees, and the seemingly
providential rescue of its costly machinery from the destruction to which our
worse than Vandal foe had consigned it, our readers are of course familiar. To
Col. H.W. Clowe, at that time a Superintendent at Harpers Ferry, the Southern
Confederacy is probably indebted, under Providence, for its present possession
of the most valuable portion of the machinery saved from the ruins of the
National Armory. Regardless of his own personal safety, and turning a deaf ear
to the reports that the buildings had been all mined, Col. Clowe, guided by his
intimate knowledge of the situation and relative value of the machinery, rushed
into the burning shops, and not only himself saved much which to us was of
inestimable value, but inspired others to imitate his patriotic example, and to
finally subdue the flames. It is, of course, impossible for us to enumerate, in
so hurried and brief a sketch as this is intended to be, the number or specific
performances of the machinery which was reached. It will be satisfactory to our
readers, however, we are sure, to learn that all the important works were saved,
and that our Armory can now turn out as perfect a musket as ever emanated from
Harpers Ferry. Made - lock, stock, barrel and mounting - entirely by means of
machinery formerly employed by the old Government for the same purpose. We
include, in our category of manufactures, the stock; for it may not be generally
known that some 20,000 musket and rifle stocks, of the best black walnut, were
secured at Harpers Ferry, and are now in this city. The transfer of the
machinery from Harpers Ferry to this city, and to Fayetteville, N.C., where a
considerable portion of it was conveyed, and where it is now in working order -
was performed under proper superintendence; and it is a notable fact, that ,
notwithstanding the delicate nature of much of the machinery, and the severe
tests of fire and water to which it was subjected by foe and friend, no portion
of it was materially injured. On the contrary, it was found upon its arrival
here to be available, after slight repair, for immediate use.
Among the most valuable of the rescued machinery is a set of five separate
pieces, used in cutting upon the stock the grooves for the reception of the lock
plates, &c., and which are marvels of mechanical ingenuity and skill. They cost
about $27,000 in the aggregate, and were made at the "American Works,
Springfield, Massachusetts." A determined, but fortunately fruitless effort was
made by the Hessians to destroy these machines. For that purpose they erected
beneath them strong fires, which were, however, discovered and extinguished,
before they could effect any injury, by George Mauzy, then an employee in the
armory, and now engaged, we are pleased in being able to add, at our Armory.
There is no portion of the musket, from the fashioning of the stock out of
the rough material to the polishing of its screws and mountings, which is not
performed by machinery, and which, though most complicated in their
arrangements, yet work with a perfection of movement and completeness of detail
absolutely wonderful. Each portion of the gun, being made separately and upon
the same model, admits of what is technically called fitting"- the perfect
adaptability of any portion of the work to others of more
recent or of anterior make.
The Virginia Armory is divided into the Stocking Department, Machine Shop,
Mounting Department, Assembling Room, Locking Department, Polishing Department,
Smith Shop and Mill Wright Shop. Describing these in the order of our recent
visit to the establishment, we shall first enter the
THE STOCKING DEPARTMENT.
Here the stock is first rudely fashioned, and then nicely turned to its
proper form; the work of grooving it for the reception of the barrel, lock
plate, breech plate, &c., &c., is performed each by a different piece of
machinery, of which there are twelve in all, and the stock is then ready for its
mountings. This department is under the direction of John W. Prepps, foreman,
and is capable, with its present force, of turning out seventy-five barrels a
day, an aggregate which can, however, be largely increased by extra exertion.
MACHINE AND MOUNTING SHOPS.
In this department is manufactured all the ironworks which go to complete the
musket except the barrel, which is the special manufacture of a branch
department. Here there are in all some thirty or forty pieces of machinery,
employed in making trigger, guard and breech plates; butt and mounting screws;
guard bow, ramrods, bayonets, tips and bands. The machinery here employed was
also brought from Harper Ferry, with the exception of the heavy shaftings, which
were furnished by the Tredegar Works. Here may be witnessed some of the most
interesting mechanical operations connected with the manufacture of the gun. It
may afford some idea of the number of machines, employed in this department
alone, to enumerate the number of operations which each portion of the weapon
must undergo, and upon separate machines, before it is complete, thus:
The guard bow requires seven, trigger four, guard plate six, breach plate
five, ramrods five, and butt screws six. The bayonet is punched by heavy
machinery into the required shape, and tipped and finished by several subsequent
mechanical operations. Preparations are now being made for the erection of a
heavy tilt hammer, especially devoted to the manufacture of this terrible
weapon. In this department is a most ingenious and effective machine for
punching and trimming several of the mountings - the invention of the
accomplished superintendent, Colonel James H. Burton, while master Armorer over
the Harper Ferry works.
The foreman of this department is R.H. Butler, who has at present under his
control about 584 workmen, and J.B. Myers, who controls about forty mechanics.
MOUNTING DEPARTMENT.
A branch of the mounting department, above described, is specially
appropriated to the rifling and finishing of gun barrels. Here, also,
innumerable pieces of elaborate and powerful machinery are employed. In the
rifling of the barrels, four machines, recovered from Harper Ferry, are used. An
additional one, purchased in Belgium, is in possession here but is seldom used
for that purpose. It gives what is known as the twist to the barrel, but can be
so regulated as to reduce the number to the standard required for the Minie gun.
There are now on hand, ready for finishing, about fifteen hundred excellent
barrels, the best of some ten thousand rescued from the fire at Harper Ferry; a
large number of bayonets obtained from the same source, are also here awaiting
the finishing touches.
POLISHING DEPARTMENT.
Immediately adjoining the department, previously mentioned, is a shop where
the barrel otherwise finished, is burnished to the highest degree, by six large
rotary polishing machines.
THE LOCK DEPARTMENT.
We next come to the Lock Department, where the lock of the musket is made,
polished, &c., ready to be adapted at once to the weapon. This is under the
direction of foreman Joseph A. Brera.
THE ASSEMBLING ROOM.
Here the stock and all the various component parts of the musket, some fifty
in all, are collected, and the gun put together for use. The "of the parts of
the muskets is the final operation connected with its manufacture. When
completed, the weapon, after being properly tested, is here packed in oblong
boxes, 20 in each box, and transferred to the armory, from whence distribution
is made. There are now on hand in the "Assembling room," and very nearly ready
for delivery, perfect and well finished Minie Guns, together with about 1500 of
the old model percussion muskets, saved unimpaired from the Harper Ferry
conflagration. Salmon B. Adams, Master Armorer, directs the operations of this
important department.
THE SMITH'S SHOP.
A new and extensive Smith Shop has recently been added to the establishment.
It is situated at the foot of the high hill, upon which the Armory is built, and
within the walls which enclose the entire area of the establishment. The
addition is not yet complete, a large force of workmen, being busily engaged
under the direction of the foreman of this department Col. H.W. Clowe to whose
services is rescuing the machinery from the flames at Harper Ferry we have
already referred, in building fine new tilt hammers for forging purposes, cone
seating, cutting bayonet stocks, making bands, &c. It is expected that these
will all be fully completed in a few weeks, and, added to the four already in
operation, will give nine forges and tilt hammers for the manufacture of guns.
Connected with the department is a mechanical curiosity, technically termed, the
Wind Cock, a substitute for the old fashioned blacksmith bellows, and used for
the purpose of supplying the forge fires with draughts of air. The arrangement a
very simple one, consists of a huge iron pipe, running laterally beneath the
furnaces, through which a strong current of air is constantly forced, by the
action of a rotary fan moved by machinery, the blast being let into the furnace
by simply turning a cock conveniently placed.
THE MILLWRIGHT SHOP.
In the same building and connected in its operations with the smithy, is the
Millwright Shop, also under the direction of Col. Clowe. The sole business of
this department, is in the construction of the huge oak frame work connected
with the tilt hammers, and in the construction of other frame work necessary in
the mechanical operations of the establishment.
REVIEW.
The operations of the Armory have, under the supervision of its capable
Superintendent, Col. Burton, and his assistants, been marked with most
commendable energy. In proof of this gratifying fact, we have but to mention
that though the tearing down of the machinery recovered at Harper Ferry was not
begun until April 19th, and its conveyance to the city was not completed for
several weeks subsequent to that date, yet, in a few short months which have
since elapsed, the armory has been put in complete working order, and a system
of active operations inaugurated which will enable the establishment to furnish
henceforward to the Confederacy not less than 1,000 improved muskets each month.
At present about 200 persons, in all, are employed in the establishment, of whom
between thirty and thirty-five were formerly connected with the National Armory
at Harper Ferry, and have thus been qualified to render most valuable service in
the organization of our SOUTHERN CONFEDERATE ARMY.
