Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/98

 88 Southern Historical Society Papers.

drews, Childs, DeLagnel, Hutter, and others, who would have re- mained in the service. Then there were some no less admirable, like LeRoy Broun, Allan, Wiley Browne, Morion, Colston, Bayne, Cuy- ler, E. B. Smith, &c., who would doubtless have returned to their civil avocations.

Among the obvious necessities of a well-regulated iiervice, was one large, central laboratory, where all ammunition should be made — thus securing absolute uniformity where uniformity was vital. The policy of dissemination so necessary to husband our transportation, and to utilize the labor of non-combatants, must here yield to the greater necessity of obtaining our ammunition uniform in quality and in dimensions. Authority was, therefore, obtained from the War De- partment to concentrate this species of work at some central labora- tory. Macon, Ga., was selected, and Colonel Mallet placed in charge of the Central Laboratory, as Burton was later placed in charge of a National Armory. Plans of the buildings and of the machinery re- quired were submitted to the Secretary of War, approved, and the work begun with energy. This pile of buildings had a fafade of 600 feet, was designed with taste, and comprehended every possible appli- ance for good and well-organized work. The buildings were nearly ready for occupation at the close of the war, and some of the machinery had arrived at Bermuda. In point of time, this project pre- ceded that of the National Armory, and was much nearer comple- tion. These, with our admirable powder-mills at Augusta, would have completed a set of works for the Ordnance Department ; and in them we would have been in condition to supply arms and muni- tions to 300,000 men. To these would have been added a foundry for heavy guns at Selma or Brierfield, Ala. ; at which latter place the strongest cast-iron in the country was produced, and where we had already purchased and were carrying on a furnace tor the production of cold'blast charcoal pig for this special purpose. All these estab- lishments were in the heart of the country, not readily reached by the enemy ; and were, in fact, never reached by them until just at the close of the war. Being in or near an excellent agricultural region, they would have had the advantage of cheap living for operatives ; and they had all sufficient facilities for transportation, being situated on main lines of railroad.

SUMMARY.

I have thus, from memory, faintly traced the development of the means and resources by which our large armies were supplied with arms and ammunition. This involved manufacturing, mining and