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I have been a long time lurker and im sorry if this is in the wrong section or a repost. While researching the SA in its early formation (1797-1800) I ran across this article giving a "full and complete" discription of the arsenal in 1861
Enjoy
Neal
"The Grays Ferry Arsenal"
Philadelphia Inquirer
6-13-1861, Page 5
"The United States Arsenal, (or Schuylkill Arsenal, as it is called by the Government) is as most of our readers are aware, situated on the Grays Ferry Road, about a fourth of a mile below the Naval Asylum, and but a short distance this side of Grays Ferry Bridge. The public, however, are not so well acquainted with the magnitude of the establishment, nor can they be made so until they have seen it for themselves. in this beleif, therefore, we visited the Arsenal yesterday and aserted a number of fact which are appended:
Commandant of the Arsenal
The arsenal is commanded by Captain W.R. Gibson, a comparatively young, byt thoroughly experienced officer of the Regular United States service. He was ordered here from New Mexico several months since, and was placed in command of the post on the first of April last. The position which he fills is one of great responsiblity. The value of the materials is now made up and being made up at the Arsenal is upwards of $3,000,000, of which s strict account is required to be kept and rendered quarterly. For this reason the rules regulating the admission of visitors to the establishment are neccessarily rigid and no person is allowed to pass through the storerooms unless accompanied by an autheroized Government attache. All the clothing furnished to the United States Army is made at the Grays Ferry Arsenal, and the workmen constantly engaged therein are numbered by the thousands.
Business of the Establishment
The business of the vast establishment is carried on in there seperate structures. The main building which is the store keepers department is T Shaped, the base of the T fronting towards Grays Ferry Road. On either side of it are the buildings devoted to the manufacturing and receiving of Materials.
The Storekeepers Department
Passing beneath an arched corridor, where scores of packers are hammering boxes into transportable shape, we enter the forwarding room on the first floor. Hundred of boxes are disposed around the room and appear to be ready for shipment at an early day. We copy the directions on a few of them:
Captain N L Webb, Co I, Col Smalls Regiment, PV, Phila
Capt. A L Kidney, Co E, Col Linstein's Regiment, PM Phila
Capt George Girson, Carhsle, Culmb Co., Pa
A number of boxes, as yet unmarked are also here and will be shipped for St. Louis this morning.
On tuesday last, 15,000 canteens were shipped to the Federal Troops. Lately a large number of them have been forwarded to Washington and Chambersburg, and a large supple are now being made up for St. Louis, Cincinnati, and the Western Departmnet. it is estimated that at least 80,000 canteens are now stored in the Arsenal.
Passing upstairs to the second floor, we enter Captain Gibsons office. on the walls hang several banners that were doubtless handsome once, but the sight of their glory has departed with the touch of time, and the silk is crumpled and faded, and dusty. Over the door hands a brighter picture, an enamel painting of the bird of jove, with fiery thunderbolts, irrepressive blue clouds and star corruscating around miscellanously.
At a desk, a short distance from the center of the room, a handful of clerks are engaged in scribing, transcribing, and stewing over long columes of figure with ripples of indignation occasioanly breaking along their feverish lips, for us a blessed hot day.
Immedately opposit the Captains office is the packing room. To send clothing to very distant stations, the ordinary precaution of packing it in boxes is found to be inadequate for it protection, and it is therefore placed in a form, subjected to a very heavy presure and then sewed up in bales, which are covered with a pecular painted cloth, made on the premises. This cloth consists we belive of ordinary canvas covered with several coats of water proof composition. Thousands of them were hung out on racks today in the packing room.
On the same floor, but to the east of thisd room, are ranged series of bins, in which the army clothing is stoed untill a requsition is made upon the commandant for supply. Each of these bins extend from the floor to the ceiling and would made two ordinary sized country cottages. They are lined with linen, and are protected from the dust and heat of the sun by huge plaid drop curtains which may be raided by cords and pullies. A large corridor leads to each row of bins, but such is their lengh and extent that even at noon many of them are enveloped in an "inky cloak" of all but palpable gloom.
The army sack coats, of which we saw thousands up thousands, are all amde in the establishment by women, as also the great coats. As many as 12,000 of these coats have been shipped to various points in the United States in a single say. Before admission to the store rooms they are closely inspected, and if deemed imperfectly made or finished, are at once rejected - no circumlocution in the matter, and no favoritism. Next we come to the footmen's pantaloons of plain bluish black cloth, then to the great coats for mounted men, then at the end of the passage to a stocking vault. there they lie - cart loads after cart loads of stockings and all of them ushered into being by the omipotent influence of Government Contractors
Then we came to a bin of "dress clothing" which is intended more for show then serice. The jackets for mounted dragoons are quite prettily trimmed with orange and the ordance coats with light yellow. After a while we came to the ordance artillery coats that are of dark blue, edged with the inevitable "red tape" of which so much has lately been writ understandingly.
The mounted riflemen are estitled to the exclusive honor of being the only branch of the serice whoose uniforms are trimmed with green.
There were also light artillery jacket, et cetera jackets, but nobody would wade through the list. All these descriptions of clothing are assorted, both as to class and size, for the sake of conveince and speed in packing. When kept for any lengh of time on hand they are taken out at intercals and sprinkled with camphor and turpentine for entomological reasons.
Passing upstairs to the third floor, the stock of underclothing on hands is found to enormous, as no variation in the style of it is necesary for different departmens of the service. The shirts and drawers are of good quailty of Canton Flannel. Here are also soldiers mattresses, which are simply cases of stout linen, which are intended to be filled with straw. In a garrison, this straw is renewed once a month, by which means the beds can always be preserved in a clean and wholesome state. there is also a bin full of fatigue and stable jackets, a species of loose overall to keep the uniform neat and clean when neccessary.
At the end of the passage is a niche in the wall, filled with hundreds of folio blank books intended for the reception of regimental orders, soldiers descriptions, etc, for be it understood that whenever a solider enlist in the regular service a complete desciption of his height, color of his hair, etes, etc. and of the amount of clothing he recives, and of the amount of pay he receives is recorded in black and white so that every man in the service is blessed with the proud consciousness that he can try to work himself up to a captaincy, and shoul dhe succeed he will have that still greater pride of turning again to that record in black and white, and reflecting upon the humble position he once filled in the Grand Army of the United States - two great privilages
Here are also a lot of French tent rods, for the support of tent windows. They are whiat most persons would be disposed to regard as a new fangled notion, but really posses much merit. They are made of vulcanized Iron, to all appearences.
The next bin contains a quantity of inside pockets for haversacks, consisting simply of canvas bags to keep the provisions from coming in contact with the paint of the haversack. The calvary foraging caps are of black coth trimmed with light yellow tape. Drum heads and tent cordage are also stored in the corner of a huge bin, and looking very much like a pile of paving stones in the gloom of the place, a lot of canteens. It has been necessary to substitute cotton for leather strapes in the manufacture, in consequence of the great diminution of the leather supply.
An inestimateable bumber of musquito nets are like wise stored on this floor. A great quantity of them have been recently send to Key West, Fort Pukens, and other southern stations held by the United States Troops.
An article of the soldiers outfit, of which but little mentions has heretofore been made, is the tolma - a long oil cloth cape, inteded for the proctions of mounted troops in wet weather.
The tent making room is on teh same floor. The appartment is probably 60 by 40 feet in size but, from the number of men at work within it, it has the appearence of being much smaller. Hundreds of yards of clean white canvas are strewed around upon the bare floor, or gathereed up in the laps and knees of the sempters, who are plying spikish needles, thread with ropish looking twine. The men are all employed on peice work, and there are, consequently no drones in the hive.
The next apartment we enter is a sort of multum in parvo - guidons for mounted compaines - blue green and yellow cords for dragoons, riflemen, and cavalry - drum sticks, shoulder scales, hat cords, ostrich plumes, brass letters for the designation of companies, and all the other trinkets and paraphernalia of "grim visage war"
When we reach the fourth floor we find outselves in an uncomfortabley, nay, stiffling hot garret, or lumber room, the party walls of which are arched. There is but little in the place to console the aching marrow of out knee joints but an impromptu gymnassium, gotten up by the clerks, where they smuse themselves when the "innumberable caravan" of columes to be added is numbered with the treasures of the past. But it is not a pace for clumsy people with over large noses and inmanagable feet to stumble into the dark, for ponderous malignant sand bags are suspend from the cob webbed rafters overhead, and treacherous cords and ropes hands down to trip even the lightest and most fantastic of toes. And then, which ever way you slip those horrird dumb bells are rolling under your feet as if they were sea sick!
I have been a long time lurker and im sorry if this is in the wrong section or a repost. While researching the SA in its early formation (1797-1800) I ran across this article giving a "full and complete" discription of the arsenal in 1861
Enjoy
Neal
"The Grays Ferry Arsenal"
Philadelphia Inquirer
6-13-1861, Page 5
"The United States Arsenal, (or Schuylkill Arsenal, as it is called by the Government) is as most of our readers are aware, situated on the Grays Ferry Road, about a fourth of a mile below the Naval Asylum, and but a short distance this side of Grays Ferry Bridge. The public, however, are not so well acquainted with the magnitude of the establishment, nor can they be made so until they have seen it for themselves. in this beleif, therefore, we visited the Arsenal yesterday and aserted a number of fact which are appended:
Commandant of the Arsenal
The arsenal is commanded by Captain W.R. Gibson, a comparatively young, byt thoroughly experienced officer of the Regular United States service. He was ordered here from New Mexico several months since, and was placed in command of the post on the first of April last. The position which he fills is one of great responsiblity. The value of the materials is now made up and being made up at the Arsenal is upwards of $3,000,000, of which s strict account is required to be kept and rendered quarterly. For this reason the rules regulating the admission of visitors to the establishment are neccessarily rigid and no person is allowed to pass through the storerooms unless accompanied by an autheroized Government attache. All the clothing furnished to the United States Army is made at the Grays Ferry Arsenal, and the workmen constantly engaged therein are numbered by the thousands.
Business of the Establishment
The business of the vast establishment is carried on in there seperate structures. The main building which is the store keepers department is T Shaped, the base of the T fronting towards Grays Ferry Road. On either side of it are the buildings devoted to the manufacturing and receiving of Materials.
The Storekeepers Department
Passing beneath an arched corridor, where scores of packers are hammering boxes into transportable shape, we enter the forwarding room on the first floor. Hundred of boxes are disposed around the room and appear to be ready for shipment at an early day. We copy the directions on a few of them:
Captain N L Webb, Co I, Col Smalls Regiment, PV, Phila
Capt. A L Kidney, Co E, Col Linstein's Regiment, PM Phila
Capt George Girson, Carhsle, Culmb Co., Pa
A number of boxes, as yet unmarked are also here and will be shipped for St. Louis this morning.
On tuesday last, 15,000 canteens were shipped to the Federal Troops. Lately a large number of them have been forwarded to Washington and Chambersburg, and a large supple are now being made up for St. Louis, Cincinnati, and the Western Departmnet. it is estimated that at least 80,000 canteens are now stored in the Arsenal.
Passing upstairs to the second floor, we enter Captain Gibsons office. on the walls hang several banners that were doubtless handsome once, but the sight of their glory has departed with the touch of time, and the silk is crumpled and faded, and dusty. Over the door hands a brighter picture, an enamel painting of the bird of jove, with fiery thunderbolts, irrepressive blue clouds and star corruscating around miscellanously.
At a desk, a short distance from the center of the room, a handful of clerks are engaged in scribing, transcribing, and stewing over long columes of figure with ripples of indignation occasioanly breaking along their feverish lips, for us a blessed hot day.
Immedately opposit the Captains office is the packing room. To send clothing to very distant stations, the ordinary precaution of packing it in boxes is found to be inadequate for it protection, and it is therefore placed in a form, subjected to a very heavy presure and then sewed up in bales, which are covered with a pecular painted cloth, made on the premises. This cloth consists we belive of ordinary canvas covered with several coats of water proof composition. Thousands of them were hung out on racks today in the packing room.
On the same floor, but to the east of thisd room, are ranged series of bins, in which the army clothing is stoed untill a requsition is made upon the commandant for supply. Each of these bins extend from the floor to the ceiling and would made two ordinary sized country cottages. They are lined with linen, and are protected from the dust and heat of the sun by huge plaid drop curtains which may be raided by cords and pullies. A large corridor leads to each row of bins, but such is their lengh and extent that even at noon many of them are enveloped in an "inky cloak" of all but palpable gloom.
The army sack coats, of which we saw thousands up thousands, are all amde in the establishment by women, as also the great coats. As many as 12,000 of these coats have been shipped to various points in the United States in a single say. Before admission to the store rooms they are closely inspected, and if deemed imperfectly made or finished, are at once rejected - no circumlocution in the matter, and no favoritism. Next we come to the footmen's pantaloons of plain bluish black cloth, then to the great coats for mounted men, then at the end of the passage to a stocking vault. there they lie - cart loads after cart loads of stockings and all of them ushered into being by the omipotent influence of Government Contractors
Then we came to a bin of "dress clothing" which is intended more for show then serice. The jackets for mounted dragoons are quite prettily trimmed with orange and the ordance coats with light yellow. After a while we came to the ordance artillery coats that are of dark blue, edged with the inevitable "red tape" of which so much has lately been writ understandingly.
The mounted riflemen are estitled to the exclusive honor of being the only branch of the serice whoose uniforms are trimmed with green.
There were also light artillery jacket, et cetera jackets, but nobody would wade through the list. All these descriptions of clothing are assorted, both as to class and size, for the sake of conveince and speed in packing. When kept for any lengh of time on hand they are taken out at intercals and sprinkled with camphor and turpentine for entomological reasons.
Passing upstairs to the third floor, the stock of underclothing on hands is found to enormous, as no variation in the style of it is necesary for different departmens of the service. The shirts and drawers are of good quailty of Canton Flannel. Here are also soldiers mattresses, which are simply cases of stout linen, which are intended to be filled with straw. In a garrison, this straw is renewed once a month, by which means the beds can always be preserved in a clean and wholesome state. there is also a bin full of fatigue and stable jackets, a species of loose overall to keep the uniform neat and clean when neccessary.
At the end of the passage is a niche in the wall, filled with hundreds of folio blank books intended for the reception of regimental orders, soldiers descriptions, etc, for be it understood that whenever a solider enlist in the regular service a complete desciption of his height, color of his hair, etes, etc. and of the amount of clothing he recives, and of the amount of pay he receives is recorded in black and white so that every man in the service is blessed with the proud consciousness that he can try to work himself up to a captaincy, and shoul dhe succeed he will have that still greater pride of turning again to that record in black and white, and reflecting upon the humble position he once filled in the Grand Army of the United States - two great privilages
Here are also a lot of French tent rods, for the support of tent windows. They are whiat most persons would be disposed to regard as a new fangled notion, but really posses much merit. They are made of vulcanized Iron, to all appearences.
The next bin contains a quantity of inside pockets for haversacks, consisting simply of canvas bags to keep the provisions from coming in contact with the paint of the haversack. The calvary foraging caps are of black coth trimmed with light yellow tape. Drum heads and tent cordage are also stored in the corner of a huge bin, and looking very much like a pile of paving stones in the gloom of the place, a lot of canteens. It has been necessary to substitute cotton for leather strapes in the manufacture, in consequence of the great diminution of the leather supply.
An inestimateable bumber of musquito nets are like wise stored on this floor. A great quantity of them have been recently send to Key West, Fort Pukens, and other southern stations held by the United States Troops.
An article of the soldiers outfit, of which but little mentions has heretofore been made, is the tolma - a long oil cloth cape, inteded for the proctions of mounted troops in wet weather.
The tent making room is on teh same floor. The appartment is probably 60 by 40 feet in size but, from the number of men at work within it, it has the appearence of being much smaller. Hundreds of yards of clean white canvas are strewed around upon the bare floor, or gathereed up in the laps and knees of the sempters, who are plying spikish needles, thread with ropish looking twine. The men are all employed on peice work, and there are, consequently no drones in the hive.
The next apartment we enter is a sort of multum in parvo - guidons for mounted compaines - blue green and yellow cords for dragoons, riflemen, and cavalry - drum sticks, shoulder scales, hat cords, ostrich plumes, brass letters for the designation of companies, and all the other trinkets and paraphernalia of "grim visage war"
When we reach the fourth floor we find outselves in an uncomfortabley, nay, stiffling hot garret, or lumber room, the party walls of which are arched. There is but little in the place to console the aching marrow of out knee joints but an impromptu gymnassium, gotten up by the clerks, where they smuse themselves when the "innumberable caravan" of columes to be added is numbered with the treasures of the past. But it is not a pace for clumsy people with over large noses and inmanagable feet to stumble into the dark, for ponderous malignant sand bags are suspend from the cob webbed rafters overhead, and treacherous cords and ropes hands down to trip even the lightest and most fantastic of toes. And then, which ever way you slip those horrird dumb bells are rolling under your feet as if they were sea sick!
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