ammo question

[KPavia]

Instead of putting this into a pm, I figured I'd post it in case anyone else will wonder the same as me and can find the answer here.

Anyways, with regards to ammo, I was planning on making myself some arsenal packs from the St. Louis arsenal. Seeing as how the St. Louis arsenal was in union hands the entire war, I assume it would be the main outfitter for MO units.

Would I be correct in this or not?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: ammo question

Hallo!

Yes and no.

The St. Louis Arsenal was charged with being the main arsenal for supplying troops in the "West."

Records for the St. Louis Arsenal either have not survived, or they have not been discovered yet.

IMHO, I offered "yes and no" as in the Federal Ordnance as well as Quatermaster systems, while it would seem to make the best logistical sense to supply from the closest arsenal or depot, the Federal system was complex.
Meaning, sometimes they did, while at other times the arsenals/depots were inter-connected and items were drawn and shipped between them as needed as well.

Curt

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Re: ammo question

Curt:

I did talk to the historian and museum manager at the Watervliet Arsenal. According to their records the War Department asked for all the production records from the arsenal in the late 1860s.

Probably the same thing happened to all the arsenals.

Having been a records manager for most of my life I'd be real surprised if the records no longer existed. However finding them in the bowels of some government warehouse would take more skill and time than most of us have.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: ammo question

Hallo!

True...
We can always hope.

I am reminded of George Rogers Clark who died in poverty being denied reimbursement for his 1770's Illinois campaign expenses for lack of receipts (some written on playing cards and in the borders and margins of pages torn from books due to paper shortages.

In 1913, someone poking around the Virginia statehouse attic found them, some 130 years later.

Curt