arsenals for the care of the arms, but these were often poorly constructed and ill-equipped buildings. In 1857, in Wisconsin, there was still need of a place to keep her 17 quota of arms. Indiana was keeping her stores in any building that could be rented for the purpose, in 1850 and for several consecutive years thereafter. The Adjutant-General begged the General Assembly to provide a suitable building. His opinion was that a fit one could be built for from six to eight 18 19 hundred dollars. The report of 1858 noted that Virginia needed ten-thousand dollars worth of repairs on her armory. In 1846, Illinois appointed a Committee to look into military needs and they reported that a few arms owned by the state, as was the case in that state, did not justify the expense 20 necessary for the erection of a new arsenal. Reports of the states show a great amount of repairing being done, or needing to be done, to the arms in the hands of the state; both to those arms in the state arsenals and those scattered throughout the state. Practically all the holsters were capped with bear-skin and this was in contin21 ual need of repair on account of the effect of moths. From all sides came the report that there were numerous arms and acoutrements in all the armories needing attention. Much alteration of arms and repairing was completed, but in most 17. Adjutant-General's Report, Wisconsin, 1857, p. 4. 19. Adjutant General's Report, Virginia, 1858, Document 10, p.3. 20. This seems to be an isolated case of the kind. 21. Adjutant-Ganeeal's Report, Virginia, 1847. cases there were not sufficient men to keep everything in 22 repair. Through carelessness in keeping records and lack of provision for proper care, arms given out by the state were often left, by the various companies, not only in a state of disorder, but without proper equipment for their protection from the elements. Massachusetts reports, in 1848, that many arms were being returned to the state arsenal and that most of 23 them were in need of repair. In Indiana, as late as 1859, the Adjutant-General reported that there were numerous arms scattered over the state and that most of them were in such bad condition that they were not worth collecting and shipping back to Indianapolis. Even earlier than this, the same officer in Indiana reported that there were..."a great number of arms of various kinds, scattered throughout different parts of the state-in some places stacked up in a house-in other places distributed among the citizens used for hunting, and claimed 24 by those who hold tham as private property" It was also his opinion that the individual members of many of the companies, upon the companies breaking up, decamped and took the arms with them to Ohio, Missouri, and other places..." Doubtless much valuable property was lost by such careless happenings, and much of the blame may be traced to inaccurate records. Very little attention seems to have been paid to ammunition, necessary as this article was. Virginia reports 22. Adjutant-General's Report, New York, 1855, This gives a good sample of conditions in most of the states. 23. House Documents, Massachusetts, 1848. 24. Quarter-Master's Report, Indiana, in Documentary Journal, 1844, Part, II, p. 42. 26 25 the urgent need for cannon balls and shells in 1849. The exceptions to the rule are Maine and Massachusetts; the former state stipulated that not more than one-hundred pounds of powder should be kept at the arsenal; the latter required that "each town or plantation must keep one-hundred pounds of musket balls and one-hundred-and-twenty-eight flints 27 for every sixty-four soldiers in the town. So much trouble was experienced by the states in keeping track of arms given out to individual companies, and so many arms were either stolen or destroyed from carelessness, that action was finally taken to keep accurate records of all given out and their condition after coming into the hands of the individual company. In 1848, Michigan was 28 recommended to require deposits for arms; in 1845, the Governor 29 of Tennessee requested power to regulate arms taken out; and, in 1850, Virginia provided that all companies receiving arms should be responsible for their good order and should be required to execute bond for their value at the time of their 30 leaving the state arsenal. The history of this problem and its solution in one state will probably give a better idea than a scattering account. In Indiana, in 1831, there was passed a law requir ing the Guarter-Master to take receipts for all arms drawn 25. Adjutant-General's Report, Virginia, 1849. 26. An Act to organize the Militia, 1844. 27. Digest of Militia Law of Massachusetts, 1840, p. 24. 28. Report of the Militia Committee, Michigan, 1848. 29."Governor's Message in Nile's Register, Vol. 69, (1845) p. 159. 30. Militia Law of Virginia, 1850, p. 26. |