New research here! Period description of Harpers Ferry arsenal in March 1803

[DaveM]

This may be exciting to others as nerdy as me about L&C's guns and Harpers Ferry arsenal!   One of the documents that I came across I believe is important to the discussion of what was going on in the HF arsenal while Lewis was there.  As you may know, Henry Dearborn wrote to the arsenal on March 14, 1803 asking for arms to be made for Lewis.  After, Lewis was at the arsenal between mid-March to mid-April in 1803 overseeing preparation.
 
Incredibly I found a detailed period description of the arsenal that was written by the editor of the Alexandria Expositor newspaper in March 1803! Perhaps this article was known before, but I personally have not seen a reference to it in other books.  Below are a series of photos of this article.  Of particular interest is the latter portion of the article where the number of men, equipment and room layouts are described, as well as the superintendent’s description of new innovations being made to the muskets being manufactured there.  Just does show that there is still stuff to be discovered out there.

[fm tim]

See;

The Southern Arsenal

By Daniel Hartzel and James Whisker

Old Bedford Village Press
Bedfoer, PA
1996.

History of the Harpers Ferry Arsenal  including  armors names, units made, some expenses and photographs of the firearms made there up through the Hall carbines of 1842