26 May 1777-15 June 1781

Manuscript document

Title: Imported into New Hampshire In the Mercury and Amphitrite from France

Lists items carried in on the ships Mercury and Amphitrite, including flints, cannon, grape shot, powder, and other ordnance stores and arms. The entry for 15 June 1781 notes that "sundry ordnance stores shipped by [Mr.] or [Wm.] Laurens.

GLC02437.00603

24 September 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Lucy Knox [incomplete]

Reports that in a previous letter to Lucy, he gave an account of the Battle of Brandywine. Relates that his army came in sight of the enemy, when a pouring rain ruined their cartridges. Describes how his army followed the British from across the Schuylkill River, and the British eluded them, intending to enter Philadelphia: "They have declin'd to combat our army and have taken possession of the prize for which we both contended." Reports that American Generals [Anthony] Wayne and [William] Smallwood were attacked on 20 September (later known as the Battle of Paoli or the Paoli Massacre).…

GLC02437.00652

12 October 1777

Stewart, Walter, 1756-1796

Letter

Title: to Horatio Gates

Later copy. Copied 23 May 1860 for Joseph Willard, Esq., by George [H.?] Moore. Stewart, aide-de-camp to General Gates, offers an account of the Battle of Germantown. Mentions Generals Anthony Wayne, John Sullivan, Nathanael Greene, Edward Stevens, and Alexander McDougall. Writes, "...everything appeared in our favour when the unfortunate retreat took place, which cannot yet be accounted for; it is left on General Stevens, who certainly gave the Orders to the left wing." Reports that Stevens has been suspended, and a court of inquiry, with Lord Stirling (William Alexander) presiding, is…

GLC02437.00657

19-24 December 1777

Tiffin, William, fl. 1777

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Proof of British powder]

Written at Turtle Bay near New York. Chart recording the result of proofing [testing] of British powder and powder captured by the British. Includes names of prizes from which powder was taken and the capturing vessels. Signed twice by William Tiffin, Captain of the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

GLC02437.00674

17 July 1863

Epperly, Christian M., 1837-1904

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Epperly

Says that he has heard the Yankees took 35,000 prisoners at Vicksburg, Mississippi, 175-200 pieces of artillery, and about 10,000 shells. Writes that he was sorry to hear that George Phleagar died in the battle of Gettysburg.

GLC02715.060

5 October 1776

Jacob, fl. 1776

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Informs Knox that he "is manufacturing gun powder for the Continental Congress" that is intended for George Washington. Sends samples to Knox and asks to be informed which will pass inspection. Signed in the third person in the text.

GLC02437.00469

1 October 1776

Cheever, Ezekiel, 1720-1793

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Indicates that he is sending Knox ordnance and apologizes for the delay caused by wagon availability. Also explains his lack of manpower. If Knox sees General James Reed first, asks that he explain Cheever's inability to comply with a request to supply Reed with an officer, as was requested. Cheever was the commissary of military stores.

GLC02437.00464

10 October 1776

Ogdon, Gabriel, fl. 1776

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Discusses the transportation of ordnance to New York.

GLC02437.00473

1839

West Point Military Academy

Pamphlet

Title: Military Pyrotechny, for the use of the Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point

Information on all the ingredients and processes used in creating military explosives. Plates depict steps in manufacturing bombs, rockets, grape shot, and other explosive projectiles. Lithography by George Aspinwall at the U.S. Military Academy Press. Owned by Henry W. Halleck while a cadet at West Point. Bound together in a book with GLC05707.02-.07.

GLC05707.01

1838

Bailey, J.W., fl. 1838

Pamphlet

Title: Chemical Notes, on Gunpowder and its Materials

Bailey is listed on title page as Acting Professor of Chemistry. Lithography by George Aspinwall at the U.S. Military Academy Press. Owned by Henry W. Halleck while a cadet at West Point. Bound together in a book with GLC05707.01-.07.

GLC05707.07

1841

Knowlton, Miner, fl. 1841

Pamphlet

Title: Notes on Gunpowder, Percussion, Powder, Cannon and Projectiles

Includes detailed schematic diagrams and sectional views of cannons, blast furnaces, projectiles, etc. Knowlton is listed on title page as Instructor of Artillery in the US Military Academy. Lithography by George Aspinwall at the U.S. Military Academy Press. Handwritten note inserted between pages six and seven states, "This belonged to my grandfather Charles Geddings Rogers when a cadet at West Point." Not bound with GLC05707.01-.07 but housed in same box. Possibly owned by Henry W. Halleck, who owned the other seven bound textbooks decimalized with this group.

GLC05707.08

7 April 1863

Burnett, Lawrence T., fl. 1862-1863

Newspaper

Title: The confederate states. [Vol. 6, no. 39 (April 7, 1863)]

General order providing regiments and battalionw with ordnance wagons. Response of "Nuff Ced." Poems. Fugitive slave ad. Large cream and tan floral pattern.

GLC06208.23

circa 1776

Allen, David, 1712-1777

Autograph document signed

Title: [List of artillery stores]

List various artillery supplies, such as powder, shells, shot, and fuses. Note on bottom of page states that he has just received the articles on the list "from Capt Dana at Bargin" and wishes to know what to do with them. Addressed to Knox at Mount Washington. Mount Washington could possibly refer to either Dorchester Heights in Boston or Fort Washington in New York. Mount Washington was a local name for Dorchester Heights for a time. Knox was positioned near both places during 1776. If the letter was sent to Boston then it was most likely written between January and March. If it was…

GLC02437.00503

30 December 1776

Stevens, Ebenezer, 1751-1823

Autograph document signed

Title: A Calculation of Ordnance, and Ordnance Stores wanted for the Army of the Northern Department made by order of the Hnble. Major Genl. Schuyler

Listings of the quantity and types of cannon desired by the Northern Department, and the amount of shot desired for each. Also a list other needed war-time provisions. A note explains that if the specified objects cannot be sent, then at least the material to make them must be. Also states that the letter is a copy. Docket includes a few mathematical calculations.

GLC02437.00499

circa 1776

Reed, Joseph, 1741-1785

Autograph note signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Has just received a note from Knox, but does not know how many "Cartridges" to order, and requests that Knox send him the number. Also notes that he hopes an officer of Knox's corps will take the ammunition order to General Israel Putnam.

GLC02437.00502

22 July 1780

Shaw, Samuel, 1754-1794

Autograph document

Title: [Certification concerning 13 inch shells]

Certification for thirteen inch shells that have been proofed at Pompton Furnace. Written at Camp Pracaness. Signed by John Callender.

GLC02437.00828

24 July 1780

Manuscript document

Title: A Return of Shells, shot and powder in possession of the United States and the Quantities of each deficient for the Service of the present Campaign, for Sixty days firing

Lists shells by gun size along with the quantity and number deficient. Also includes total cost of the shells only. Written at the War and Ordinace Office.

GLC02437.00830

July 1780

Manuscript document

Title: Proof of Powder, tried on the Plan at West Point in June & July 1780, with a 5 ½ Inch Royal and a 24 Pound Ball

Lists amount of powder used and the range of the ball in feet and yards when shot.

GLC02437.00832

30 April 1778

Nicolas, Lewis, 1717-1807

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Colonel Nicola writes, "I lately took the liberty to trouble you with some remedies for the imperfections of shells, presuming you would rather be at the trouble to read ten useless schemes than run the hazard of loosing one good one I again trespass on your time with the inclosed & shall be happy if I can in any shape contribute a mite to the benefit of the American cause."

GLC02437.00700

1777

Nicolas, Lewis, 1717-1807

Autograph manuscript

Title: Some remarks on Mr. Ressons observations on the uncertainty in throwing shells & attempts to remedy the defects that occasion this uncertainty

Technical treatise on various aspects of shells, including the casting of shells using the mold of an iron pot, fuse cases, defects in mortars, the size of powder grains, and other details. A separate page, number nine, is a drawing illustrating shell molds with an explanation for the figures on page eight. Measurements for page nine: 21.1 x 16.4 cm. Docket in Samuel Shaw's hand.

GLC02437.00701

circa 1777-1778

Nicolas, Lewis, 1717-1807

Autograph manuscript

Title: [Observations regarding the firing of artillery] [in French]

"Observations sur les causes qui derangement les portees des bombes, & sur les attentions qu'il faut avoir pour les tirer avec succes."

GLC02437.00705

January 19, 1863

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Mail delays, marching orders given and countermanded, mutiny: "I hear this morning that we have a little bit of mutiny in our brigade. The 103d regt N.Y.V. last night burnt up all their cartridges. They say there a[i]nt an officer in the regiment that has got his commission and they declare they wont lead them into a fight. I wish the whole army of the Potomac would mutiny and leave for home, [I]'d go in a minute." Mentions sending "dogratype" (daguerreotype) in previous message.

GLC04558.063

9 March 1862

Smith, William Wallace, fl. 1861-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Asa Smith

Written by William Wallace Smith to his brother Asa Smith. References receiving Asa's letter and the "smoking cap" that came with it. Says nothing is going on, but says it won't be long because every man is to be provided with 60 rounds of ammunition. Tells him about picket duty. Says he went to Falls Church and went to the church that George Washington helped to build. Says "it is a square brick building [that] does not look much like a church on the outside." Updates him on mutual friends. Embossed American eagle on the first page of the letter with the words "Union and Constitution" also…

GLC03742.10

1 December 1861

Smith, William Wallace, fl. 1861-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Asa Smith

Written by William Wallace Smith to his brother Asa Smith. References receiving Smith's letter. Says he spent Thanksgiving "running round among the other camps and at dusk we got up a dress parade among the boys with a dirty torn shirt for colors and in the evening we had a dance on the parade ground. Reports that there was much excitement when drums start beating all over camp, but it was only to get them to get 40 rounds and be prepared to lave a moment's notice. Says there was much action around camp, but that they were not called out until 9 p.m. Mentions other units that went into a…

GLC03742.05

4 January 1862

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

Autograph letter signed

Title: To his wife

Marching orders, ammunitions, reporting to Burnside for naval expedition.

GLC04558.005