The following documents are monthly summaries of the work done by the various departments of the Macon Armory. The statements were forwarded to Chief of Ordnance Gorgas from Superintendent Burton. The summary statements are extracted from bound volumes at National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 109, Chapter IV. The following reports are included:
Summary Statement of Work Done at Macon Armory in the Month of January 18641. Front wall of west half of Main front building for Armory carried up 2d story and all those of east half carried up 1st story.
2. Eight hundred and eleven (811) perches of stone masonry laid in foundation walls for buildings by contractors. 4347 perches have been laid up to Jan 31st inst.
3. Eight (8) frame houses for negro quarters, each 40 x 20 feet erected complete.
4. One (1) frame dwelling house for Overseer 41 x 31 feet, erected complete.
5. One (1) frame smoke house 35 x 20 ft. erected complete.
6. About one million bricks hauled from the brickyard of the contractor to Armory graounds.
7. All of the Machinery, Tools, Fixtures & Materials of Spiller & Burr's Pistol Factory at Atlanta, Ga. removed safely to Macon Armory and preliminary steps taken to re-erect same.
8. Eleven hundred (1100) Stocks for Rifle Musket, machined complete, and Fifteen hundred and eighty-four (1584) delivered to M.S.K. for issue to Richmond Armory.
9. Two (2) Upright jig saws for sawing gun stocks, nearly completed. Two machines for Buff Grinding Bayonets, nearly completed.
Six (6) Machines for 1st boring barrels nearly completed.
Four (4) Machines for 2d boring barrels Completed.
Two (2) Machines for 2d boring barrels, nearly completed.
One (1) Machine for making tubes for friction primers, completed and turned over to Macon Arsenal.
One (1) set of Patterns for castings for Brass Furnace completed Sundry patterns for castings for buildings completed.
One (1) set of Patterns for castings for Furnace for heating gun barrels nearly completed.
Note: The above comprises the work done since report of Oct 23d 1863. No report having been made in the interim. [RG-109, Ch. IV, Vol. 29]
Summary Statement of Work Done at Macon Armory in the month of October 1864.Grading & Excavating
726 cubic yards of earth have been excavated from cutting for Rail Road siding into Armory Grounds, and used in grading grounds, filling up gullies, and repairing Armory Street.
Thirty-five (35) cubic yards of earth have also been excavated for foundations for columns in Main Front Armory building for supporting gearing at intersections of wing shafting with that in Main Building: the earth used for grading.
The entire ground under first floor of Main Front Armory building has been cleaned of accumulated rubbish, bricks, bats &c. and the serviceable bricks assorted for future use.
Brickwork
The brickwork on Central Office Towers of Main Front building has been raised three (3) feet higher and includes the Ornamental brickwork of cornice. These towers are now ready to receive the heavy stone coping prepared for them. The front wall between these towers has been raised two (2) feet higher and includes the ornamental brickwork of cornice. This wall is now also ready to receive the Stone Coping. The exterior walls of Central Office Towers and those of the Office building immediately in the rear of them have been cleaned off with oil, repointed where necessary and the entire scaffolding around them taken down.
The area walls outside of windows in basement of central office towers have been built up of brick and are now ready to receive the Stone Coping. These area walls are six (6) feet high, and two bricks in thickness, forming an area two (2) feet wide by 12 1/2 feet long in front of each double window.
The walls of East & West end towers of Main Front building have been raised one foot or up to the temporary projecting roofs.
The brick foundations for columns in Main front building for supporting gearing at intersection of wing shafting with that in Main building has been commenced and carried up two (2) feet, or to height ready to receive the large bottom anchor stones.
The brick walls of second story of Wing No 3 of Main Front building have been cleaned up from bottom of second tier of floor joists to 100 feet above tops of joists, or 11 feet in all, and 43 stone window sills set.
One fire place and one flue have been added to brick chimney in kitchen in rear of the quarters occupied by Foreman of Carpenters.
Stone Work
Thirty (30) Foundation Stones for columns in Main front Armory building have been notched out to receive ends of floor joists, four (4) notches in each.
Four (4) large anchor stones for foundations for columns for supporting gearing at intersection of wing shafting with that in main building have been drilled to receive anchor bolts, two (2) holes in each three (3) inches diameter. These stones are now ready for setting in position.
Three convex cornice stones about 6 1/2 feet long each, for central office towers have been dressed from the rough and finished and five commenced last month have been completed. Thirty-six (36) feet or cornice stones to match the above have been redressed on the face. All the above are ready to be placed in position.
Carpenter Work
It being necessary to cover temporarily with singles the unfinished East & west end towers in consequence of the supply of rough stone for coping being cut off by the advance of the enemy into north Georgia. The permanent roofs have been temporarily extended over the walls by means of short rafters about four (4) feet long. The sheathing also extended on these rafters and the roofs of both towers so extended have been covered with singles about 28 squares in all.
Fifty (50) window frames mostly for the second story of Wing No 3 of Main Front building, reported last month as in progress have been completed and 122 window frames of same character for the other wings have been commenced and are in progress.
Forty-three (43) Window frames have been set in second story of Wing No 3 of Main Front building. Forty-six (46) Roof Trusses for Main Front Building, forty (40) feet span have been framed ready for erection, 188 Packing cases for machinery have been made.
Brick Making
One kiln of brick containing 400,000 has been burned and 150,000 bricks have been hauled away from brick yard to Armory Grounds.
Pistol Factory & Machine Department
50 Revolving Pistols completed.
460 Austrian Rifles cleaned & repaired
4 Lathe Chuck for Facing pistol cylinders fabricated.
80 Large bolts & nuts for new buildings fabricated.
30 Machines together with countershafts hangers &c. therefore comprising nearly all the machinery in the machine shop have been taken down, boxed, and packed for transportation to another point if necessary.
All the machinery for the manufacture of pistols has been unpacked and re-erected, and the manufacture of pistols resumed.
Jas. H. Burton
C.S. Armory,
Macon Ga.
Nov 1864 [RG-109, Ch IV, Vol 29]
Summary Statement of Work Done at Macon Armory in the Month of November 1864
Grading & Excavating
Six hundred seventy (670) Cubic Yards of earth have been excavated from cutting for Rail Road siding into Armory Grounds, and used in grading grounds in front of Armory buildings. The yard around the front building has been cleaned of rubbish.
Brick Work.
The brick wall of second Story of Wing No 3 of Main Front building have been carried up to full height to receive roof and all the cast iron ventilators over windows set and built in. The west side wall of Coal sheds forty (40) feet in length, 8 1/2 feet high above stone foundations has been built with pilasters 10 1/2 feet high above foundations. In west half of rear wall of Main Front building, the cast iron ventilators over the windows have been set and the brick work carried up to height to receive roof.
In main front building the foundations for columns for supporting gearing at intersections of shafting in Wing No 3 with that in front building has been completed and the top stone set ready to receive columns.
In main front building the heavy foundations for columns for supporting the gearing driving east and west lines of shafting have been commenced by putting in nine (9) courses of bricks, and one foundation stone seven (7) feet square set.
Stone Work.
The face of about twelve (12) feet lineal of cornice stones has been redressed, and the lewis holes in all the cornice stones for the two central towers of main front building have been drilled.
The anchor holes 3 1/2 inches diameter in two large foundation stones for supporting gearing driving east & west lines of shafting in main front building have been drilled, four (4) holes in each stone.
Carpenters Work
1458 Additional lights of sash for Wing No 3 commenced and in progress.
122 window frames reported last month as in progress have been about 1/3 finished.
All the heavy roof trusses of Wing No 3 (11 in all) have been raised, the shingles for supporting ceiling joists and hangers for shafting on second floor have been framed and raised; also the ceiling joists. All the minor timbers for roof and ventilation on ridge of roof have been framed ready for raising.
52 packing cases for machinery have been made
30 carpenters were employed seven (7) days in packing machinery for removal.
Brick Making
70,000 Bricks have been reset in a kiln for reburying
Pistol Factory and Machine Department
35 Revolving Pistols fabricated and assembled, ready for proving.
Iron work for large derrick for hoisting stone, commenced and about three fourths done.
50 machines in Pistol & Machine Departments taken down & packed for removal, also countershafts hangers &c for same.
400 Feet of Main Line Shafting in Pistol & Machine Departments taken down and packed for removal.
All small tools pertaining to Pistol and Machine Departments packed. 60 feet of Main Line Shafting unpacked and re-erected in Machine Shop also 6 Machines (Lathes, drills &c) unpacked and re-erected.
One (1) Portable steam engine of two (2) Horse Power put in working order & placed in position in machine shop for driving the above mentioned machines.
One (1) steam engine & boiler 35 H.Power taken down & packed for removal.
One (1) Temporary shed 100 x 40 feet taken down at temporary works, being no longer required.
Note: The operations of this Armory have been much retarded and embarrassed during the month, in consequence of the threatened attack on Macon by Sherman's forces: the workmen being held for a week or more subject to a moments call for field duty.
Burton
Summary Statement of Work Done at Macon Armory in month of December 1864
Grading and Excavating
851 Cubic yards of earth have been excavated from cutting for Rail Road siding into Armory Grounds, and 192 Cubic Yards from hill at West End of building side the whole used in filling and grading grounds in front of Armory buildings.
Brick Work.
The east side walls of coal shed 114 feet in length 8 1/2 feet high above stone foundations has been built with pilasters 10 1/2 feet high above foundations. Also the north and south end walls of coal sheds, 80 feet long each, have been carried up to the height of 8 1/2 feet above foundations.
The cornice of Wing No 3 of Main Front building has been built and finished, also the side walls of same wing finished. The gable end wall of same wing has been carried up and finished about half the full height and one circular - blind frame - or ventilator built in.
In main front building the heavy foundations for columns for supporting the gearing driving east and west lines of shafting have been built up to full height ready to receive the heavy cap stones.
The foundations and side walls for a boiler thirty-two (32) feet long for temporary steam engine have been built up to within one foot of the bottom of the boiler: the space between filled with sand and the boiler set in its position.
The foundations for temporary steam engine have been commenced and carried up about three feet high ready to receive the anchor bolt & plates. The above boiler & engine are located at the permanent works, to which it is designed to remove manufacturing operations as soon as possible from temporary works.
Stone Work
Two stone door sills ten (10) feet long ten (10) inches thick intended for warehouse have been altered to suit doors in coal shed, and four stone door jambs 5'8" by 12" x 7" have been cut for same and the whole set and built into walls.
Two large cap stones for foundation for columns for supporting the gearing driving east & west lines of shafting have been drilled for anchor bolts four (4) holes in each 3 1/2 inches diameter 24 inches through.
Carpenter Work
1458 lights of sash for wing No 3 main front building reported in progress last month have been finished.
One large derrick for raising stone has been framed, completed and put in position for work.
The roof of Wing No 3 main front building has been finished and covered with shingles with the exception of the ridge ventilator which is temporarily covered with boards for want of shingles.
Twenty-five (25) Stringers for roof of main front building have been framed.
Sixteen (16) roof trusses 40 feet span for coal sheds have been framed.
Two (2) Bateaux for use in river have been built.
Fifty-one (51) packing cases for machinery have been fabricated.
Repairs to carts, wagons &c have been made.
Pistol Factory & Machine Department
Thirty-five (35) Revolving Pistols have been proved and finished ready for issue.
Iron work for large derrick reported in progress last month has been completed.
Steam engine No 86 overhauled and put in thorough working order ready for re-erection.
Drill cutting Lathe No 55 repaired &c and 5 lathes & planer, 2 bolt cutting machines and drill press with countershafts & over hauled put in order and re-erected for use.
One (1) set of knives for wood planing machine and 18 bits for tonguing & grooving machine fabricated.
164 brass Lock Frames
240 Austrian Rifles cleaned & repaired
446 Belgian Musket Cleaned & repaired.
Burton
Jan 11, 1865
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