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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
No. 1488 1839 Oct. 18, G. W. HOCKLEY, [HOUSTON, TEXAS], TO A. S. JOHNSTON, [AUSTIN; TEXAS] 13 Ordnance Department 18th October 1839 To The Honorable A. Sidney Johnson Secretary of War Sir In presenting You with the usual reports, from this Department, I must ask Your indulgence in taking a review of the past, as well as recommend the course of action for the future.- The operations of the mechanical part of the Ordnance commenced in the early part _of the Year 1838, in a common Blacksmith shop within the precincts of the City of Houston; with the materials only, of such arms as had been taken from the enemy-and others thrown aside as useless, and turried over by men whose term of service had expired.- The Govemment·not having men to spare from the line, the arti- ficers were hired from amongst the Citizens, which course has nece~- sarily been continued-this is therefore, one great cause of the ap- parent large amounts required for this Department- another difficulty has impeded the operations of the workmen, which was the total want of machinery, until a few weeks past, when we were enabled to procure sufficient to use the polishing wheels by the application of horse power.- The character of the persons employed frequently retarded our prog- ress, as they would exercise their right of leaving their employment at will, and by. that means almost stop intirely the operations of the shops- one link removed from the chain renders it useless,-& a weak substitute cannot restore the lost strength.-At the time above alluded to, in which the repairs upon muskets &c were made at, the depot in this City, the rented buildings. (the best that could be pro- cured) were in such a delapidated state, that upon the occurrence-of snow storms, or during winter weather, the arms were almost intirely exposed to injury.~indeed, all those that had been recovered from apparent loss, (about six hundred in number) were again rendered intirely unfit for service.-The present buildings occupied as the ar- senal, and originally intended for the use of the Quarter l\Iaster Gen- eral, were turned over to the Ordnance Department, the number in- jured by the exposure alluded to, were then again put in good order, including which upwards of Eight hundred and fifty muskets exclusive of Rifles, Yaegers and Sabers, have been Issued from the arms remain- ing after the Campaign of 1836. However cheering this statement may seem, and based upon the returns in the Department of War.-it will be seen by reference to my report, dated the 20th of December 1838 14 that the buildings were
ia('opy. "See no. 940.
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