Providence Tool Co. Contract Musket Archive

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/31/2009

A good group of eight (7) letters and one (1) musket invoice from the archive of the treasurer of Providence Tool Company, J. B. Anthony. Early in 1861, the Providence Tool Company was one of a few machine shops in the North contracted by the United States government to fill build and manufacturer the standard army model 1861 Springfield Rifle. The guns produced by these firms were known as US Springfield Contract Muskets and are highly sought after today by gun collectors. During the war, the Providence Tool Company became one of the nation's largest manufactures of these muskets producing nearly 70,000 specimens and their impact on the Rebel armies can only be imagined. The archive all of which deals with some sought of contract related topics, reads, in part: "…[N. R. Davis & Co., Freetown, Mass., Aug. 5, 1861] We visited the Providence Tool Co…hoping…to make some arrangement with you to run our shop on some part…of your Contract Musket. We now have a shop…all of which have been got up in the best manner for making Guns & Rifles of our pattern (and for the manufacturing of Gun Locks for the Musket…you may entrust us with…having with us some of the best hands in the country for gun tools…[Horton, Hall & Co., Boston, Aug. 23, 1861]…Do you use Emery in your manufacturing. If so…[we] call your attention to…Wellington Mills. The quality is superior and the price the lowest musket rate…[Bement & Dougherty Industrial Works, Philadelphia, Aug. 24, 1861]…about the Rifling Machine. Shall we give up the order for Remington or can we expect the complete drawings soon…we should have the data soon or give it up for them as they are in a hurry…[Lamson, Goodnow & Yale, Windsor, Vt., Oct. 25, 1861, the now famous Civil War Springfield contract gun manufactures looks to collect money from the Providence Tool Company]…[A. Blood, Office of the Manchester Locomotive Works, Manchester, N. H., Oct. 25, 1861] I am making for Goodnow, Lampson & Yale a breaching machine from the patterns designed by you…I presume you may want…one from these patterns…[Naylor & Co., Boston, Dec. 16, 1861]…we have just received a small quantity of extra fine barrel iron…for components…10 tons we reserve for you according to our understanding…we are filling a large order…for the [Springfield] armory, being for the New Model Rifled Musket…we…judge that for the components [?] 25000 guns you will require 50 tons iron…we should like to get your specifications as quickly as possible so that we may fill it at the same time we do the Armory order…[Cornett & Nightingale, Providence, Dec. 30, 1861]…the stud ordered for…use for Second [gun sight] leafs was 125…we could not get that size…we can send you…1/2 x 1/4 or 3/8; the latter Sharps Rifle Mg. Co. [to] use as a substitute…PLUS; partly-printed invoice, Cornett & Nightingale, Providence, Sept. 28, 1861 listing various barrels of goods used for parts and supplies credited to the "musket account" for a total of $164.73. Overall VG

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