MEMOIR OF DANIEL TREADWELL. 407 



" I laid the subject before the Secretary of War, then Mr. Spencer, wlio very properly 

 referred it to that very competent officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Talcott, Chief of the Bureau of 

 Ordnance. This gentleman, whose knowledge in everything belonging to the use of cannon is 

 probably not equalled, certainly not surpassed, by that of any man in the country, was at first 

 disposed to regard the project witli disfavor. He had, several years since, made some experi- 

 ments in firing a small wrouglit-iron cannon, made of a large, solid bar of wrouglit iron, formed 

 under a forge hammer, by a process somewhat like that of common fagoting. This gun, althougli 

 not burst by the charges to which it was subjected, was sensibly enlarged in its calibre, thus 

 showing that the iron did not possess the hardness required to withstand the enormous pressure 

 of the fluid. On informing Colonel Talcott of my proposed method of manufacture, however, 

 and likewise that it was my intention to make the inner portion of the cannon of steel, he 

 assented to the probability of success, and recommended to the Secretary of War to authorize a 

 contract for a few six-poundcr field cannon, wdiich contract was forthwitli made. Tlie Secretary 

 of the Navy likewise, Mr. Upshur, directed a contract to be made for four light navy thirty-two- 

 pounder cannon." 



He thus writes to Mrs. Treadwell of the difficulties in his way, and of his 



hopes : — 



Washington, March 5, 1842. 



Dear A , ... I arrived here on Wednesday at sunset, and on Thursday morning began 



business, and have ever since been in great excitement about it. I shall have much to tell you 

 of what has risen against me, and how I have laid myself to overcome the opposition. I will say 

 now that I have the promise of a contract with the War Department for six small pieces for 

 them to make a fair experiment witii, and I am satisfied that it will have a fair experiment. 

 Colonel Talcott, the Chief of the Ordnance, with whom I have made the negotiation, is an hon- 

 orable and high-minded man, and I have every reason now to be satisfied with the state of things 

 with him. Colonel Talcott thinks I shall not get a contract with the Secretary of the Navy, but 

 that he will wait to see the result of the experiment with the War Department. . . . 



WASHiNr.TON, March 7, 1842. 

 All is going well ; the contract is made, all but signing, with the War Department, and I am 

 now maturing one with the Navy ior four thirty-tioo-pounders. Magnificent ! I owe my success 

 to Colonel Talcott, who wants to see the guns fairly tried. Yours truly, 



D. Treadwell. 



To Colonel George Talcott. 



Washington, March, 1842. 

 Sir, — At the close of the interview with which you favored me on Monday last, you desired 

 that I should call upon you after I should have arranged my contract concerning improved 

 cannon with the Navy Commissioners. Having now completed this contract, and finding you 

 constantly engaged with others when I have called at your office, I am obliged to leave the city 

 without again paying my respects to you in person. I cannot, however, depart without ex- 

 pressing to you my high sense of the prompt and unprejudiced manner in which you acted 

 upon my proposals. Whether I shall be ultimately successful or not in my project can only be 

 known by experiment. This shall now be fully tried ; if it fails, I shall not mourn over it, and 

 you will forget it ; but should it succeed so as to become of importance or interest to the public, 

 I shall take care that your ready encouragement of it be publicly known. 



Daniel Treadwell. 



