MEMOIR OF DANIEL TBEADWSLL. 42;» 



doubts, and lead to their general use in our naval armaments; and thai the Important fact 

 will be disclosed, that, by the adoption of these wrought-iron guns, the d tractive power of 



our ships of war may be at once doubled, and that frigates and perhaps sl< 



able to contend successfully with linc-of-battle ships as at present armed." 



The bill seems to have been lost, as there is no further mention of 



The war with Mexico was still going on, and the demand for lighter and 



be 



^uier aim more 



efficient field artillery seems to have increased; and a year after the introduction 

 of Mr. King's bill, and three years after the Bureau of Ordnance had recommended 

 a supply of Mr. Treadwell's guns to be placed in the arsenals for future service, the 

 Secretary of War approved the recommendation of the Bureau, and Mr. Tread- 

 well's constant friend, Colonel Talcott. thus writes : — 



To Daniel Treadwell, Esq., Cambridge, Muss. 



ORDHANCF Oi PICK, 21 April. 1H 17. 



My dear Sir, — The Secretary of War has at last approved the proceedings of the Ordnance 



Board, held in March, 1843, and amongst other projects, you know, was one for procuring ;t 

 supply of your cannon. The opposition then and now existing to the measure, 1 suppose, may 

 be found in your neighborhood, where experiments are in progress to furnish field nuns of cast 

 iron tha f shall meet all the wants of the service. My id<a was to substitute 12-pounder guns 

 and 24-pounder howitzers for the 6-pounder and 12-pounder howitzers, without I considerable 

 increase of weight, certainly not over fifty per cent. 



How do you stand disposed in relation to this matter, after so long: a delay? I suppose 

 we ought to try a couple of each before going largely into the matter, but such a course would 

 involve too much expense, perhaps. I am not aware how you proposed to make chambers for 

 the howitzers. They seem to be necessary, on account of the small charge used, but I am 

 not quite sure that they are indispensable. Let me hear from you when convenient. 



Respectfully and truly, I am, dear sir, yours, etc., 



G. Talcott, Lt. Col. Ordnance. 



To Colonel Georce Talcott. 



Dear Sir, — Your favor of April 24, 1847, was received in due course of mail, but I have 

 been unable to make up my mind for a definite answer to it until now, a^ it required much time 

 for consideration both by myself and by the gentlemen who have been engaged with me in the 

 cannon manufacture. In November, 1845, the Navy having decided to give no encourage- 

 ment to me to proceed with guns for that service, and it being uncertain what would he done 

 by your Department, I was obliged to stop the works then in progress and discharge all the 

 workmen who had been employed by me. The old machine-shop in which I had finished the 

 cannon then made, and in which I was a tenant at will, was likewise given up, and is now occu- 



pied by another person. You 



machi 



as well as collect again workmen in every department of the art. The question then is whether, 

 under this condition, the manufacture of guns for the field service of the United States only 



