By Bernie Sargent
It was during a stagecoach ride that our story begins. Nathan Ames Jr., the young family member of one of the leading families in the realm of edged tool technology met one Edmund Dwight whose family were recognized leaders in the textile world. The Ames family’s product was of paramount importance to the production of textiles. The result of this chance meeting was Ames relocating manufacturing to a Springfield factory owned by the Dwight Family facility. Not only could Ames continue to produce their quality blades conveniently close to one of their end customers, but they could offer maintenance capabilities near their base of operations. Another benefit was the proximity to the federal arsenal and convenient shipping channels.
In 1828, Ames leading competitor in the blade production world closed shop to concentrate on firearms leaving Nathan and his brother James Tyler Ames in the position to become the unrivaled leader in this industry. With the sage guidance of their father, they easily transitioned into the world of sword making. During the next four years Ames Mfg. honed their skills and continued to make great strides, even with the setbacks that normally befall industries of the time as they strive to grow thru modernization. In 1832 Ames Sr. passed leaving the brothers in charge. By the end of the year, they had landed a contract to produce artillery swords for the U.S. military.
By 1834, Nathan added the Dragoons to the list of customers with the military. With Ames firmly entrenched in the ordinance department of the government, they soon landed contracts to manufacture swords for officers within all branches of the military. It was just a matter of time before Ames was producing all the components from sword to hilt, with the reputation of being some of the best available.
In 1836 Nathan undertook brass and bronze production which led to Ames casting bronze statuary for some of the most noted artists of the time. Several of the most noted were “The Minuteman” in Concord, MA, George Washington in Boston, MA, and the doors to the Senate in Washington D.C. to mention just a few.
During a trip to Europe Nathaniel was introduced to a process of silver plating and upon his return his team perfected and used to create elaborate silver serving tableware and cutlery, which he utilized as gifts for the spouses of prospective Ames customers. This system would later be referred to as electro-plating which is still used to this day to produce quality metal products across a wide range of items. It was also during one of his trips to Europe that Nathaniel underwent dental surgery which ultimately led to his death in 1847.
Nathanial and James entrepreneurial skills led them to create machinery that would streamline production of tools for textiles and armament. Because of these developments, a royal commission from England visited their facility to explore a more rapid and cost-efficient way to manufacture weapons. Until then, the English would hand tool the stocks for their rifles, which would be both costly and time consuming. It also would result in each gun barrel being matched to one stock and only one. The downside was that repairs were nearly Impossible. The English purchased the machinery from Ames Mfg. and promptly ramped up their production capabilities. The Spanish and Russian governments soon followed suit.
When the Mexican American War broke out, Ames increased their ordinance manufacturing to accommodate the military’s demands. It was in 1846 just prior to the Mexican American War, 12-pound cannon No. 39 was foundered. Although exact records of shipment are unavailable, it could be assumed that this ordinance as well as several others were shipped in 1854 overland to Ft. Craig in the New Mexico Territory, a little more than 160 miles north of the Mexican Border to thwart any possible incursions by the Mexican Army.
When the Mexican American War concluded Ames returned to their production of their pre-war array of products. This included the high-quality swords that were selling for $30 to $1,000 each ($1,000 to $34,000 in 2020 factoring inflation). Their sword orders surpassed 150,000 at the onset of the Civil War. Ordinance including cannons, ramped up to quantities that were impossible to keep up with. Business was so strong that the Chicopee Tribe that lived on the rim high above the river across from the factory, had to move because of the constant testing of the various cannon’s firing into the embankment beneath their village.
Post-Civil War, Ames was forced to begin producing a myriad of products including mailboxes, ice skates, refrigerated box cars, cranks and more. Eventually Ames would fall victim to poor planning and lack of equity leading to the Ames Mfg. Company dissolving in 1932.
The Birth of No. 36:
The year was 1846 and the Ames Foundry was hard at work producing swords, tableware, rifle barrels and cannons. One cannon of note began its illustrious life bearing the stamp of approval JWP, or James Wolfe Ripley. Born in 1794, Ripley was pressed into service from West Point before graduation during the War of 1812. He later served under Andrew Jackson and then at the hint of the Civil War, was promoted to commanding officer of the Kennebec Arsenal in Maine due in large part to the diplomacy he exhibited during his military stint in South Carolina. In 1842 he became superintendent of the Springfield Armory. He was responsible for improving the facilities, increasing production, and developing the .58 caliber rifled musket. But his fierce opposition to the introduction of the breech load rifle lends some credence to many accusations that he impeded the Union forces from ending the war sooner. The Confederates were able to purchase their breech load rifles from European sources which were much faster to load than the muskets mandatorily used issued to the North.
Duty Calls:
The U.S. was a mere 85 years old and just and Texas had just turned 16 when the Blue Whistler saw the first action that we can verify. Although the ordinance inspectors signed off on this 53-inch-long barrel, there was a slight imperfection that was detected only when fired. This blemish inside the 4 ½ inch barrels caused the cannon to whistle when fired. Hence the nickname “Blue Whistler”.
As the war clouds heralded a bitter conflict between the states, Confederate President Jefferson Davis turned his attention to the western territories of New Mexico, Colorado, and California. He was convinced that the few Union forts along the Rio Grande offered little concern and when routed the Confederacy could extend its dominance to the Pacific Coast, capturing gold, silver, and other needed minerals. The thought of a transcontinental nation would be much more appealing to European countries who in turn would pay far more attention to a Confederacy of such grandeur. President Lincoln was also concerned enough that he bolstered the numbers at Ft. Craig under the command of General Edward Canby to 3,800. And none too soon as General Henry Sibley and three regiments of the Texas Brigade, roughly 2,300 soldiers were marching north from El Paso in an attempt to realize the grand plan that had been hatched by General Sibley and President Davis month’s earlier.
Sibley soon realized that Ft. Craig was well protected and perhaps impossible to over-run, so he and his soldiers marched north a few miles to Val Verde where the Rio Grande might be forded. It was there on February 21st that the Union forces were defeated after several volleys of canister which sent many soldiers in grey to meet their maker. The artillery battery was overwhelmed by the Confederates and the “Blue Whistler” along with several other artillery pieces were captured. After several volleys of canister which sent many soldiers in grey to meet their maker, the artillery battery was overwhelmed by the Confederates. The artillery commander Captain Alexander McCrae died defending his cannons and along with Confederate Major Samuel Lockridge ended their days on earth slumped over the barrel of the “Blue Whistler”, the stains of which are still evident to this day.
It became apparent that the New Mexico Volunteers were not too interested in this war. Nearly 500 turned tail and ran when the battle became its fiercest, handing the South a victory. The Confederate conquest made it possible for Sibley to continue northward and capture Albuquerque and Santa Fe with Captain Trevanion Teel as the artillery commander. The Confederates objective was to capture Fort Union Ordnance Depot to resupply their army. Had it not been for the Colorado Volunteers, Sibley might have realized his ambitions. With their provisions at their lowest level, the rebels had to abandon their mission at Glorietta Pass and retreat to El Paso. More soldiers were lost in the chaotic retreat than all the skirmishes they had endured. Along the way, they destroyed ammo and buried their prized artillery pieces in both Albuquerque and a spot just north of Ojo del Pueblo on the west side of the Magdalena Mtns. At least four of the 12 pounders were buried on a cold March night, including the “Blue Whistler” which had become somewhat of an icon with the troops.
Be sure to catch the rest of the story in the next issue, and see how this piece of history ended up in a local high school.