Virginia. Board of Commissioners.

On January 23, 1860, the General Assembly passed an act appointing commissioners to audit and pay the expenses incurred by the Executive for the purchase of arms and munitions, and for the defence of the commonwealth. This board was to consist of the secretary of the commonwealth, the auditor of public accounts, and the adjutant general. The board's function was to settle all accounts incurred in assembling, arming, equipping, transporting, and maintaining troops during John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry. The auditor of public accounts then issued warrants to the individuals entitled compensation. On March 6 and again on March 28, 1860, further appropriations were passed by the General Assembly to defray these expenses. Please note that this board of commissioners should not be confused with a similar board established on January 1, 1860, by "an act making an appropriation for the purchase and manufacture of arms and munitions of war."

From the guide to the John Brown's Raid Claims of the Board of Commissioners, 1860-1861, (The Library of Virginia)

From the guide to the John Brown's Raid Military Expenses of the Board of Commissioners, 1860, (The Library of Virginia)

Following John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry, the General Assembly passed "an act making an appropriation for the purchase and manufacture of arms and munitions of war" on January 1, 1860. A Board of Commissioners, to consist of three members appointed by the governor, was formed to carry out this undertaking. The three men appointed by Governor Letcher were Colonel Philip St. George Cocke, Colonel Francis H. Smith, and Captain George W. Randolph.

The purpose of the Board was to propose a plan to make the buildings of the public armory in Richmond fit for the manufacture and repair of arms and munitions for the use of the militia. The governor was authorized to employ a Master Armourer to direct the operations. The commissioners visited armories and weapon factories to research arms manufacture. In Washington, the commissioners met with Col. H.K. Craig, Chief of the Ordinance Department of the U.S. Army as well as Captain J.A. Dahlgren of the U.S. Navy. Governor Letcher accompanied the commissioners on another trip to Springfield, Mass., and West Point, New York. The commissioners purchased a variety of arms and sent them to the Virginia Military Institute in order to conduct tests on the weapons. The commissioners negotiated a contract with both James T. Ames of the Chicopee Manufacturing Company and Joseph R. Anderson of the Tredegar Iron Works to retool the public armory to produce arms at an output of 5,000 rifled muskets per annum. The Board eventually decided to contract with Anderson.

From the guide to the Journal, 1860, (Library of Virginia)