A year ago, I did not know what carbines and lathes were or even what the U.S. Ordnance Department did. Yet, with the help of the people listed below and many others, I have now become well informed on those topics. In starting this project, I took on something that was far larger than myself in terms of resources and previous knowledge. I could not have met this challenge without the assistance of others. Their helpfulness, support, and enthusiasm were remarkable. Thank you to all those who helped me along the way, especially...



Dr. Brian Schoen, my advisor

for meeting my frustration with constant patience, encouragement, support, and new ideas;  suggesting that I make this website; and editing all 184 pages of this project



The Frederick H. Boston Research and Travel Fellowship

for proving me with funds to travel for my research, including my trip to Fairfax, VA and Washington D.C. and my second trip to Cincinnati, OH

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David Conzett

for introducing me to this topic, for helping me get started with my research, and for your help throughout my research



Donald Newell

for constantly providing me with connections, information and opportunities to learn more about the history of firearms as well as the Civil War and for giving me the opportunity to shoot historical arms (one of my favorite lessons for this project)



Cyrus Moore III

for giving me suggestions and advice in both my topic and resources and for allowing me to shoot your flintlock musket and Springfield Rifle (that allowed me to understand more fully the differences in technology)



TJ Cyders

for explaining the complexities of lathes and milling machines in a way that I could understand, sharing the history of machine tools, and giving me the opportunity to shoot historical arms



Jessica Cyders

for providing me with connections to resources and giving me the opportunity to shoot historical arms 

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John Steinman

for allowing me to look at several carbines and showing me how multiple carbines functioned



Bill Hoover

for demonstrating and teaching me about hand-operated rifling machines

 

 

The Cincinnati History Library staff

for their continued assistance as I searched through their archives. Your excellant help cannot go unnoticed.



American Precision Museum, especially Director Ann Lawless and Collections Technician John Alexander

for providing great resources for the Manufacturing Advancement pages. Your help and suggestions were greatly appreciated.



National Firearms Museum, especially Curator of Programs Matthew Sharpe & Senior Special Project Coordinator Caroline Simms

for providing me with pictures and the opportunity to take pictures of carbines featured on this website. Being able to hold those carbines and see their breech movements first hand was very helpful for my study.



Campus Martius Museum, Marietta, Ohio

for hosting the Gunmakers and Artisan Show, where antique guns were shown. That allowed me to learn about gun technology before the Civil War and, thus, understand how far gun and machine tool technology had come by the end of the Civil War.



Terri Murray, my aunt

for providing me with a place to stay during part of my research and resources



Emily Murray, my cousin

for giving me advice about writing a senior thesis and for providing me with some Civil War resources



Allison Venturella, my sister

for giving up part of her spring break to help me take pictures of artifacts and wade through 19th century Ordnance records

 

​Lastly, thank you to all of my friends and family, especially my parents 

for their support and encouragement throughout this process and laughter in stressful times