On September 4, , Boker’s New York man wrote to Simon Cameron, offering 100,000 “rifled percussion muskets, new and in good condition,” which they now controlled in Europe by having made advances on them. Cameron was thrown into a tizzy, rushed quickly to his friend Lincoln, who quietly and incisively endorsed the Boker proposal with:
Cameron was to appoint to accompany their authorized agent. Cameron agreed, issuing a letter-contract September 5, setting New York as the place of payment, upon inspection certificates of the United States inspector in Europe, on delivery. He also at once wrote to Minister Henry Sanford at Brussels, asking him to cooperate to the fullest with Boker’s men. Civilian Ordnance employee George Wright, a master armorer from the Washington Arsenal who had received some $1,500 as a special royalty on a patent for casting fuses, was appointed to acompany Boker’s man to Europe. General Ripley put him on full pay during the absence, and his expenses to and in Europe and return were to be paid by Boker.
I approve the carrying this through, carefully, cautiously,Boker had set a price of $18 each on the guns, subject to inspection and approval of an armorer whichand expeditiously. Avoid conflicts and interference.
A. LINCOLN
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