Contracts and Deliveries

Meanwhile Dyer was at work and on October 16,1861, received an order for 5,000 to include 1,000 which Ripley had verbally ordered from Dyer earlier. The terms were as Dyer had been instructed, 500 in October, 700 in November, 1,000 in December and 1,500 monthly until filled. The ice broken, Wheelock lost no time in writing Secretary Cameron October 25 offering him 10,000 pistols at $20. When Ripley got to endorsing it with his recommendation, on October 31, it was negative because the “Savage pistol is not, in my opinion, a desirable arm for the service, and not such a one as I would supply, unless in case of emergency.” Meanwhile, under the wire for the October deadline, Wheelock turned over to Army Captain Balch’s inspectors 500 of the Savage Navy Revolvers, on October 28. Then Wheelock repeated his request, on November 19, to furnish 10,000 pistols. Assistant Secretary Scott on November 21 referred it to Ripley “for such action as may be necessary in the premises.”
The War had turned into a long, cold winter and the requirements of the new cavalry brigades were to be great; Ripley on November 28, 1861, ordered from Wheelock a second 5,000 pistols. To speed up Captain Balch in his duties of inspection, Ripley forwarded to him February 26, 1862, a letter from Wheelock dated 22 February in which it was stated that the first 5,000 would be finished for inspection “in the next two weeks,” and asking that the inspectors (three on duty, who could inspect 400 pistols weekly) should be continued on the second lot of 5,000. Captain Balch quickly pointed out that only 4,500 had been delivered; that the November delivery had defaulted. Though it appears Captain Balch himself failed to complete that month’s inspection, the record stood, and he recommended that the 500 under terms of the October 11 order not be accepted. But no reply was returned from Washington and Wheelock stood ready with the last 500 guns, which Balch duly accepted on March 11, 1862. On that same day, Ripley sent out a letter following instructions of Secretary Stanton, to suspend inspections and acceptances of arms; but it was too late; Balch had already taken the final 500. Thomas Dyer, we suspect, was as influential with Stanton as he had been with Cameron.

Ripley informed Balch by letter dated March 17, 1862, that no arms were to be received without the special permission of Stanton. But on March 20, Balch accepted 500 more “North’s patent pistols” under the order of November 28, by special instructions of the Secretary. It was thus that matters stood when Wheelock appeared before Holt and Owen seeking ratification of the second order.
He proposed to deliver the 4,500 remaining pistols at $19. As Ripley seemed to feel the pistol shortage acutely, the Commission’s decree confirmed this new arrangement, but introduced the technical evaluation that “this arm should be made in future free from malleable iron (the frame) and at a lower price than $19.” In detailing the behind-the-scenes conduct which led to his receiving these orders, Wheelock not only spoke quite openly about Dyer’s work in getting the first order, but brought in for the first time mention of Henry Wycoff as a middleman. He openly visited Wheelock at Middletown, and asked if they wanted a contract. Wheelock was willing to pay $2 each to obtain a contract for 5,000 at $20. Wycoff left, and soon after Ripley sent out his order of 28 November. At the time the Commission disposed of the case, Wheelock was not certain to what extent he would pay Wycoff the $2, in view of the order having had the price reduced to $19. By June 10, 1862, the last of the Savage revolvers had been delivered at $19, a total 10,000 in all.
Wheelock apparently fooled about with Alsop for a time, but the manufacture of these arms seemed unprofitable. The Savage Revolving Arms Company turned its manufacturing talents to the Springfield rifles and on September 9, 1862, signed a contract to make 25,000 of the Model 1861 Springfield. They gained the approval of Holt and Owen to this in a rather remarkable way: by determining that Parker, Snow, Brooks & Company (who were swamped with subcontract work at fair prices) would transfer their contract to the Savage firm. With this knowledge that he could obtain a contract from a “speculator,” Wheelock asked if Holt and Owen could not give him some encouragement in that respect. As ace in the hole he offered to make 50,000 such guns at $16 each. Holt and Owen had to decline recommending that any contract be made in such an irregular fashion, but by September the tide of battle had ebbed to a serious low point. Losses of muskets were high, replacements needed, new arms in desperate shortage. The Ordnance Department agreed to split the difference, and Wheelock signed up to make 25,000 at $18.
A further contract was issued to Savage Revolving Firearms Company on 25 February 1864, for 12,000 more Springfields Ml861. Edward Savage signed as surety in addition to Samuel L. Warner; Wheelock was still Secretary. Savage delivered 13,500 under their first contract; all 12,000 for the last. Stamped savage r.f.a. co. on the locks, they reveal nothing of the struggles which went on to achieve recognition for the revolver of Henry Savage North, last pistol to bear the North name and then only rarely.