Captain J. A. J. Bradford
Capt. Bradford was the last official U.S. Army commander of the Fayetteville Arsenal. At the outbreak of hostilities, Capt. Bradford resigned his commission in the U.S. Army to accept the position of Colonel, Tenth North Carolina Artillery (1st NC Artillery). Col. Bradford died before the war’s end and was buried with military honors at the Arsenal per his request.
Major John C. Booth
Capt. Booth is the first commander of the Fayetteville Arsenal as an organization under the Confederate Ordnance Department. A former U.S. Army officer and graduate of the West Point Class of 1948, Capt. Booth brought to the arsenal six years of military service. His previous experience and knowledge of ordnance duties proved invaluable to the Confederacy in establishing operations at the arsenal. He vigorously took on the task of organizing and expanding the capabilities and earned a reputation as a skilled leader. Unfortunately, Capt. Booth fell ill and died early September 1862. As a gesture of gratitude the Confederate War Department posthumously promoted him to major. (See Original Document)
Captain Charles P. Bolles
Capt. Bolles assumed command of the Fayetteville Arsenal upon Maj. Booth’s unexpected death and performed the duties a few short weeks until the arrival of Booth’s successor. Capt. Bolles remained in the battalion assuming command of Company A with the additional duty of “Inspector of the Laboratory.” (See Original Document)
Lt. Colonel Julius A. DeLagnel
Lt. Col. Julius A. DeLagnel, an artillery officer in the U.S. Army was assigned to the Fayetteville Arsenal at the time of its surrender to Southern forces. Shortly after DeLagnel resigned his commission in May 1861 and transferred his allegiance to the Confederacy. His return to Fayetteville proved brief remaining in command for less than a year before returning to ordnance duties in Virginia.
Lt. Colonel Frederick L. Childs
Lt. Col. Frederick L. Childs, a former U. S. Army officer who graduated ninth in the West Point class of 1855, and the only son of Bvt. Brig. Gen. Thomas Childs, a veteran of both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. Upon resigning his commission in March of 1861 Childs served initially at Wilmington, later as Commander of the Charleston Arsenal, a short administrative leave period in Augusta before being transferred to Fayetteville Arsenal in the spring of 1863. (See Original Document)
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