 After the attack on Fort Sumter and the commencement of hostilities, Governor Andrew wrote Secretary of War Simon Cameron, urging him to discontinue the Harpers Ferry Armory (which was at that time on Confederate soil) and to channel all available federal funds towards enhancing production at the Springfield Armory.The armory produced the primary weapon of the Union infantry during the war—the Springfield rifled musket.By the end of the war, nearly 1.5 million had been produced by the armory and its numerous contractors across the country.