The U.S. Arsenal was established here in 1827. Several of its commanders became prominent in the Civil War, including Capt. James Ripley, who became a Brigadier General and Chief of the Army's Ordnance Department; Lt. Robert Anderson, who commanded Fort Sumter during its bombardment by the Confederates; and Lt. Oliver Otis Howard, who, as a Major General, commanded a corps in the Army of the Potomac and a wing of Sherman's army in its march through Georgia. Two Arsenal commanders fought for the Confederacy; Capt. Josiah Gorgas, who became a Brigadier General, and Briscoe Baldwin, who served as Chief of Ordnance for Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. As a repository of arms and manufacturer of ammunition, the Arsenal was important in Maine's participation in the War for the Union.