In 1794, Decius Wadsworth was appointed by President George Washington as a captain in the Artillerist and Engineer Corps.

His department was charged with the procurement, supply, and maintenance of all cannon, small arms, powder, ball, shot, and other related items for the army.

Despite bureaucratic obstacles, he and his staff managed to streamline the number and variety of small arms and heavy ordnance.

[2] Colonel Wadsworth served as the Chief of Ordnance until June 1, 1821, at which time he left the service due to illness.

In 1817, he developed a cipher system based on a design by Thomas Jefferson, establishing a method that was continuously improved upon and used until the end of World War II.