The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-05-26
GuNPoWDRR IN THE SOUTH.

-. of 49, NOR ,vas the anxiety which filled the
breast Of every patriot in relation to inc scarcity
of powder in the Confederate States Every gram
WAS bu.banded; each sportsman aud farmer
brought in his little store, ana pourea IL upon Tue
heap to keep up the supply.
Porcpsson caps were scarcely to be obtained at
all And at the first battle of Manassas, many of
the soldiers had not Que cap to each Cartridge IN
their cartridge boxes The terrible rout at that
period was Godsend in this particular. tbous-
antls of cartridges were collected and saved, anu
thus we made in on glorious day, preparation tor
whole campaign.
But during the interim every effort possible
had been made by President Davis and the then
Secretary of War, Hon. Leroy 2. Walker, to es-
tablish mill for the manufacture of powder on
an extensive scale The matter entrusted to
the superintendence Of Col. Kaines, formerly an
officer of note ia the old army of the Federal Gov
eminent and at one time professor OF Chemistry at
West Point
The ingredient most difficult to procure was
saltpetre; but every inducement offered to the
people throughout the South to bring out this pre-
cio1s substance from the caves aud banks, where
it had long lain hidden, from want of an exigency
calling for its production.
The call was promptly answered, and supper
abundance Of saltpetrc soon produced, and
brought to hand. BY that time we were ready to
commence the manufacture of gunpowder, which
was done forthwith.
The result of the whole matter is, that at the
cost Of about 100000 one of the most perfect
gunpowder mills 10 the world has been produced,
which turns out 5000 pounds Of powder per day,
and could produce double that amount If worked
day ard night, and much more If worked under
the cxigeEcy Of pressing demand.
The Southern powder is necessarily good from
the fact that the usual adulterating ingredient,
plumbago or black lead, is very difficult to pro-
cure.
The ingredients necessary to the manufacture
= Of gunpowder satpetre nitre, charcoal aud
sulphur. all in dc:crminate proportions, and init
matcly mixed. After being thoroughly dried
they are separately ground into fine powder,
which is passed through selves or boiling ma
chimes. They are then mixed together in the
proper determinate proportions, and the compost
ton sent TO the gunpowder mill, which consists OF
two-edge stones Of calcareous nature, turning by
means Of Il shaft on bed stone of the nature,
which gives no sparks, as sand-stones are apt to
do. On the bed-stones the composition Is spread
and mostencd sufficiently to make it cake upon
the receiving stones.
Without going into detail it is only necessary
to our purpose to state that the cakes are dried,
put into corning mill to be broken up; then
pressed through selves to regulate the size of the
grains. The powder is then enclosed in reel or
cask, turning rapidly on its axis and the grains
polish themselves by attrition provided they are
allowed to remain sufficiently long in the cylinder.
1t has been the practice in many factories, where
cheap powder is made, to put among the powder
a quantity Of biack-lead OF pumbago, which gives
a beautiful polish in a few moments without re-
sorting to attrition But plumbago is a slow con
ductor OF heat and hence when charge of pow
der, the grains of which coated with that sub
stance, is fired from a gum at least one-thrd of
the powder is never burned. In firing with
powder not coated, every grain is burned. IF a
pistol, loaded with plumbago coated gun powder,
is fired close to persons face, the grains will
enter the face and remain under the skim unless
picked out, one by one. But such is not the case
with unaduiterated powder, and unless the fash
shall burn the face, no further damage can be
done
TIE tests Of the quality of powder are varied
If the Sraias, when closely examined, are found TO
possess sharp edges it may be safely assumed that
there is no adueration, as the grains have shar-
pened and polished themselves by attrition Such
is the case with Hazard and Dupont's diamond
grained powder, which became SO celebrated
among sportsmen, And such is the quality of
much Ofthe powder manufactured in the Confede
rate mills, as a gentleman, formerly connected
with the establishments Of the above named firm
superintends of the Southern mills. If the
grains of the powder almost round, with no
sharp edges, and is, at the same time, highly pol
Nneu, II Is auuLSTaleu anu coated, elmer with
varnsh or black lead If the best quality of
powder is rubbed in the hand it leaves no stain,
while the aduterated article leaves the palm of
the hand black Hazard & Dupont's fine powder,
when exploded on white paper, left only sub
stance like cobweb, which could be lifted from
the paper, the surface remaining perfectly white
The latter class fpowder is that now munufac-
tured in the South. 1t does not foul the piece
from which it is fired. At the battle of Roanoke
Island the powder used by the men was Of an in
ferior quality, and consequently the men were un-
able to drive the ball after firing twenty-fv or
thirty rounds; but with the present fine quail
ty of powder, there is foul deposit the inside
OF the barrel of the piece save the slight cobweb
substance, which is always driven out by each sue
ceeding charge, and the rifed musket, equal to
the best in the world, now manufactured at the
Richmond Confederate Armory, can be fred, with
the Confederate POWDER three hundred times be-
fore it will become foul.
We have now no fear ola scarcity Of powder,
for should mills perchance be destroyed, there
is already enough of the article already made and
distributed to last the Confederacy for several
years to come. All the ingredients are at hand to
make it, and what with most glorious cause, the
finest of arms, the best of powder, the bravery of
men, the prayers of our fair ores, and the
smiles of Heaven, our final triumph must not and
cannot be otherwise than omplete.-Richmond
Enquirer.
TnE ORIGIN OF FAMILIAR PHRAsEs-The