GDG- Re: gunpowder quality

[Robert G. Pielke]

I recall something of the same nature. In my recollection, it was the fuses that were different -- timed longer -- in Charleston, and the ANV had no time to test them prior to GB. Hence, their shells tended to explode late...and were largely ineffective. [I also seem to recall that the fire in Richmond was in some way due to the Federals...??]

Bob Pielke
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: biggsk at aol.com 
  To: gettysburg at arthes.com 
  Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 8:55 AM
  Subject: GDG- Re: gunpowder quality


  Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:


  Hello,

  The recently published and unbelievably masterful book on the Confederate Augusta Powder Works goes into some detail on the quality of the powder from there (considered the best in the CSA and ranking with anything then produce in the world at the time) and that there was cannon powder and musket powder and the two were a bit different.? This two mile long complex produced 90 per cent of the powder used by the CSA once it was up and running.

  There was a TV documentary last year (History Detectives I think - or something named similar) that talked about the cannon shells used at Gettysburg by the ANV and it stated that the shells came mostly from the Charleston Arsenal due to something at the Richmond Arsenal preventing their manufacture (a fire I believe) and that the fuses from Charleston were defective.? This had nothing to to with the quality of the powder however, for the powder was shipped from Augusta (which also had an arsenal that fed shells to the Army of Tennessee) to the other arsenals and the shells assembled there.

  Greg Biggs



  ________________________________________________________________________
  Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com
                     ----------------------------------------------------------------
  You may unsubscribe by going to http://mailman.arthes.com/mailman/listinfo/gettysburg

  You can add yourself to the GDG map at: http://www.frappr.com/gettysburgdiscussiongroup

  View archived posts from May 2004 -  present at http://mailman.arthes.com/pipermail/gettysburg/


  -- 
  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
  Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.15/1101 - Release Date: 10/31/2007 10:06 AM