Bill, It is my understanding that Frio Bat Cave near Concan (and possibly other Texas caves) was used for this purpose during the War Between the States. I have been there numerous times but did not notice (remember) any early graffiti. Fritz
-----Original Message----- From: Mixon Bill [mailto:bmixon...@austin.rr.com] Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 11:49 AM To: Cavers Texas; Oldham Tony; Speleobooks Subject: [Texascavers] book review: Alabama saltpeter caves "Confederate Nitre Bureau Operations in Alabama." Marion O. Smith. Published by the author; 2007. 8.5 by 11 inches, 123 pages, soft bound. $17 postpaid from the author at 2023 Bone Cave Road, Rock Island, Tennessee 38581. Marion Smith is one of the people who really appreciates all the old graffiti left in caves during the Civil War. He has published many papers in places like the "Journal of Spelean History" based on his research into the people behind the names. This book is the result of years of research. Most of the official records of the Confederate Nitre Bureau did not survive the end of the war, so a wide net had to be cast for information. The foreword mentions something about searching eleven hundred rolls of microfilm. During the war, the South needed saltpeter, the main ingredient of gunpowder. With its ports blockaded, imports were scant. Caves were a major source of saltpeter, which was made by converting calcium nitrate leached from cave dirt into potassium nitrate by mixing wood ashes into the solution. The result was boiled to precipitate the saltpeter, which was shipped to power mills. This book tells what is known about the saltpeter caves of Alabama, including famous Sauta Cave. It also discusses the program of constructing surface "nitre beds," which were essentially dumps of garbage and manure, watered by urine and assorted other unpleasant liquids, and protected by large shed roofs from unwanted leaching by rainwater. Several large operations of this kind were begun in Alabama, but making nitrate this way is a slow process, and they yielded nothing before the war was lost. The printing of almost all the illustrations is dreadful, and a caver would have appreciated maps of the caves. The book concludes with hundreds of references and notes and a nicely done index. The text is as readable and well organized as could be expected, considering that is consists, inevitably, mainly of a recitation of such miscellaneous information as could be found. I actually read it right through, to the surprise of the author.--Bill Mixon ---------------------------------------------- You may "reply" to the address this message came from, but for long-term use, save: Personal: bmi...@alumni.uchicago.edu AMCS: edi...@amcs-pubs.org or sa...@amcs-pubs.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
