Confederate Powderworks facts for kids
The Confederate Powderworks was a huge factory that made gunpowder during the American Civil War. It was the only big, permanent factory built by the Confederate States of America. This important factory was in Augusta, Georgia. It was chosen because it was safe inland and had good ways to transport things by rail and water. Colonel George Washington Rains picked this spot.
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Making Gunpowder for the Confederacy
Colonel Rains's Big Idea
George Washington Rains was a smart guy who studied chemistry. He went to West Point and even taught there. When the Civil War started, he decided to support his home state, North Carolina. The president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, put him in charge of making gunpowder.
Building the Factory
Work on the Powderworks began in September 1861. A powerful steam engine was bought to help. In just seven months, by 1862, the factory was already making gunpowder! Rains got ideas from a book about a British gunpowder factory. He even found someone who had worked there to help him.
How the Factory Worked
Like other gunpowder factories, the buildings were spread out. This was done to keep everyone safe if there was an explosion. Raw materials started at one end. The finished gunpowder came out about a mile and a half away. The biggest building was for refining saltpeter. It looked like the famous Houses of Parliament in London.
A Giant Gunpowder Maker
From 1862 to 1865, the Confederate Powderworks was the second largest gunpowder factory in the world. It made about 3.5 tons of gunpowder every single day! Before it closed on April 18, 1865, it produced over 2.75 million pounds of high-quality gunpowder. This was most of the gunpowder used by the Confederacy. People even said that the Confederacy never lost a battle because they ran out of powder.
A Monument to History
After the war, the huge factory was taken apart. But in 1872, Colonel Rains asked for one part to be saved: the tall chimney. He wanted it to be a monument. On June 2, 1879, the city of Augusta gave the chimney to the Confederate Survivors Association. They added a marble tablet to it. This tablet honors the soldiers who fought in the war.
The Powderworks Today
The Famous Chimney
The 150-foot Powderworks chimney still stands tall today. It is located near the Augusta Canal at the Sibley Mill in Augusta. It is one of the most famous sights in the city.
Sibley Mill's Connection
The Sibley cotton mill was built on the same spot in 1880. It used bricks from the old Powderworks buildings. This mill became one of the biggest and most successful cotton mills in the area. It made denim fabric until 2006. Even today, the mill's water-powered turbines still make electricity.
Keeping History Alive
The chimney is the only part left of the original Powderworks. A group called the B/G E. Porter Alexander Camp #158, Sons of Confederate Veterans, worked hard to restore the chimney. They spent eight years raising money for the project. The restoration was finished in 2010. A special ceremony was held to celebrate its completion.
