Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Saltpetre Cave
Photographed By Larry Gertner, May 2007
1. Saltpetre Cave Marker
Inscription.
Saltpetre Cave. . During the War of 18 12 and the Civil War (1861-1865), earth from this cave was mined for the bird and bat droppings that it contained, to make gunpowder. The earth was saturated with cold water and left in hoppers for a day or two. Once boiled in iron kettles, the mixture of earth and water, called “soak”, was filtered through wood ashes, producing a clear solution named nitrate of potassium. Boiled for a second time, the liquid was converted into crystallized salts or “saltpetre”, and used to make gunpowder. It took 18 bushels of soak and 10 bushels of elm ashes to make 100 pounds of good saltpetre., “{Natural Bridge is} God’s greatest miracle in stone.” , John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1801-1835)
During the War of 1812 and the Civil War (1861-1865), earth from this cave was mined for the bird and bat droppings that it contained, to make gunpowder. The earth was saturated with cold water and left in hoppers for a day or two. Once boiled in iron kettles, the mixture of earth and water, called “soak”, was filtered through wood ashes, producing a clear solution named nitrate of potassium. Boiled for a second time, the liquid was converted into crystallized salts or “saltpetre”, and used to make gunpowder. It took 18 bushels of soak and 10 bushels of elm ashes to make 100 pounds of good saltpetre.
“{Natural Bridge is} God’s greatest miracle in stone.”
John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1801-1835)
Location. 37° 37.783′ N, 79° 32.917′ W. Marker is in Natural Bridge, Virginia, in Rockbridge County. Marker can be reached from South Lee Highway (U.S. 11) near Wert Faulkner Highway (Virginia Route 130), on the left when traveling south. The marker is on the Cedar Creek Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6477 S Lee Hwy, Natural Bridge VA 24578, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2017, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 890 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 19, 2017, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
