S. D. Morgan to Beriah Magoffin

Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0966

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862

Item Location

MG20-10

Place of Creation

Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee

Date of Creation

26 April 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-04-26

Office of Central Bureau of army Supplies
Nashville Apl. 26/61
His Excellency Gov^r. M^cGoffin
Frankfort Ky —
D Sir

One of the greatest wants we are likely to encounter in the impending war, is gun poweder

The Bureau of which I am a member have reason to believe we can secure a large amount of sulphur — enough in all probability to make half a million of pounds of powder. Salt-petre or nitre is all that is now needed to beign the manufacture of it on a respectable scale Your state abounds in nitre-caves, amongst others, & most important is the Mammoth cave Can you not at once set many men at work to make the needed salt-petre? Its manufactureing is as simple as it is possible to be. Neither skill nor science being indispensible

If you Can do this, it will render us independent of the world for powder. for besides the Nitre caves — your hills contain millions of tons of material (pyrites) from which in an emergency we can extract the sulphur

Will you give the matter attention if so I would be pleased to know it

Respectfully
S D Morgan
Chairman Executive Committee

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