Organ Cave saltpeter works
Niter works, Organ Cave, West Virginia.
- Side
- Confederate
- Kind
- Niter works
- Where
- Organ Cave, West Virginia
- Years
- 1861-1865
- Today
- Ruins
ORGAN CAVE SALTPETER WORKS
Confederate soldiers mined the cave dirt here at Organ Cave for nitre from 1861 to 1865. It was leached in wooden hoppers to make saltpeter for gunpowder.
Then
Confederate soldiers mined the cave dirt for nitre, which was leached in wooden hoppers to make saltpeter for gunpowder.
Now
Ruins
The cave holds the nation's largest collection of Civil War-era saltpeter hoppers. It is a National Natural Landmark.
The nearest railroad in service today is a line owned by CSX, about 2.4 miles away.
Nearby
- 36 miAverell burns the Virginia and Tennessee depot at SalemDecember 16, 1863, Salem, Virginia
- 45 miDublin DepotConfederate · Depot, Dublin, Virginia
- 45 miCrook burns Dublin Depot and the New River railroad bridgeMay 10, 1864, Dublin, Virginia
- 65 miWythe County lead mines (Austinville)Confederate · Lead mines, Austinville, Virginia
- 72 miEarly's troops arrive by rail and turn Hunter back at LynchburgJune 18, 1864, Lynchburg, Virginia
- 73 miLynchburg depotConfederate · Depot, Lynchburg, Virginia