Ft. Chiswell, The Lead Mines & Gun Powder

According to "The VA Frontier, 1754-1763", p.114, Fort Chiswell was constructed in 1758 as a protection against the Cherokee Indians and was probably named after Col Chiswell who owned the lead mine in what is now Austinville, Wythe Co, VA.

In 1763, Col Chiswell traveled to England to find experienced miners. He hired William Herbert to serve as superintendent of the mines. The miners were known as the Welsh miners. Source: Article titled "The Lead Mines of New River" by Mary B. Kegely.

It appears that this lead mines and the Fort played an important role early in the history of Fincastle Co and Montgomery Co during the colonial period and the Revolution. The lead production continued to be very important for Wythe Co, and the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Col John Chiswell, husband of Elizabeth, daughter of William Randolph, of Turkey Island, discovered in the 1757 the New River lead mines that later would become the Wythe Lead and Zinc Works. The site is now at Austinville, Wythe Co, VA. Fort Chiswell, some six miles to the north, was named for him. He killed a Scotch gentleman in 1766 for which he was to be tried but his suicide ended the matter.

Fort Chiswell was there by 1761 as it was mentioned in the affairs of a company of militia stationed at it. Hames City County has a record of payment to John Chiswell and company for lead and provisions in 1763. Andrew Lewis sent a detail there from Williamsburg in July 1776 to take delivery of a quantity of lead

The following was taken from "The Sinews of War, Revolutionary War Procurement", p. 23-24. "Probably the most critical single item for supply for American forces in the Revolution was gunpowder…….In addition, Congress brought two French experts over to instruct Americans in the manufacture of saltpeter and gunpowder. Individual states circulated instructions, offered subsidies for private manufacture, and established a number of public powder mills." See the fourth bullet below.

The following quotes are taken from the book, "William Preston and the Allegheny Patriots" by Patricai Givens Johnson, published 1976. This book is the first source I have found that gives documentation to gunpowder making in the area of the Lead Mines near Fort Chiswell. As you will see, gunpowder was produced in this area and based on the traditional stories about John (the Powder Maker) Rogers' powder making, I suspect we now know how he got his start at powder making. In the following quotes, I added the comments within parenthesis:

- "From this time (the French and Indian War, 1758-1763) though the revolutionary period Fort Chiswell would be a strategic base of operations for Allegheny military expeditions." Page 69.

- When the county seat for Fincastle Co was being selected….."Preston favored McCall's place on Sam Crockett's land at Fort Chiswell because it was centrally located near the Great Road and plentiful timber." Page 121.

- During Dunmore's War in 1774……"He ordered Captains (William) Herbert (John Rogers was in this company as was Benjamin, Jr.), Madison, (Walter) Crockett (Benjamin, Sr. was in this company), and (Robert) Doak to accompany Arthur and William Campbell". Page 126. (Note that John (the Powder Maker's) son, Jesse Rogers (1791-1872), named one of his sons Robert Doak Rogers.)

- "Since Fincastle people had always been forced to purchase powder from eastern Virginia, (and this source was now cut off) the Fincastle Committee now set about providing a local arsenal." (Meaning they began to obtain the capability of making their own gunpowder.) "This task was given to William Christian who wrote from Fort Chiswell concerning the purchase of brimstone, mining of salt peter and the erection of a powder mill. There were large supplies of salt peter in the Alleghenies and John Beck, a German, was coming to New River to arrange the establishment of a powder mill which could use supplies of locally produced salt peter." Page 161-2.

- "Suddenly Virginia exploded in open rebellion. Dunmore (the British Governor of VA) had been increasingly edgy over the temper of the people and, on the night of April 20 (1775), moved the gunpowder from the magazine in Williamsburg to a British man-of-war in the James River." Page 165-66.

- "The Cherokees, aroused by British agents, gave the settlers on Nolichucky, Watauga, and in Powell's Valley twenty days to get out. Sixty horse loads of British ammunition had come from Mobile and more was on the way. The colonists on the other hand had scarcely any powder due to a two year embargo on importation. What was coming in came from France and the situation by summer was so desperate that Washington's army had a daily allowance of nine musket rounds per man while the redcoats had sixty per man." Page 181-2.

- "He (Preston) wrote everywhere for powder and Daniel Boone carried up 200 pounds from Williamsburg." Page 182. (Note that this powder turned out to be bad. Page 189.)

- "The manufacture of ammunition was going forward but at a slow pace. Preston told Pendleton, "The people in the mountains are making saltpeter," surely welcome news to the chairman of Virginia's Committee of Safety. Saltpeter was a very essential ingredient of gunpowder, which required twelve parts saltpeter to two and a half parts charcoal and one and one half parts sulfur which was also found in the Alleghenies." Page 183.

- "Salt peter found in its natural state in Allegheny caves, was in great demand. The Brumfields on New River had saltpeter caves, as did the Trolingers at Dublin, which was developed into an extensive operation that served throughout the Revolution and into the 1860's. Combined with the lead from the New River mines and sulfur from various springs, the Alleghenies and New River Valley would become a valuable arsenal. It is no wonder that British agents were coming into the area." Page 183. In addition, Early Adventures on the Western Waters, Vol III, p.34 makes reference to a saltpeter cave on the waters of Walkers Creek.

- "The state of Virginia had taken over operation of the Lead Mines, first under Colonel Callaway and now under Charles Lynch who had been making powder in Bedford, but was coming to Fincastle where he expected to make fifty pounds per day, most welcome news to Preston." Page 188.

- "On April 13, (1778) Preston made a business trip to the head of Holston River probably concerning the new furnace Colonel Lynch was building to supplement the 1500 pound supply of lead at Fort Chiswell or maybe he went to visit the iron furnace at Popular Camp on Cripple Creek." Page 206.

- "At one o'clock in the morning of April 8, (1779) sent the alarm. "Tories mean to Kill the friends of the state and destroy the Lead Mines. Nearly 20 men are in this Diabolical Plot!" The Tory ringleader, Duncan O'Gullion had said he would "scalp Preston and (James) McGavock." Page 217. (McGavock was at the time the commander of Fort Chiswell.)

- "Nathaniel Britain and Philip Lambert were confederates of O'Gullion." Page 218. (Nathaniel Britain may have been the son of Jonathon Britain or Britton and Jonathon was probably the father of John (the Powder Maker's) first wife.)

- "(Jacob) Rubsamen (a Bavarian born chemist in partnership with Archibald Cary to manufacture gunpowder) lived in Manchester near Johnson and since he made frequent trips to the Virginia backwoods to train the backwoodsmen how to make gunpowder……..". Page 225.

- Rubsamen became co-owner with Charles Lynch of the Lead Mines and was destined to salvage from the James River 30,000 pounds of gunpowder dumped there by Benedict Arnold when he raided Virginia." Page 225.

- "In January (1780) Governor Jefferson ordered Preston to take 1,000 pounds of powder from the Lead Mines for another expedition which William Campbell would command." Page 228.

- The battle at King's Mountain took place 7 Oct 1780 in North Carolina. It was a rousing victory for the volunteer army under COL William Campbell. A large number of Tory prisoners were taken and their destination became a problem. The colonial commander in the South, General Horatio "Gates suggested Fort Chiswell "where Montgomery courthouse stands" as a place to confine the prisoners." COL Preston answered, "I am sorry to inform you that we have more Tories in the County than any other place I know of in Virginia the suppressing of whom has cost the officers and the well affected Militia much time and Trouble and put the state to a considerable expense. Add to this the vicinity of that Place to Surry and the other disaffected Counties in North Carolina as also the savages and the safe retreat that Deserters from the prisoners might have through the mountains to their friends in Carolina". Page 270.

Listed in East Tn Roots, Vol VII No. 1 Page 34-35

Claiborne County 1820 Census of Manufacturing

Name: David Rogers
Kind of Mfg: Powder Mill
Raw materials: "3450" Peter and Brimstone
# of Employees: 2 men
Capital: $862
Wages Paid: "000"
Products: Powder
Value of Products: 50 cents per pound

May 16 2008 07:54:33