Tennessee's manufacture of gunpowder, a quintessential element of modern warfare, can be traced back to the state's frontier days. This tradition includes such personalities as Mary Patton, who produced powder during the American Revolution. The Civil War once again called this tradition to the forefront of Tennessee's manufacturing effort. With Tennessee's secession from the United States, the Confederate government scrambled to produce enough gunpowder to equip its fledgling army.
The following table represents our initial effort to identify powder
mills in Tennessee. As research proceeds, additional information
will be added to enhance the comprehensives and detail of this aspect of
Tennessee's Technological and Industrial heritage.
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(Thanks to Nathan Kinser, assistant to the Research Coordinator,
for the powder mills research used in these pages.)
Return to Civil
War Technology & Industry in Tennessee
Last update: December 8, 2000