The Virginia Gazette

Mr. PURDIE,

I AM glad to find, by your last paper, that col. Carter of Stafford goes on so prosperously with the manufacture of saltpetre; to which (he observes) were people in general to pay a proper attention, Virginia might pay her quota of the expences of the war by it. The quantity he at present makes, and the probability of making a much larger, I hope will add spirit to our glorious cause. Now could an easy method be adopted from the salt petre (the making and refining of which, from your publication of Jer. Brown's method, and from col. Carter's information, is, or may be easily understood) to make a speedy and sufficient supply of gunpowder, it would, I hope, add success, as well as spirit, to the best of causes; and, to do this, nothing but a sufficient quantity of sulphur is wanting, and that want, I have been told (though I should be obliged to any one who, through the channel of your paper, will give me particular information) may be supplied, either from sulphur of our own native produce, or large quantities imported, either into this or some neighbouring province.

Saltpetre, the chief ingredient, being thus easily obtained, if the committee of each respective county could make a collection of sulphur sufficient to allow each white man in their county only the inconsiderable quantity of three ounces, the whole country might be supplied with that necessary article, in abundance, in a very few days; since every man, after he is furnished with the ingredients, may make, or cause to be made, a pound and a half of good gunpowder, for himself, in one day, by a method which I myself have tried with success. To make gunpowder by hand, take 14 ounces of saltpetre, 3 ounces of sulphur, ¼ ounces of well burnt charcoal (I think pine the best) powder each article separately, very fine; then mix them in a large mortar; beat them continually, after moistening, for 12 hours; to grain it, have a sifter, with a sheepskin bottom, burnt full of holes, with a fork, the size you will have the grain; make the paste into balls, as big as walnuts; put them into the sifter, with a wooden ball, of about half a pound weight, which, being moved to and fro, will force the powder through the holes, and form the grain; dry it well, on a linen cloth, or clean plank. N. B. It will very much facilitate the labour if you have a wooden mortar, such as hominy is usually beat in, fixed under the end of a pole, or spring, just as a turner's lathe; have a wooden pestle suspended to this, so as to fall perpendicularly into the mortar; have an auger hole bored through the pestle, fitted with a pin, at about a foot from the lower end, which will serve for handles.

A friend to the American cause.