History of the Confederate Powder Works

Addressing former Confederate soldiers in 1882, George Washington Rains recalls the industrial effort behind supplying their armies with gunpowder. He writes as the officer appointed to establish the manufacturing works, describing a shortage that made production an urgent task. His account follows the choice of Augusta, where canal power, transport links and distance from attack helped determine the site. It also traces the search for materials and the training of workers amid wartime pressures.

The address combines personal recollection with close attention to machinery and factory organization. Rains describes equipment, changes in production methods and the movement of supplies between different locations. His pride in the undertaking gives the narrative the perspective of a participant explaining his own work to fellow veterans. Readers interested in Civil War industry will find an account of how engineering, transport and administrative decisions supported military operations.