Cavechat.org

Hello: I am a historian interested in the Confederate States Niter and Mining Bureau, District 4 1/2, operating out of Staunton, Va. I know that Marion O. Smith is the "go to" guy for this type of thing. Marion ... if you are out there, please get in touch with me. May email is 7thcav@tds.net. Thanks

I don't know that Marion reads Cavechat. I'll send him a message saying you want to contact him. No notion if he answers that type of query.

PS--welcome to Cavechat!

Here is a link mentioning Peter Monkeys in Virginia:
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/confederate-boys-and-peter-monkeys.htm/2

It also includes the wonderful poems about John Harrelson.

Joel Sneed and Larry Blair might be able to help too, but Marion is definitely the expert on saltpeter mining.

Just the thought that Marion might be lurking on an internet chat room gave me a chuckle. Last I knew, the old goat didn't do email or even own a computer. Perhaps that has changed since then, but that was the last I heard.
Trogman

err, eh, he's on Facebook.

Yea, I actually got a friend request from him. I scratched my head for a bit, thinking it must be a joke, but no it was really him.

Apparently, they got lectricty up thar on his mountain now.

Scott McCrea wrote:err, eh, he's on Facebook.

That's how I sent him the message that this guy is on Cavechat looking for info.