During the Civil War, the Union and Confederate armies shot millions of rounds of ammunition. In the arsenals of the North and South, the job of restocking their supplies fell to the gunpowder girls. These young women and girls - some as young as nine - were mostly poor immigrants new to America. They worked long hours handling dangerous chemicals with little training. On several occasions, someone's carelessness led to disaster.
Content Note
Part I: Catastrophe at the Allegheny Arsenal Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania September 17, 1862 -- Part II: A horrible accident at the Confederate States Laboratory Richmond, Virginia March 13, 1863 -- Part III: Stars and fire at teh Washington Arsenal Washington, D.C. June 17, 1864.