Confederate Laboratory
The Confederate laboratory, located two miles south of Lincolnton in Lincoln County, was one of at least five laboratories established by the Confederate States of America to manufacture drugs from indigenous plants. The other known facilities were located in Tyler, Tex.; Augusta and Macon, Ga.; and Columbia, S.C. Although the actual date of construction is unknown, the Lincoln County laboratory was in operation by 24 Aug. 1863. The original building was an oblong brick structure that stood on the banks of the South Fork River.
Strict secrecy was maintained at the facility, and an aura of mystery surrounded it. Lt. A. P. James and the men of Company A, McCorkle's Battalion, North Carolina Senior Reserves, were assigned to provide security for the site. Because of the tight security and the local availability of saltpeter and charcoal, some historians have speculated that the Lincoln County laboratory may also have been used for the production of gunpowder.
Laboratory, a small community south of Lincolnton, took its name from the facility.
References:
L. A. Crowell, "Historic Medicine," Southern Medicine and Surgery (June 1933).
John R. Friday, "Dr. A. Snowden Piggott and the Laboratory Facility," Carolina Confederate 8 (1993).
Image Credit:
Confedorate Laboratory marker # O-40. Image courtesy of NC Historical Markers, North Carolina Office of Archives & History. Available from https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program/Markers.aspx?ct=ddl&sp=search&k=Markers&sv=O-40%20-%20CONFEDERATE%20LABORATORY (accessed May 25, 2012).
Additional Resources:
NC Historical Markers: https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program/Markers.aspx?ct=ddl&sp=search&k=Markers&sv=O-40%20-%20CONFEDERATE%20LABORATORY
1 January 2006 | Barefoot, Daniel W.
Add a comment
PLEASE NOTE: NCpedia provides the comments feature as a way for viewers to engage with the resources. Comments are not published until reviewed by NCpedia editors at https://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/, and the editors reserve the right to not publish any comment submitted that is considered inappropriate for this resource. NCpedia will not publish personal contact information in comments, questions, or responses. If you would like a reply by email, note that some email servers, such as public school accounts, are blocked from accepting messages from outside email servers or domains. If you prefer not to leave an email address, check back at your NCpedia comment for a reply. Please allow one business day for replies from NCpedia. Complete guidelines are available at http://ncpedia.org/comments.