[Though the main theme for a few of these notes is to discuss the conditions around Siegen, a slight detour will be made here while we are on the subject of charcoal.]
William Byrd visited Alexander Spotswood in 1732 with a view toward learning more about the iron industry. His interest originated with his own lands, which were rich in iron ore. He learned from Godfrey, the iron master, that the Colonel (i.e., Spotswood) endeavored to do everything with his own people, and as a consequence he was sometimes short of labor.
From this attitude of Spotswood, one might judge that he would have put the Second Colony people to work supporting the furnace. Since they lived fifteen to twenty miles up the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers from it, the natural employment would have been something that they could have done where they lived. One thing suggests itself, the making of the charcoal for the furnace which could have been brought down the river in boats. That this in fact was done is strongly suggested by the attitude of Spotswood to do everything with his own people and by a statement which he made to Byrd.
Byrd writes, "The Colo. advised me by all means to have the coal [charcoal] made on the same side of the River with the Furnace, not only to avoid the Charge of Boating and Baggs, but likewise to avoid breaking of the coals, and making them less fit for use."
If the Second Colony people had made the charcoal in the vicinity of where they lived, it would have been made on the other side of the river. I believe that Spotswood did try making the charcoal by the labor of these people up the river and on the other side from Fort Germanna. The "coal" was bagged and brought down by boat. This would have been about 1721 to 1722 when the Tubal Cain furnace was first brought into operation. Probably the experiment did not go on for long after, as it was found that the charcoal was damaged by the trip. This short term experiment was the only effort of the Second Colony people toward the iron furnace and its operation.
Byrd wrote that after the charcoal was made on the same side of the river and closer to the furnace, it was brought to the furnace with special wagons which had folding doors at the bottom. At the furnace, these doors swung down and allowed the charcoal, about 110 bushels of it per wagon, to fall out of the wagon.
Lots of labor was required to make the charcoal, more than any other aspect of the furnace operation.
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