SALTPETER MINING AT BURGER CAVE by R.L. Armstrong, D.A. Hubbard and M.O. Smith . | : William C. Burger (1826-1910) was a native Virginia farmer who lived in Bath County just west of Black Oak Run near Stuart Run. He was married and the beginning of the War Between the States had seven children. On April 9, 1892, he joined Company K, 52nd Virginia Infantry, CSA. and was elected first lieutenant. - At the battle of Port Republic, his captain was mortally wounded and on June 11. 1862, he was promoted to fill the vacancy. Not desiring to remain in service, Burger. who was above the conscript age of 35 and had a “want of military knowledge”. penned the following letter on July 22nd to the Confederate Adjuntant and Inspector: General: “Sir There is upon my lands in Bath County a Nitre Cave about to be worked & for which some hands have been detailed & if Consistent with the public Interest | would very much like to be employed in this work[.] my health for some time past has been very bad so that |! find myself very much reduced both in Strength & flesh[.] 1 therefore respectfully tender my resignation... so that | may be detailed to superintend the manufacture of salt Petre there, believing | Could do my Country as much service there as in the position | now hold. Coming into service without the advantage of Training|.]" His application was forwarded through the chain of command, and although his lieutenant colonel stated that Burger had no “experience in the manufacture of nitre’, he was allowed to resign August 23, 1862. It is not known if Burger did become Superintendent or even a worker at his Saltpeter cave. Nor is it known if the hands detailed for his cave actually ever reached it. No Nitre Bureau record has been found for anyone named Burger, either as an employee or as a seller of products or services. Knowledge of William C. Burger's activities during the remainder of the war is generally lacking except that he was exempt from the army in January 1863 and August 1864 by reason of being a Justice of the Peace in Bath County. Although Burger Cave could have been mined during the Civil War. it definitely was mined earlier. In 1840 Samuel Crawford owned the Property near Stuart Run. which the Surveyor described as including "a salt peter cave”. Five years later Crawford willed his lands to his nephews William C. and David W. Burger “to share and share alike’. On March 11, 1854, David conveyed half of the property. including an 89 acre tract containing the cave, to his brother. Many years after the war. on August 10, 1909, William C. Burger deeded his Property to Isaac N. Graham of Augusta County. After that the property passed successively to Graham's daughter, Viola G. Black (1936), Carl G. Plecker (1943), Bruce R. Richardson and Raymond T. Whiteman [Monterey Land Company] (1971). Edwin F. and Barbara J. Gallahan (1973). and Richard L. Hinnant (1986). A visit to Burger Cave (also known as Pleckers Cave) was made in late August 1987 to check for evidence of niter mining. The cave is located in the west flank of an anticlinal fold in the Devonian Licking Creek Limestone. The 100’ by 50° entrance overlooks a bend in Staurt Run. Within the entrance shelter. signs C6 BIL of recent flooding were observed as well as excavations, apparently the work amateur archeologists (Douglass, 1964). However, at the rear of the shelter rock piles, which are situated in alcoves and at the beginning of the main passage. are typical of saltpeter workings. Excavations along this main strike oriented passage have left remant banks of sediment up to three feet in height. Occasional flooding has caused these banks to crumble and obscured any mattock marks. Along a portion of this passage. a haul way is evident, beyond which is situated a final rock pile with dirt diffused through it. There is sufficient mining evidence and earth removal to substantiate the saltpeter workings of Burger Cave. Unfortunately. no artifacts or graffiti were found to help determine when this mining occurred. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1860 Census. Virginia, Bath, Bath County House Post Office. p.63. William C. Burger file, Company K. 52nd Virginia Infantry. Compiled Service Records, Record Group 109, National Archives. Bath County Survey Book 2. p.208. Bath County Will Book 5, p.133. Bath County Deed Book 11. p.36/7. Bath County Deed Book 24, p.147. Bath County Deed Book 46, p.233. Bath County Deed Book 50, p.423. Bath County Deed Book 84, p.405. Bath County Deed Book 86. p.301. Letter from David A. Hubbard to Marion O. Smith, August 31, 1987. Douglas, H.H.. 1964, Caves of Virginia. Falls Church, Virginia, Virginia Cave Survey, p/61. | ol Shy td “Always be between the tot aver: ive the entt ne clay fill x % co eo oo ad Burger Cave haul way Legend: dirt bank Suunto and tape survey CM Wicks WB Stringfield DA Hubbard Drafted by CM Wicks entrance t aSnf Charlottesville Grotto oe : : November 1987 Length - 178.9 meters