The Covert Operation: How an American Merchant, a French Official, and an Innovative Chemist Smuggled Essential Gunpowder to the Continental Army

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The trio’s scheming became a crucial element of the fledgling nation’s success in the Revolutionary War

Mike Riggs

April/May 2025

When General George Washington took the helm of the Continental Army in July 1775, he quickly realized the dire state of the patriots’ gunpowder supplies. An assessment revealed only 90 barrels were available, leading to a silent, stunned response from Washington, lasting approximately half an hour. The situation hardly improved by January 1776 when Washington informed a close officer that the Continental forces were “without any money in our treasury—powder in our magazines—arms in our stores.”

Yet, assistance was on the horizon. In March 1776, a delegation from Congress known as the Committee of Secret Correspondence appointed the Connecticut merchant Silas Deane to travel to France. There, he secretly conferred with Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, a key supporter of the American cause and a close associate of King Louis XVI. Beaumarchais, who passionately advocated for the revolutionaries, founded a front company named Roderigue Hortalez & Company. This company was crucial in orchestrating the smuggling of arms, clothing, and various supplies from France, Spain, and the Netherlands, often utilizing routes through the West Indies. He also ensured that Washington’s troops received gunpowder manufactured by Antoine Lavoisier, the renowned expert in explosives.

By the time of the revolution, Lavoisier had taken charge of France’s national gunpowder production. Recognized as a pivotal figure in the Chemical Revolution, he introduced rigorous standards and innovative refining methods to the gunpowder manufacturing process, which was previously more rudimentary. After conducting numerous experiments, Lavoisier ultimately determined an optimal composition of 75 percent saltpeter, 12.5 percent charcoal, and 12.5 percent sulfur. He would later assert that this formulation produced the finest gunpowder in Europe.

However, the paramount concern was not just the quality of the gunpowder but its accessibility. With the Continental Army lacking the manufacturing capabilities to produce munitions and firearms, any supply was better than none. Thanks to the efforts of Beaumarchais and other sympathizers, ample supplies reached the revolutionaries. By late 1777, approximately two million pounds of gunpowder and 60,000 firearms had been clandestinely transported to the Colonies, effectively equipping roughly one soldier out of every member of the Continental Army. These critical supplies significantly contributed to the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777, marking a pivotal moment in the quest for independence.

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