In 1862, the Confederate States of America commissioned the Noble Brothers of Rome, Georgia, to erect a cold blast furnace to produce pig iron for the war effort, using skilled labor detailed from Confederate army personnel. An estimated 1000 laborers built the canal, tunnel, and mined the brown hematite rock used in constructing the furnace in less than a year. Its output was small, at 6 tons daily, but it was an important Confederate asset for making cannon, carriage, and caisson, and some of the first military equipment used in the war was made from Cornwall iron. Cornwall's life was relatively short; after occupying Cedar Bluff and Gaylesville, Gen. Sherman ordered the furnace destroyed in 1864 and twice sent detachments for that purpose, yet the furnace still stands, perhaps the best preserved stack in the Southeast. It was put back into operation in 1867 and was blown out forever in 1875.