1861 American Civil War

The American Civil War broke out in 1861 and lasted to 1865. We have no proof of any large battles taking place on the property, but we are confident that the Confederacy used our bat cave to harvest guano. The bat guano’s high nitrate content allowed for the Confederacy to create gunpowder. The bat cave was missing for decades and was rediscovered in 2013. The cave contains many bats, snakes, and a giant 30-foot-high mound of guano. The current owner of the ranch, Brent Oxley, developed a serious case of Histoplasmosis upon rediscovering the old cave. Mr. Oxley, along with a few others, was sick for over three months as a result of inhaling the bat guano dust. The symptoms included fatigue, dizziness, headaches, night sweats, and temporarily impaired vision.