Read Page 24 Here!
Hollow musket balls and invisible ink—huzzah for 18th Century spy techniques!
A hollow musket ball was large enough to fit a tiny message written on a thin, rolled up piece of paper. You could then wrap it in paper with some gunpowder just like a regular cartridge and hide with the rest. Just be careful not to fire it or your secret message will go up in smoke!
There was more than one kind of invisible ink in use during the Revolutionary War. Some types became visible when exposed to heat, like a candle flame. (But be careful lest you burn your message before you decipher it!) Other kinds would only be revealed when the right chemical agent was applied to the paper. More secure, but harder to come by.
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I’ll be at Otakon in Baltimore this weekend. My booth in Artist Alley is # AA01.
Alan made this handy map that has The Dreamer marked on it:
Click to see full sized.
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