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THE COUNTRYMAN.
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TCKXWOLD, GA., FEBRUARY 14, 1865.
Tlic Turn wold Distillery.
TurNwold (near Eatonton) Ga.,)
February 1, 1865. $
To VV. T. Young,
' Col. Commanding Militia, &c.:
Your suggestion, on yesterday, that I
might possibly be violating the law, in
distilling five gallons of whiskey, each, for
my neighbors who have families, was the
first intimation I have had that I was do
ing anything illegal. You know my
prompt answer to you was, that if I was
violating the law, I was unconscious of it,'
and would desist, upon its being made to
appear that I did not have the sanction of
the statute, for what I was doing. I have
nothing to conceal, in my conduct.
I read, in the newspapers, that the last
legislature had passed a law authorizing
each family to distil, or have distilled, five
gallons of whiskey for its own use. Un
der this law, I have been distilling for my
neighbors, who have everyone patronized
my still, without distinction, from the
highest to the lowest, and from the best
to the worst—if there can any distinction
thus be made among my patrons, with
whom l am a popular man, in the capacity
of a distiller.
Upon the honor of a gentleman, I have
not violated the law, as I saw it reported
in the newspapers. In fact I have not,
all told, distilled 50gallons of ardent spir
its—though I have found it somewhat dif
ficult to measure it, as “ the sovereigns”
have taken it from the still, as fast as it
ran out. Nor have I intended to violate
the law, at all. I have refused to still
more than five gallons for each family,
and have refused to supply those with
spirits, who had no family.
In order to show what my purpose has
been, I append, with this, a hand-bill,
which I have had posted on my premises.
You will find the same notice published
also in The Countryman of 17th January,
a copy of which accompanies this. You
will remember, too, that I called your at
tention to the fact that I had registered
with the Confederate Assessor, as a “Dis
tiller under the 5-Gallon Law.” All these
things show that I had no disposition to
put what I did under a bushel: and if I
did not set it upon a hill-top, it was be
cause I could not get water to run to the
fleek-stands, without putting them in the
bottom.
I say nothing about what I believe to
be the unconstitutionality of any law
•which would prevent the people from hav
ing a few gallons of whiskey distilled, for
“medicinal purposes,” from their own corn
meal. I give that all the go-by, and as-
sure you, again, that if I have violated
any law, it is because I have been misled
by the reports of the newspapers. I have
n® disposition to head a “ whiskey insur
rection,” like the one they had in Penn
sylvania. On the contrary, I will cheer
fully submit to the law, be it constitution
al, or unconstitutional. Therefore I re
quest you to lay this statement before
Gov. Brown: and if it is decided that I
am violating the law, by distilling five
gallons of whiskey from corn meal, for
each family, I will, as a good citizen, de
sist voluntarily, without waiting for “due
process of law.” -
I shall cause to be published, in the
next issue of The Countryman, the follow
ing notice :
“ All persons are hereby notified not to
bring anything more to my still, for the
purpose of having spirits made, for the
present. As it has been intimated that I
may possibly be violating the law, I have
agreed to lay the case before His Excel
lency Gov. Brown, and await his de
cision.”
Should Gov. Brown, decide against me,
I ask that I may be allowed to distil, for
my neighbors, some 40 or 50 bushels of
meal already at my still. If I have viola
ted any law,, each one of them has, also ;
but all have done so ignorantly, if we have
done so at all. I tell you, Colonel, that
during the cold, and rainy month of Jan
uary, a little “bitters” was just about as
necessary as bread; and nine out of ten
of mj neighbors would have turned up
their noses at the bread v and' taken the
“bitters.”
I await, Colonel, the decision of Gov.
Brown, and believe that you will find that
neither I nor my neighbors' have violated
any law. And I beg to add, that except
by the sale of one or two gallons of bran
dy, made from spoiled blackberry wine
(an article not contraband of distillation)
I have not put one dollar in my pocket
from the proceeds of my distillery. On the
contrary, I have given away many dollars
in the shape of whiskey, to sick persons,
and others who needed it. Should it be
decided that I am distilling contrary to
law, it will stop a drain of dollars from
my pocket—or rather from my barrel—in
the liquid form of aqua vitce.
All of which is respectfully submitted :—
and 1 have the honor to be, Colonel,
Respectfully, Your Most Obedient Ser
vant, J. A. TURNER*
Captain of the Turnwold Distillery.
Appended to the foregoing, we repriut,
here, the hand-bill referred to in our re
port to Col. Young. It is as follows :
“ Whiskey.—I am allowed, by law, to
distil spirituous liquors, for families only^
Persons coming to this place, must ob
serve, that I cannot sell whiskey in jess-:
quantities than one quart. No drinking
will be allowed on these premises. Per
sons who obtain spirits, must take it away
from here, to drink it. Everyone wha
visits the place, will be required to deport
himself as a gentleman. No rowdy per
son, nor rowdy conduct will be tolerated
here. The law strictly defines my duties,
and liabilities, and I intend to be governed
by it myself, and so must every other man
who visits the place. J. A. TURNER.
Turnwold, Jan. 7th, 1865.”
The opportunity,embraced in the forego
ing,is the first we have had,during this war,
to make a report to a military officer. We-
have availed ourself of the occasion, in
order to show that we could set things
down in military style, as well as some
other people. The fact is, we have a fan
cy that if fate had not, with her usual
blindness, deprived the country of our
military services, we would have been,
great, at least in writing out reports. Nor
do we think that even Julius Caesar could
have beaten us writing commentaries..
Thus we would have written :
“ Georgia est omnis divisa in partes
duas, quarum unam regnat Josephus Fus-
cus, aliam llanseius Rectus. Hi duo reges
lingua, institutis, legibus inter sc differunt.
Josephura ab Ranseio, Oconee dunaen di-
vidit. Horum duorum regum, fortissimus
in proclainationibus est Josephus, ut for-,
tissimus in ensibus est Ranseius. Ut dix-
imus, Josephum ab Ranseio, Oconee flu-
men dividit, et Josephus regnat in Occi-
dente, dum in Oriente regnat Ranseius.
Proclamationes et brassicas vehementer
amat Josephus, dum mquabiliter sellam
curulis, amat Ranseius, in quo insidere
tentavii,- at vero non permisit Josephus,,
ne uno quidem die, quo facto vehementer
iratus est Ranseius Primus.”
This is a sufficient specimen of what we
could do, if we were disposed to write
commentaries like Cmsar, upon the mill-,
tary situation in Georgia. As some of our
readers may be a little rusty in their Lat-.
in, we will translate the foregoing for their
benefit:
“ All Georgia is divided into two parts,
over one of which Joe Brown reigns,
while Ranse Wright rules the other.
These two kings differ from each other
in their language, institutions, and mo
tions of law (when the state is invaded.).
The Oconee river divides Joseph from,
Ransome. Of these two kings, much the,
greatest in proclamations is Joseph, while
Ransome is the bravest with sw,oi;ds.. As
we have said, the Oconee river divides
Joseph from Ransome, and Joseph reigns
in the west, while Ransome rules the
east.
Joseph is very fond of proclamations
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