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86 art I THE COUNTRYMAN. yO n i i ► 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 % % t iUiK4\ A