The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-07-11
THE MooNsHTNERs.
More abO mt Gen. Cooper's Clio
riOus Victory.
SNRRDvILLR, TENN.

@ June so, 1877.
To tha Editor Of the Morristown 0azetts: &
The war In Europe has ceased to be .
topic Of interest to Glinchpanitess You
might tell us that the Russian General
INSTRUMENTATION had crossed the
Danube and burned Constantinople,
and we would not weep. Gen. Gooper's
late brilliant campaign against the
Whiaky- BasOaks of Hancock county is
what everybody Is talking about now.
Gen. Cooper. with Col John Brown
low as chief of staff. with a force of
militia, variously estimated at from rs to
100 men, crossed the Pruth,-pshaw,
Clinch we mean.-on the night of the
10th inst, and advanced on Newman's
Ridge by moonlight, intending to take
the alcoholic rebels by surprise. ''Yours,
ETC." was not an eye witness Of the dar-
ing feats and strategetIc man9uvers of
the invading army, but from authentic
sources we are informed that the
UNITED States" gained q glorious and
bloodless victory ~ over one old still
house, and captured one prisoner at the
first engagement. We learn that the
Illicit distillers were warned Of the APP
proach of the Revenue party, and all
but one of them had their stills taken
out and secreted and made their escape
to the mountains. One Doll Rhea,
would not believe ia the old maxim,
"when your nose itches somebody Is
coming" failed to secure his safety, and
was captured. After his arrest, he gave
information which led to the discovery
of another still hid out in the brush.
Had the moonshiners used their ordinary
caution, and had not betrayed each
other, the raid would have been total
failure; as it was, the sum total results
of the grand expedition was the cap
ture Of two stills, the destruction OF .
few empty still-houses, a few gallons OF
beer, and the arrest of six prisoners, two
Of whom made their escape. Several
Illicit distilleries were not visited for
want of guides, and, we doubt not, are
even now at work again. The Revenue
partv, having about expended the
a. speeitR appropriation to suppress tlItcst
clsstsuine IN the I'd Tennessee DistrSct," have
returned from whence they came, leaV-
ing Hancock county pretty much as they
found it. For manipulating an appro-
priation, Cooper and Brownlow are
success; for breaking up moonshine dis
tilleries, and protecting taxpayers, they
are most abortive humbugs. We know
an ex-U. s. Gauger, who, during his
leisure between gauging duties, per
| formed six times the amount Of services
| himself, that Gen. G. and Col. B. have
accomplished with all their fi0urishes
but that was a short time before the Late
election, and the moguls of the Revenue
| service found out that he was dod
drafted unrepentant Democrat, and he
was invited to hang his gauginS-stick on
a willow and step down and out. He was
the only Revenue officer we ever knew
to do his whole duty in this section; he
was feared by bad men and respected
| by all, for the fearless and honorable
manner in which he discharged all hii
duties. It is superfuous TO add. but va
! will do SO, that we refer to Capt. I. J
Berry, and that every good citizen IL
this and surrounding counties would re
joice to see him occupy the position held
and neglected by Col. BrownlOw.
Before concluding our letter, Nc vii
give an illustration of Gen. Cooper
liberalty, which is not often equaled
He took forty-twe men to the house O
Mr.. wills Seal, had supper. lodging
(many calling boisterOusly for feAthel
beds,) and breakfast; fed their horses
twice. most wastefully. and when Esquire
Seal offered to take what Gen. @. though
was right, and Uncle Sam could afford
was paid-how muchs Just ten dollars
when the same accommodations, at the
cheapest tacern in East Tennessee, woulc
have cost one hundred aud sixty d0Ilt1s a
least. 1t is not expected that any arts
tocratic Revenue officer will expend hi
salary, or auy portion of it, in enforcing
the laws, so until the ring masters a
Washington send out another appropris
ton, our kid-gloved sinecurists will Lay
around Knoxville, while illicit distilling
| with all it's demoralizing influences, viii
continue to be endured by the respect
able taxPaying portion of the citizens O
HANCocK."