The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-08-28
WHISKY WAR.

NASHN tLLE, INN, August "a
Revenue Collector Woodcock this
morning received the following dis
patch;
LEBANON, August 24-We were
attacked yesterday ct 6 p. N by
Campbell Morgan aud bis bsnd. We
were under a heavy Gre for forty-fve
minutes. Phillips, Pippins asd Smith
are badly wounded. | left the place
az ! p. m. When he firing com
menced again Davis dispatched
Charles Strain and myself to you for
tour hundred men. Our ammunition
is short; get all the men you can.
i'll try and get some horses here.
The place of attack is in 0gerton
county, nice miles north Of Cookyille.
LEE l.. AYERS.
The above dispatch threw the rev-
enue men here into great excitement.
WoOdcock Immediately telegrsphed
the above to Commissioner Raum,
and received the following response:
WASHINGTON, August -, rs.
You are authorized TO employ as
many men as you may deem necesss
~ to constitute q posse TO aid you il
the enforcement of the Internal reve-
EHe laws 10 0gerton county.
GREEN b. RAUM.
Ayers and Strain arrived here to-
night, having ridden sixty-two miles
TO Lebanon, there taking the train to
Nashville. They give al exciting
account Of The fight. The revenue
party consisted of Deputy Collector
Davis and ten men. They had been
raiding The surrounding counties for
the past month, destroying much H.
licit property and arrestiDg several
moonshiners. Yesterday they cut
up the distillery of Brown & Brad
lev.
The party then rode three miles to
the house Of James Peck, nine miles
northeast of Cock7ille, intending to
pass tSe night there, as the days ride
had been the hardest Of the raid.
They dismoHnted, stacked arms, and,
unarmed, were sitting or walking
about the house and yard. Davis
and Phillips walked down into the
garden, when suddenly o single shot
was heard, and from the bill, a hun
dyed yards away, arose a small cloud
of smoke. The bail struck Phillips
in the left side.
The attacking party, numbering
thirty or more, then sprang from COW
er and opened g regular Ere. I,sye-
nue men snatched their rifles and re-
piled. The fight ragged fercely for
nearly an hour, the moonshiuers u.s.
ing sho'-yuns, pistols and squirrel ri
fes. The m0onshiners advanced by
huggiHg trees to within fifty yards.
The revenue men took position be-
hiad the fence and house. Threats
and curses were hurled at each other,
the revenue men inviting the noon
sinners TO come out and fight ike
men. Two or three of the former, al
though wounded, still fought.
Twice the moonshiners charged,
but the hot fire of the repeating rifles
compelled them each time to fell back. |
Some of the mconshiners were seen
to fall. Then there was a luIl, dur
ing which both sides seized the op-
portunity to secure better positions.
DaTis ordered Ayres aud Strain to
go with the utmost haste to Lebanon,
&c; help and como to their relief. Ay-
res and Strain mounted horses and
away. When half o mile dis
they heard the recommeacement
of the firing, which continued as long
as they were in hearing distance
now rapid aad thea again at inter
walls.
People along the road It'd Ayers
The moonsbiuers had been preparing
fer a week to wipe cut the revenue
men. The leader Of the attacking
party is Campbell Morgan, whose
distillery was captured by a
party after q terrible fight.
Collector Woodeock says he has in
that a box of guns was
shipped to the locality a week ago.
This afternoon be applied to Govern
or Porter for a supply Of breech-iosd-
ing rifles, which was furnished. A
call wss issued Tor recruits, and
soon the Office was crowded with ap-
plicants, Of whom Woodcock selected
twenty-five. They left tonight in
command of Ayers. Davis ia the
leader of the ra:ding party AMI a man
g.est bravery. The scene Of the
Eight is ia the center Of the widest
of Tennessee, made famous
BY the Brossel Brothers.