The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1879-03-15
How Confederate Currency came
to be CeuGterfeitSd.
BRIGGS, THE MUSIC TEAcHRR, AN
ACTIVE AGENT

brings to light an extraordinary
story. Acton was formerly aprin-
ter in New York, and during the
war was engaged in counterfeiiing !
the paper currency of the Confed-
crate States. In this business he
accumulated a fortune, which he
lost in stock speculations, aud then |
went to work in California rs Il
miner. The story, as told by HIM
self, and in his own handwriting,
is as follows:
The limited mechanical resour-
ces of the Contederacy compelled
it to resort to the use OF common
photographic printing, and ii print
ed its notes and bonds from lith-
ographic stones. making transfers
IRON old bank-note discs which
had found their way into some IL
thographic establishment in the
South. SO primitive was the ap-
pearance of these notes that they
were eagerly sought for in the
North as curiosities. Some of
them reached Washington shortly
after the first emission, and an en-
terprising newsdealer named la
ncy, from New York, who supplied
tho soldiers and officers stationed
lin and around the capital with
Northern publications, conceived
the idea OF printing iac-similes of
these notes and selling them as
curiositics. With as many differ
ent kinds as he could procure he
FASTENED on to New York and gave
a printer (Acton) an order to set
up in type and engravc on wood
limitations of five or six notes OF
denominations from one dollar TO
ten.
Tho first order was for about
six or seven thousand notes. The
demand became so great that the
plates were electrotyped, and 20
or thirty thousand copies per day
were turned out. These were sold
in all the cities al the North by
newsboys aud sdealers. AS
the rebellion progressed the sol
diers in the army found these notes
poorly printed as they were. more
potent in procuring supplies OF
farm produce, chickens, &c. from
, the colorcd people than our owl
> currency. In fact, there were
D many persons in the South who
D would take no other. a gentle
5 man, a professor of music, George
0 IL. Briggs, living at Atlanta, Geor
0 gia, while passing through New
0 York on his way home. procured
0 from the new sboys a supply OF th
0 fac-simile notes, with u view o
y getting up better limitations. o.
= his arri fal at Atlanta he made AT
raugemcnis with w. II. Teller
0 formerly from Hartford, Connet
y ticut,l paying teller or officer
y y the bank of Fulton. at Atlanta, t
procure q better imitation OF til
70 largo notes, which were litft
" graphed and printed at Richmoni
and used by all the banks IN III
South. This bank officer, haviil
/, knowledge Of what bank note
= " were used, had no difficulty in mi
:, king a selection and supplyif
" the professor, as he was usual
:, called, with the necessary tuno
: he sent him to New York to pr
!, cure limitations of the most des
!. rable kind. The professor VI
unite a sociahle person, who cou
- adapt himself to almost any cl
q" cumstances. and leigning to be
~ Northern born man, he sought 0
~ A printer I [Aclon] aud made co
% tract with him for engraving al
'o printing $40. $40, $50 and 81
- notes and bonds. a deposit
'' $500 secured the commencement
IA the work. In few weeks the
ep Smiles were ready. and arfane
o' ments made to pay for the balar
nc u. Of the printing on delivery Of
si' work. The professor proeure'
Sc large trunk with a false bott'
he and packed what represented hi
ca, two million dollars in this mon
'p- and left New York about tie lat
M part OF September, 1862. lie pa
es. cd through the lines at Paduc
nd Kentucky, and succeeded in rea
'ry ing home in about two weeks u
ose safely conveying these fac sim
are into the hands of his friend lei
ths in the bank at Atlanta. a
II! months afterward considerable
pay tiyity was manifested by the bi
ore of Charleston to discover IT
Oh which bank at Atlanta 'teor'
aer they had received something 0
ner a quarter million dollars IN wol
'ual less Confederate notes.
my Tho act could not be diret
: ,ist II traced, and the guilty party q
,or. ned. This will probably be
or. first intimation to any OF u