The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-03-27

Acton Piled Up During tho Great Amer
lean Disturbance.
The reported death of Charles S. Ac.
ton, from mining accident in the north
ern part of this State, brings to light an
extraordinary story. Acton was former
ly printer in New York, and during
the war was engaged in counterfeiting
the paper currency of the Confederate
States. In this business he accumulated
fortune, which, according TO the state
ment which he made TO the writer here.
OF, must have amounted to more than n
million of dollars. This he subsequently,
lost in stock specuiations, and after the
catastrophe of Black Friday he came to
California and worked as a miner. The
story, as told by himself and in his own
handwriting, is as follows: In 1860 sev-
eral Southern States passed an ordinance
OF secession, and appointed delegates to
meet on the 4th of February, 1861, at
Montgomery, Ala. AT thio convention
Jefferson Davis was elected President.
Steps were at once taken TO raise money.
On the 2lst of May, 1861, the capital Of
the Confederacy was removed to Rich
mond. Bills were adopted authorizing
the issue OF Treasury notes Of various de-
nominations ($5, $40, 500, $50, 800,
etc. So scarce did silver and gold be-
come that corporations and individual
firms were compelled to issue notes.
These were generally printed from types
and on common paper. The city of
Richmond issued notes printed from q
wood-cut. The limited mechanical re-
sources OF the Confederacy compelled it
TO resort to the use of common litho-
graphic printing, and it printed its notes
and bonds from photographic stones,
making transfers from old bank note dies
which had found their way into the
hands Of some photographic establishment
In the South. So primitive was the ap-
pearancc of these notes that they wero
eagerly sought FOR in the various North
ern cities rs curiosites. Some of them
reached Washington shortly after the
first emission, and an enterprising news-
dealer, named Haney, from New York,
who supplied the soldiers and officers
stationed in aud around the Capital with
Northern publications, conceived the idea
OF printing fac-Rimilas Of these notes and
selling them AS curiosities. With as
many different kinds rs he could procure
he hastened to New York and gave a
printer (Acton) an order to set up in
type and cngrave on wood limitations of
hve or six notes Of denominations from
one dollar to ten.
THE FIRST ORDER
was for about six or seven thousand
notcs. The demand became sc great that
the plates were electrotyped, and twenty
or thirty thousand copies per day were
turned out. These were sold in all the
cities at the North by newsboys and
newsdealers. AS the rebellion progress
ed the soldiers in the army found these
notes, poorly printed as they were, more
potent IN procuring supplies OF farm pro-
duce, chickens, etc., from the colored
people than our own currency. In fact,
therc were many persons in the South
who would not take any other. A gem
tieman, q professor Of music, George H..
Briggs, living at Atlanta, Georgia, whilo
passing through New York on his way
home, procured from the ncwsboys sup
ply of the facsimile notes, with a view
OF getting up better limitations. On his
arrival at Atlanta ho made arrangements
with w. II. Teller formerly of Hardfort.
Conn, paying tellor or officer in the
bank of Fulten, Mt Atlanta, to procure a
better limitation Of the large notes, which
were Autographed and printed at Rich
mond and used by all the banks in the
South. This bank officer, having n
knowledge of what notes were used, had
no difficulty in making a selection, and
supplying the Professor, as he was usually
called, with the necessary funds he sent
him to New York to procure limitations
OF the most deairable kinds. The pro-
lessor was quite q sociable person, who
could adapt himself TO almost any cir
cumstances, and feigning to be q North
ern-born man, he sought out a printer
lActon) and made contract with him
for engraving and printing $40, $50, $50
and 800 notes and bonds. A deposit
Of $500 occurred the commencement Of
the work. In few weeks the fac-similes
were ready, and arrangements made to
pay for the balance Of the printing ON
tho delivery Of the work. The Professor
procured large trunk, with false bot
tom, and packed what represented nearly
two millions of dollars in this money.
and left New York about the latter part
ofSeptember, 1862. He passed through
our lines at Paducah, KY. and succeeded
m reaching home in about two weeks
time !; safely conveying these fac-similes
into the hands OF his friend (Teller) in
the bank at Atlanta. A few months
atterward considerable activity was man
i:ested by ono Of the prominent banks in
Charleston, S. c., (Bank Of Charleston or
Bank of South Carolina,l to discover
from which bank at Atlanta. Georgia.
they had received something over q
quarter of a million dollars in
WORTHLESS CONFEDERATE NOTES.
The act could not be directly traced
ana the guilty party escaped. This will
probably be the first intimation to any OF
those parties who we're dirsctly interested
In this transaction of the true source
whence they received their bad money.
From that time forward there was n large
amount of those fac-similes used. They
were advertised in the Northern papers
to be sold at three cents on the dollar.
and millions of these were printed and
sold. The next spring, 1868, the Pro
fessor again appeared in New York sup
piled with an abundance of funds. After
10 iisd been Ill the city some three weeks
Acton met him and compelled n settle
ment of the balance of his unpaid claim
Briggs MAS very reluctant to settle, but
under the circumstances, he doomed ii
best to do 40. At about this period per.
sons were frequently sent to Fort Lafay.
elite and other prisons for expressing any
disioyal sentiment, and an enemy at that
time could easily cause considerable
trouble 70 a person by charging him with
disloyalty. After several fruitless efforts
ON the part of the Professor to again pro-
cure from Acton an additional supply oil
fac-similcs OF new notes of the so-called
Confederacy, he caused, out of revenge
letters to be sent through such sources
that they would likely be captured by
our forces, to the effect that Acton was
making genuine notes for the Confed-
erato Government, and he caused his
arrest and detention until the true state