Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-12-04
CAPTURING CONTRA
BAND WH|SKEY
The Ingenious Manner in Which
Men and Women Carried
Whisky Through the
Lines in War
Times.

Reading in the Sioux Falls Press
recently of how an attorney made
Mrs. Cantonwine confess that she had
$4,000 concealed in her hustle, called
to mind how the writer, away back in
war times found hustle full of whis-
key while hunting for that kind Of
contraband in an effort to keep it
from getting inside the lines and to
the soldiers
After the capture of Norfolk, Va. :,
in May 1862, by Union troops under
Gen. John e. Wool, the writer was
detailed to take charge Of the provost
marshals office as an assistant to
Capt. J. II. Libeneau of Gen. Viele's
staff, who was adjutant general and
provost marshal.
The writer was but Is years of age
and not a commissioned officer, but
the provost martial thought l was
competent to handle the work, and
as orders were orders, we began the
difficult task, and our first duty was
to give the oath of allegiance to all
who wanted to become loyal citizens
and as proof of such loyalty we issued
a printed "Safeguard' as evidence
that the bearer had taken the oath
and was to be considered loyal citi-
zen. The Jurisdiction of the office
extended from Norfolk to Suffolk and
clear down into North Carolina, TAX
ing in the Dismal Swamp country,
section said to be full of runaway
negroes and wild animals.
Thousands came and subscribed to
the oath and by so doing had the
right to pass through the military
lines when furnished with written
pass, and if they wanted to carry
home family supplies such articles
had to be enumerated on the pass or
the pickets would confiscate all arti-
cleS not mentioned. This strict mill
tary rule was necessary to prevent
the so-called loyal citizens from carry
ing quinine or letters outside our
lines for the benefit of the Southern
army.
A majority of the citizens of Nor
folk and Portsmouth were active and
Jealous friends of the Confederacy
and we're ever at work trying to send
contraband of war through our picket
lines by the so-called loyal citizens
who lived on the outside. These !
country people after taking the oath
and receiving a safeguard were en-
titled to come inside the lines, and if,
as stated, they desired to carry home
supplies, such as tea, coffee, sugar or
other household necessities, their
pass, signed by myself, must show
permission to carry such articles.
Letters "giving aid or comfort to the
enemy" or quinine was strictly pro-
hibited, but it was not always pos
sible for the soldiers to detect such
contraband when women wore petit
coats with pockets and bustles like
the Sioux Falls woman.
During the six months that | dis
charged the duties of acting provost
marshal, l captured enough contra
band of war to fill the basement of
the Custom House, and the variety of
the stuff was a sight. There were
pianos, all kinds of guns and sabers,
some of them very ancient, whiskey
in cans, kegs and barrels, rebel uni
forms, barrels of flour containing 10
gallons of liquor, much of it apple
Jack. ten gallon cans of kerosene with
long necks and two corks. Under the
first cork was kerosene, under the
second cork it was all whiskey or ap-
pie jack. Then I had thousands OF
letters and large quantity OF qui-
nine in small packages.
The most difficult part of the con-
traband traffic to handle was that
carried by negroes in ''dug-outs,' or
'cooners'' as the darkies called them.
These boats were made out of log
and it required experience to handle
them. Down at wharf near the
Custom House I had over one hum
dred of these dugouts tied up, taken
from darkies who loved money better
than loyalty, and these darkies were
expert blockade runners. Many got
Safeguards" but as all had been
slaves they had only one name,
plantation name, such as Dick, Tom,
Sam, or something else, and as they
all looked like "brothers" it was diff
ficult for the soldiers to tell whether
Sam had his own pass or pass be-
longing to someone else. They were
expert boatmen and could slip past !!
war vessel like snake in the water.
Taking their "cooners" away from
them when detected in contraband
work and arresting those found guilty
soon broke up the river traffic.
When caught redhanded and brought
to the provost marshal's office his
protests and actions would make pres
ent negro ministries look like fun
eral party in comparison. Sambo
could roll his eyes in way that
would make secessionist laugh.
After vigorous and successful con-
test with land and water contra
banders, whisky and applejack con- |
tinued to get into the soldiers camps