MOONSHINERS CAPTURE CHIEF US MARSHALL AND DEMAND EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS

The “moonshiners” of today serve to recall those of other days but more especially the character of Joseph Howard, a man not so well known but never-the -less one of Kentucky greatest men. No king ever ruled his domain more successfully than did Mr. Howard rule the Howards town section or more wisely or justly.

His word was gospel that all obeyed. He never assumed power or strove in any way to gain it. He was a leader that the people wanted to follow and did so because they knew his was the safe “road” to go.

It was then that each farmer had his own still house and each year had distilled all of his surplus corn crop.

The tax on whiskey was especially obnoxious, many thought it an abridgement of their rights while others agreed with them there was still others who thought that so long as the money must be raised by taxation that it was better to place it on the luxuries than on the necessities.

The Howard section was one that believed it was an infringement.

There was in almost every home the old still, worm and the washtubs that “pap” had used for years. The rivers and creek bottoms that produced the abundant corn crop.

Then were the hills and the hollows with their seclusions through which flowed their gurgling streams of pure spring water and it was no wonder that many took advantage of the opportunities that nature had so bountifully supplied.

Yes, there was the trouble of marketing their product and when it was sold come more trouble that brought more trouble in the shape of U.S. Marshals who broke up the stills and carried the owners to Louisville to court. Closely following after the prisoners was always Joseph Howard or “Uncle Joe” as he was familiarly known ready to plead their case in court or to go their bail. His desire was to get them out of trouble, and he was generally successful.

The few arrests made them in place of serving as a warning produced the opposite effect “moonshines” increased in place of diminish.

Mr. Howard advice that the nation was greater than the individual went unheeded as the “moon shiners: increased.

The U.S. Marshals finding posse of marshals were useless in coping with the conditions that existed there came with a full company of U.S. soldiers and encamped near the old mill. Howards town was then known as Howard’s Mill from the fact that Mr. Howard had a water mill there. The town at that time was near the mill while Mr. Howard’s home was a half mile away in the house where Moody Newton now lives which is in the heart of the new town.

Uncle Joe met Chief Marshal Merriweather and invited him to be his guest while there. He would have extended the same courtesy to any other stranger who happened there. Merriweather and his soldiers arrived there in the afternoon and his first meal at Mr. Howard’s was supper that night. The Howard home was a two-story frame dwelling with an el, the el was divided into an open porch and dining room and kitchen. Leaving the family room, you passed through the porch to the dining room. It was this route that Mr. Merriweather went to his meal. Among those present was my sister the late Mrs. Julia Barry Healy. She had taught school there for a number of years and was then boarding at Mr. Howard’s.

When the meal was finished Marshal, Merriweather started back through the porch to the family room just as he walked through the door Bill Spalding stepped up to his right side and pressed a loaded revolver against him. Before he fully realized his position, Ben Spalding was at his left side ready with another revolver ready for service.

My sister who was following Merriweather saw all and knew what was up, to the person who was following her telling them to quietly inform Mr. Howard who was at the head of the table.

The Spalding’s with their men turned to the right but before they left the porch another man whose name I cannot recall stepped in behind Merriweather making his escape impossible.

The captors started diagonal across the yard towards the creek. They had not gone far before my sister had caught up with them. She knew each well, possibly they all had been her pupils for she had taught many grown men. While they listened to her they did not stop until they reached the yard fence. There they told her it was not their intention to kill the marshal or in any way injure him, but that they were going to hold him until he ordered his soldiers away and released their friends who were now in jail. They had been Federal soldiers themselves and knew how prisoners were exchanged. She explained that he had no power to comply with their request. That another representative of the Government would only follow him with more solders and that they were getting Mr. Howard into serious trouble, that he would be held responsible for their acts. There was a plain case of conspiracy against him.

Everything indicated that he was working with them. The hospitality that he had extended would only look like the bait that had lead Merriweather into trap that they had set for him. In the meantime, Mr. Howard had joined and he fully agreed with my sister’s contention. His captors had never dreamed of such a result for they had not looked at it from that point of view and nothing could have induced them to do anything that would in any way injure Mr. Howard, so they vanished into the night leaving Mr. Merriweather and Me. Howard to spend the evening as best they could.

It only took a few days for Mr. Merriweather to realize that the soldiers were ineffective and he left for his home in Louisville with them. However during his stay, he remained Mr. Howard’s guest and a friendship was formed between the two that held strong and fast during the remainder of their lives.

His captors have long since passed away. They were not bad men, but were product of the Civil War who had fought for the Unions and believed that the Government might let them earn their living as they had before it had accepted their service on the battlefields.

As time went on the moonshine bubble busted. Although it required several years. The fines and jail sentences at first light thanks to “Uncle Joes” assistance but those who were hauled up the second, third and fourth time found that the fines so increased that they swallowed up all that they made. Those who were captured the fifth and sixth time lost all including their farms and home which set others to studying and all finally come to the conclusion that it did not pay.

There are those today who owe a debt of gratitude to Joseph Howard for what they inherited. Mr. Howard played no favorites neither white or black they were his people when in trouble his was the helping hand that was ever ready willing and waiting to give assistance. Their weaners were “moon shining” in him they had a friend at court. Only one of his family survives today Mrs. Thos. R. Spalding whose life has been spent in that fertile Rolling Fork Valley where she first saw light.

 – Uncle Joe Howard (1799-1879)