Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1890 — SMUGGLING QUININE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SMUGGLING QUININE.

A Young Physician’s Perilous Adventures.

LONG IN 18(52-’d3-’<>4 l lie Confederate Government had lost many of its best men through the malarial influences of the swamps and low-lying country of athe Mississippi and *the Arkausas livers. Quinine became exceedingly valuable, but as the blockade of Southern ports

grew more and more intact it was next to impossible to get any of the drug through the lines. The demand became so great that orders were sent out to the different commands to select from among their number a few men of nerve, ingenuity, and patriotism to the Southern cause who could be depended upo.. under the most critical circumstances. These men were to be instructed in the hazardous duties of smuggling quinine, and were to have the sanction of the Confederate Government, and the pi-otection, as far as it could go, of the Confederate army. They were to go into the Union lines as refugees, or in any way deemed most advisable by them, and were| to purchase large quantities of the drug, and use every means possible to get it through.

Among the men selected for this hazardous duty was a young student of medicine, who has since that time become prominent as one of the best physicians of the country. Dr. James Guthrie was born in Pocahontas County, Virginia, now West Virginia, and when the war broke out enlisted in the Confederate army, finally in 1862 becoming attached as an assistant surgeon to General Kirby Smith’s army. When the order of the War Department reached General Smith’s department one of the first men selected for the hazardous dut\ was young Guthrie, then a mere boy of twenty or thereabouts.' He willingly accepted the dangerous commission, and set out for St.. Louis, Mo., with

credentials hidden about his person. When he reached St. Louis he stowed away in a safe place several thousand dollars in gold with which he had been provided by the Confederate Government to purchase the drug. Days were spent aboitt the hospitals by the youDg student and acquaintances made with the officials, until after the lapse of a few weeks he became to all intents and appearance a regular assistant of the surgeons. No suspicion of the character of his business was ever created; and it was not long before young Guthrie was able to go about the city purchasing medicines and drugs ostensibly for use •at the hospitals where so many Union soldiers lay wounded and sick. Day after day the young man purcha3ed,first herie and' then there, at different drug stores* frounce after;; oun^ca; untij the lapse of several weeks he had enough secured ‘as : he Relieved to justifiy a trip into the Southern lines, Meanwhile be li£4 made j the « acquaint aape of a tinsmith of undoubted Southern sympathy to whom

he imparted hi* secret. One night this tinsmith and the young doctor collected all the quinine he bad purchased and sealed it up in long, hollow tubes of tin, which were soldered perfectly water-tight. These tubes, about four inches in diameter and three or four feet long, were covered with the bark of cottonwood limbs, and the ends were concealed br short blocks of the proper size, which were also covered with bark, presenting the appearance of pieces of wood of the ordinary size. So perfect was the work that a thousand men might have glanced at them without the slightest suspicion of any irregularity in their make-up. When all was ready the young doctor bought an old wagon with a pair of brokendown horses which the meanest-prin-cipled Union or Confederate force would never have dreamed of confiscating, and then after clothing himself in a suit of clothes bought at a secondhand store started out of the city. Over one hundred mile 3 was made, with several narrow escapes, before the doctor again neared the river with his old team. For the last day or two the scouts and videttes had seemed to be unusually suspicious, and the young doctor concluded to give away or sell his tram after gaining the river. When he arrived upon the bank he followed the road still down the stream until he came to the house or dug-out of a small farmer. Here he unloaded his bark-covered tubes, and after tying them together and attacking a bunch of brush to them to make them look like an ordinary bunch of drift he put them in the river and let them float off in the current, which they did, looking like a bunch of brush which had floated from the shore. The old wagon and horses were then driven to the home of the farmer, traded off for a boat and pair of oars, with three or four days’ provisions, and an old blanket tin own in as good measure. The young smuggler floated and rowed away night after night, sometimes ahead and often behind the bunch of brush which hid away the allimportant tubes of quinine. In the daytime, whenever near the lines or outposts of the Union forces, he would remain hidden in some creek or small Rtream with his boat and bunch of driftwood in close proximity. After three nights’ travel early one morning, as he was quietly floating and paddling along about one hundred yards from the shore, he was halted tor tho fifth or sixth time and commanded to laud. Of course he did so, expecting to find himself questioned by a Union vidette. Meantime the quinine was calmly and smoothly floating along just ahead of him. But this time the young doctor found himseli confronted with a squad of Confederate cavalry, an outpost of General Joseph Shelby’s brigade. The Captain in charge closely questioned him as to his business and where he was going, and not perfectly satisfied with his answers, ordered him to mount a horse and ride to camp, about one mile below. Young Guthiie know that if he was taken into a Confederate camp, which was located below where he had been arrested, his quinine was safe and he quietly mounted, determined, however, not to give a hint of his real business until he wa3 sure that he was with friends. The squad and their prisorier soon reached the headquarters of the colonel commanding, when the prisoner was turned over to the commanding officer. "When the young smuggler found that he was really with friends he produced his credentials and told the commander the secret of his business. A boat, or rather two or three skiffs and small punts,wore soon found, and the young fellow, accompanied by several soldiers, paddled along shore up-stream until they met the little bunch of driftwood. They soon towed it ashore at the camp, where the long tin tubes with their bark covering were taken out of the water. The quinine was found in perfect condition, and was immediately forwarded under a guard to the nearest large post. Young Guthiie was gived a letter vouching for the safe arrival of a large supply of the great drug. He was sent to General Smith’s command, where, after a high compliment for his courage and ingenuity, he was well paid aud recommended to undertake another trial of the same sort. Five times ho succeeded in getting through the lines with large quantities of quinine, but the sixth time he was captured and sent to prison at Fort Delaware, where he remained until the war was over. Dr. Guthrie is to-day one of the most popular and eminent physicians in this country, with an immense practice, but seldom too busy to tell some interesting story or reminiscences of the times which tested the nerve and ingenuity of the bravest.