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June 05, 1864

W. C. Saunders Was Wounded at the Battle of Piedmont

According to this later account in the Richmond Journal, Major W. C. Saunders was shot through the chest at the Civil War Battle of Piedmont. Although Saunders initially seemed to have sustained a mortal wound, a local citizen observed that he was still alive and revived the major with mountain whiskey (moonshine). This story was used by Major Saunders to encourage anti-prohibition sentiment, and he wrote regularly until his death to the Virginia Prohibition Commission for a transportation permit for his medicinal whiskey.