Page 239 - The Lost Ways

(The Rectal Acorn, courtesy of the Museum of Confederacy)
According to stories passed down to her by her family, spies would encapsulate the
message in the acorn and hide it in their rectum until they reached the assigned place
where the message was to be delivered. Only then could they push the acorn-like
container out.

Similar to the rectal acorn, a silver ball was also used to
hide information vital to their cause. Small, folded papers
with the message were carefully placed in the ball.
Because it is as small as a musket bullet, it could easily be
swallowed in case the spy was intercepted.

One particular unlucky spy was Daniel Taylor. He was
tasked to carry a message from British General Henry
Clinton to John Burgoyne. Once he realized that he was
going to be caught and forced to give the message, Taylor
swallowed the ball hurriedly. However, adding salt to
injury, the Patriot soldiers saw him swallow something,
which prompted them to force him to drink an emetic that pushed the silver ball out of
his stomach. In an impressive display of will, Taylor grabbed the ball and swallowed it
again.

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