A State of Natural Liberty: The Incredible Life of Quill Rose

From Stories of Appalachia by Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

June 13, 2026 · 16 min

About this episode

This episode tells the incredible life story of Quill Rose, a Confederate veteran and moonshiner from the Smoky Mountains.

Quill Rose was a Confederate veteran, bear hunter, blacksmith, storyteller, and moonshiner who lived deep in the Smoky Mountains along Eagle Creek. In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we tell his story, from Cades Cove in the 1840s through war, family life, isolation, to his illegal whiskey-making in the mountains. Along the way, Quill became a figure known not just for survival, but also for his loyalty to family, his reputation with Plott hounds, his run-ins with the law, and the many colorful stories told about him, many of which he told himself. Subscribe to the Stories podcast so you don't miss any of our Stories of Appalachia. Thanks for listening!

People in this episode

Hosts: Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

Topics covered

Appalachian history
Confederate veterans
moonshining
storytelling
family loyalty
bear hunting

Keywords

Quill Rose
Appalachia
moonshiner
bear hunter
storyteller
Cades Cove
Confederate veteran
Eagle Creek

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Smoky Mountains, Eagle Creek, Cades Cove