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It's early evening on the 17th of July 17th, 1794, not far from Pittsburgh in Philadelphia.

An aging militia man named Jack, a veteran of the revolutionary war against the British that ended more than a decade

ago is on the march. His feet keep rhythm with a military drum as he tramps his way across

sun-parched ground. He's just one of around 500 men, many militia

like him, mixed with a smattering of community leaders. With laboring breath, he climbs towards a sumptuous mansion called Bower Hill.

Lined with luxurious carpets, antiques, and artworks imported from Europe,

the property stands out from its neighbors,

most of which are humble wood cabins. It is owned by General John Neville.

In Virginia by birth, Neville has been a popular figure in these parts.

He's known as someone who'll stand up for the rights of the frontier settlers of this remote corner of Pennsylvania,

west of the rugged Allegheny stretch of the Appalachian Mountains.

But recently that's changed.

For the last three years, Nevil has been doing unpopular work

for the federal government in the national capital of Philadelphia, 300 miles away over the mountains.

He collects what has become known as the whiskey tax.

As he crests the hill, soldier Jack takes a slug of whiskey from his hip flask,

...