Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-12-04
THEARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND.
.c0+s.pondsAss q d. Olssiaia..tlI e..s...s.
=. NAsHvILLs.. Tsss.. Nov. Is.
IHE SOUTH AS sEEa BY THE ARMY.

II TIE SOUTH As -sEEH BY TIE ARhr,
+ Although the picture l am about I
draw win be recognized by few outsid
the afmy-aIthough It's colofs are dar
and It's features most forbldding, still
, represents faithfully and without exag
/ geratien. the scenes that three-quarter
/ of a million Of Union soldiers look upo
every day.
;, The South, as Il appeared before thi
. rebellion brought the North.to visit !,
. has no longer any existence. We hal
heard of its wealth, its aristocracy, it
cultivation aud refinement. its polishe,
society, its magnificent plantations, tn
beauty and educated gentility Of its Ia
dies. its hospitality ana its chivalry.-
These were always thrown into th'
foreground Of the picture. while th'
evils which resulted from Slavery wer,
scarcely drawn dark enough TO shad,
the scene.
This has been the beautiful mirag,
that has hung so long over reality
equaled only by the barbarism Of heath
en- lands. This airy vision has faded al
we advanced, leaving us in the midst O.
a social desert.
The North must prepare itself foi
views and opinions which the army will
render universal on its return. The
boasted superiority which the South
has arrogated to itself for half a centu
ry, has fallen beneath contempt. Fol
years it has foisted its claims to great.
ness upon the North by one OF the grand
est impositions Of all time; but this false
glory has departed, and "Is fallen is
fallen!" is written over the graves of lis
pride and its long successful falsehoods.
Ny views have been formed while
with the Army Of the Glib on Its long
marches through four States, winding
as its path did. in all directions through
the country, crossing its richest tracts,
as well as its mountain regions, and
moving alike through its wealthy dis
tricts and its poverty.
OF course i do not speak of large
portion of Kentucky. nor of the cities
or larger towns, nor OF the few old fam
lilies that still exist as the representatives
of former true and noble aristocracy
nor of the leading politicians and states
men, who by their talent and powers
have led the North to overrate the
South; but l speak Of the South in a
general sense, ofits great rural districts.
and Of its society as whole.
firmly believe that the army will
bear me out in the statement, that,
judged by what we have seen in eigh-
teen months of almost constant travel.
the South. with the exceptions named.
is farther behind the age, in everything
that belongs to true civilization, than
the Sandwich Islands are.
Now let me present few facts upon
which these opinions are based. and ask
your readers to draw their own conclu
sions.
or all the houses that we have seen
in the South, more than three-fourths
of the whole number are log houses,
and most Of these are poorly construct
ed.
The fences which surround these
homes of the South, are in large ma
iority Of cases the common rail fence
There are, doubtless, many carpets and
cooking stoves in the interior. OF the
South, but, as yet. the writer does not
remember of entering house which
contained either. The plows, harrows
and like agricultural implements, are
nearly all Of wood. The army has
passed through sections OF the country
where the inhabitants never saw a wag-
on. What are known at the South as
the conveniences of housekeeping have
no existence, whatever, and the masses
of the Southern population never have
on their tables, the varieties that our
laboring classes enjoy, and domestic
comfort, as we understand the term, is
utterly unknown. Public improvement
is strangeri turnpikes are the rare ex-
ception, and mud roads the rule. The
roads in all directions are almost impas-
sable in the rainy season, even on horse
back. Utter skiftiessness is written in
the most unmistakable terms over the
face ofall things.
As TO public intelligence there is
nothing that deserves the name. A
majority Of those who visit the camps
for the purpose of getting certified ac-
counts Of property taken, il asked to
read any of the papers they present,
make one or two replies: "WaaI. I'm
no scholar" or, "I'se left my spectacles
at home" ~
The mileposts Of the South, on the
country roads, are constructed for the
benefit Of those who cannot read, thus
admitting them to be very numercus.-
They consist Of post on which num-
Der OF notches are cut equal to the num-
Der of miles to the neighboring town,
and no other marks are made, and the
traveller is left to guess whether the
notches indicate the distance passed over
Or that still in advance. Now these are
by no means uncommon. The writer
recollects seeing no other kind in Mis-
si.sippi or Alabama. and they exist on
the country road within short distance
Of Nashville itself. Is there a single |
spot in all the North where public pro-
vision is made for those who can not
read? Within the tract Of country un-
der consider alton Ii has not been my
fortune to meet man or woman who
spoke the English language correctly.