Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-03-28

uss Ahos down abrvsk down, o. what nol,--
and to cap the elimax uPeomes q boat giving US
The Appearance Of the counsfy improves y
we advance We zee something looking like a
plantation, and a fence covered with patriotic
darkies waving various rags At US and shouting
for the Union. But everything seems suffer
ingfrofn the general inundntion,
Tuesday morning, March H..
Up ne 7enaessec eWhat n beautiful morn
ingp" exclaimed nearly every nnn As be arose
and shook of the web Of drowsiness that night
had enveloped him with. Never did ! witness
a more beautiful morning, or a more beautiful
day. Warm and pleasant, the afr full Of balmi-
ness and pure; single snuff Of which seems
enough to dispel the nauses and filth one hss
accumulated during the whole voyage.
The boat stopped for wood and we went
ashore. Never did know the value Of perfect
freedom till to-day, when by Pcrvnissio'a not Of
our own will, we got on shore for short time, TO
avoid the foul atmosphere Of the boat The
weather is like June day with you; the air Is
warm and invlgornting. ls'tIa' x .
We have at last got into beautiful and prom
isng country. 1t looks as though, were it
rightly peopled, II might be made the fairest Of
regions, yet now il is suffering blight; that
blight is the system of human servitude. lean
hardly give an accurate idea of the appearance
OF this region. But the contrast is so great be-
tween country naturally much superior TO
Northern Ohio, and that section, that person is
at once led TO enquire why is this wide differ
enec! 1 have no thought Of entering into an
argumental solution Of the problem. That is
dhhcult But the senses Of any man give him
the solution If he will visit this part of the I'm
ion, and carefully examine into the elements of
society and industry.
Since leaving Paducah, l have not seen one
dwelling which, in Sandusky county, would be
called respectable The houses are mainly Of
the nleanest architecture, the major portion be-
ing built of logs, (chimneys out of doors OF
course,) and such as most OF your small farm
ers would scarcely think quite up to their cir
cutnstances Not barn, hardly stable, can be
seen. No door yards on gardens are there here,
nor orchards Domestic husbandry seems sad
ly neglected.
At the point where we laid up for the night
We were, as planter told me, 1856 miles from
Paducah, aud nearly so from the Mississippi
line. Here for the frst time / saw cotton
field. The planter seemed to be the possessol
of fine plantation, worth before the war broke
out $40 per acre. How many chattles he pos.
sessed cannot tell, but / saw quite a pumber
He grew last season many acres Ofcotton, some
of which was yet unpicked. From him learn
the the following facts relative to the growing o
cotton in Tenn Planting is done in May, and
it is planted in drills about four or five feet
apart. 1t must be kept altogether clear Of weeds
or the yield is greatly diminished. The pro-
duction is usually from ] 1000 to 1900 pounds
per acre, being considerably less than ia Louis
lana or Texas. Cotton is not a staple in Ten
nessee. Corn and wheat (and 'niggers') are
the chief productions. The cotton may be
picked any time during the winter, though Just
when the pods are opening is the best time.
gathered few pods broke off one of the plants
which grow as high as a mans head, and am
now able to say ! have been in a cotton field
We are nt~
"way down souf, in de land OBJ cotton
surely.
The old planter have alluded to was, pro,
fessedly, and, think, sincerely, loyal. He ex-
pressed himself about as follows: He said he
never wanted to go out of the Union, and Ten
nessee never would have gone out, but for the
trickery and farce work of old Harris aud other
secession leaders. They did well enough in
the Union always prospered, and he was only
one of large number who were very anxious 10
get back into the Union. He attributed all the
difficulty, not TO any oppression or denial OF
rights, or the like but solely to the ambition oi
the "big heads" to get into Office, and to the ly-
ing and deceiving speeches and writings forced
upon the Southern mind. He said they had had
nothing but trouble and calamity since secess-
whole country would only be prosperous and
happy by getting back into Uncle Sans family.
He remarked with peculiar significance, There
are plenty of Union men about here" The Sc
cesh he represented as being much crest faler
and discouraged. Though this planter cannot
be rated as very intelligent, he is fair type o
the Tennesseean and his statements may be Ia
ken as showing the state of feeling at least il
one portion of the State
SAVANNAH, Tenn, March 18th, 1862.
We reached this place yesterday about tw
clock, and the boats of the fleet continued t
come up during the whole night. We founc
the 10th Ohio and one gun-boat here. The ex
pedition is now lying by here, but will soor
start up the river again. Some say We go Al
miles some say less. think we shall go as fal
as the boats can navigate up the river, Wha
viii be done then, time viii tell. We have
QuixOtic reports about large forces being up
some,rhsrc to meet us, but my conviction is We
will hardly get sight of anything more frightful
for some time, than rebel tracks and possibly
rebel coat tails. The 10th, which has been here
three days has recruited nearly 100 loyal Ten
nesseeans intoits ranks, who are keen to do bat.
tie for the Union. But must close this. The
health of the I'D is improving The weather
is most proptious, SEVENTY SIX.
PITrsBuRG LANDING, March 10Th, 1862.
closed my letter of the 18th, Just after oul
arrival at Savannah. The movements in this
quarter had begun TO excite great curiosity anC
enquiry in our minds, but its objects if know
at all, were certainly not known by many, ant
all endeavors to find out what was to be done
or attempted, proved fruitless. The steamers
loaded down with troops Of all arms, munitions
and supplies continued to arrive for two day
after our arrival, till finally both banks of tn,
Tennessee river almost as far as the eye coulG
stretch, We're lined with vessels and men.
Savannah is a small place Of probably 20l
inhabitants, the capital town of Hardin county
The town contains Court House, School house
church, two taverns, a few stores, groceries, DC
The buildings are of the character Of all we hav
seen in the South-rudely constructed and O
very indifferent architecture. One feature Q
all houses in the South is the occasion Of FIRE
quent remark among the boys of the 72d. The
say the chimneys here are all built first, thi
the houses are all built to them, leaving II
chimney outside / saw brick house at S;
vannah which so far surpassed any dwelling
had seen since landing in Kentucky, that n
marked it to friend. He was about rejoinin
by pronouncing it something rare for this re
gion, when we passed far enough to view anoth
er side of it, and behold there was the chin
ney outside. at would look much better sal
| be, 'if the people had stayed at home Ion
enough to have taken in the chimney" III
country about the place can say little Of. Tn
soil, so far as l saw. is clay inteFmixed wit
gravel while in some places is sand. The bot
| tom lands have a rich black soil above the ella
which makes the land very productive. Bu
we have not yet got glimpse of the real farm
ing lands of this State. 'ar 4rr5i
At Savannah we found large numbers of tru
loyal people, many of whom are fugitives frol
other places along the river as far up as Floi
enee Alabama ! saw several Of them who ha