Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-05-16
Deplorable State Of Things In Eastern
Tennessee.
From the Nashville Dispatch.

From the Nashville Dispatch.
We continue to receive the most d,scour-
aging news from East Tennessee in regard to
the local condition of that part of cur State
The reports we receive impress us with the
belief that no portion of the country will suf.
fer anything like what the people Of East
Tennessee will be obliged to suffer. In con-
versation with an intelligent citizen of Brad
ley county the other day, he informed us
that, within his knowledge, he knew of COM
paratively few farmers who would raise
enough grain to supply their own immediate
wants, while there were hundreds Of farms
in that and adjoining counties upon which
there would not be produced single bushel
Of corn. Their owners had some of them fled
the country, and others gone into the Con.
federate army, leaving their wheat fields to
take care Of themselves. He informed us
that numbers of wheat fields had been ren.
dcred utterly worthless from the fences having
been broken, either by design of accident
and the cattle and hogs were destroying the
young plants. He was Of opinion that i,
would require thousands of bushels of corr
and wheat to supply the actual wants of the
people of the territory over which his persona
observations extended; and he resides in tho
midst of one Of the best grain growing regions
of East Tennessee, a section of country thai
has heretofore sent large amounts of corr
and wheat to the Southern markets.
What is true as to his section, he believed
would hold good rs to all, or at least tn,
greater portion Of East Tennessee; and We
have corroborativc testimony upon this point
coming from both parties into which tht
people of that portion of the State arc divided
If the war should terminate within ten days
and the people return quietly to their homes
they could not raise crop the present year
The prospect before the people Of East Ten
nessee is truly appalling. While biting wan
starcs them in the face, they will be withou
the means to buy the bread and meat tha
will be absolutely necessary to preserve life
We do not now recollect that within our mem
ory the people of East Tennessee have fell
the want of bread and meat 1t is true ther,
has occasionally been short crops within tn,
period Of which we speak; but then ther,
was sufficiency, and the people had tn
wherewith to buy what they needed. AS
general thing, East Tennessee has sent AZ
immense quantity Of corn and wheat and ba
| con or live hogs to the Southern markets.
This year their crops will amount to almos
nothing, and before they can avail themselve.
of the crops of next year, they will rcqur,
as much as they have heretofore had to dis
pose Of to appcase the actual wants of nature
! And how is this immense amount of bread
stutfs and provisions to be supplied them f.
1t looks as though it will have to be done b,
the public charity.
| East Tennessee has been and will be terri
bly, scOurged by this war. Heavily hath thi
"son Of he'll, whom angry heavens do maxi
their minister" laid his devastating hand up
on the section We were once proud to call tn
"Switzerland Of America" Ruin stalk
abroad through that once prosperous and hap
py section, and years must clapsc before it
terrible traces are cffaced. 1t is sad sa,
picture:
| "Aias, poor country!
Almost afraid to know self! It cannot
BE calrd our mother, but grave; where nothing
| But who knows nothing, Is once seen 10 smile;
Where signs, and groans, and srieks that rent the air.
Are made, not marked where violent seems
4 modern ecstacy: the dead mans knell,
Is there askd for who and good mems lives