The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-06-20
Tuesday Morning, June 20, 1865.
lcorrespsndsnee N. T. Timss.l s1s
Starvation and Barbarism Persecution Of
the Negroes. ssH
MOBILE, Ala, SUNDAY Nav IS. i

starvation and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. o.
the Negroes. 5as sss 81
MOBILE, Ala, Sunday May rs, 1865.
4 nave just made tour along the line OF the
Mobile and Great Northern Railroad 10 Mont-
gomery and thence down the A Alabama river 10
enis place, stopping at various poimts and
AlaAiAg very careful inquiry all along, so as 10
ascertain II could the exact condition OF af-
laifs In That region Of the late confederacy. L
snali not write in this letter any highly coloreo
sehesnees or Indulge in any iar-ietched words,
pus "lli lell you as unvarnishea story ofIact
as possibly can. rA aapls a- ffT
~, Inc people, black and white are starving
Inc whites are hardly conscious OF their nor
tiu situation. They are as mean and as proud
q ever, Ihey dress In rags and have nc
nouey " pay their passage on the cars OF
poats. 1hey suDslst mainly by eating refuse,
Mnisn, ~ ordinary times would not be given TO
some procure rations from the government
Of the United States; others go hungry. They
Will not work. They say that they were moi
made 10 work and that only s'niggersD shoulo
engage IN Toll. Thinking themselves. true to
thiS character, they allow their lands to go un.
cultivated. iheir gardens, which by their own
INDUSTRY aside from the industry of the negro,
shouid bud and blossom as the rose," are
grown up in weeds. On the train which bore
us 70 the capital of Alabama were large
num.per OF women, who were going to the
military authorities for rations. They are ex-
ceenlngly bitter, some against the Union and
otners against JEFF. Davis. They could say
Wnat tbe " pleased about the former, but re
garding The latter they must keep "mum.n-
Anere were confederate soldiers on board, anC
When word was said against Jefi. or the de-
lune's confederacy, some staggering rebe
Hovild cry out sshut up" and win such EN-
puasls As caused general silence on that sub
jesir.aHgq .e'iaas ~ a.3i aY alcb is 81 IN
One woman, formerly from Pensacola, In
Iormed me that her husband had been con
scripted into the rebel service alta time vheu
sne lay very Sick and while he was gone for 5
physician. The conscript officer would moi
low hIm to SO much as to 60 home and sa,
good bye." She had i've small children, and
Tor two days was unable to procure them any
1000. Though without money shv yentureo|
on the car, and when the conductor Came
along for tickets she said she had no
money and that she could not pay him. The
conductor informed her that she should not
have gone on board public conveyance With
out means to pay her passage. The poor
soul began to cry aloud, thinking she was to-
De put of. Al Yankee soldier, plying her.
paid her fare, and the conductor was satisfied
A mad rebel, standing by told the passengers
that It served her,rignt, and that she ought to
pc put of, "any one who would talk OF Presi-
dent DAVIS as she did, f15sH .lf Fsrs
-4e 1nere were i've times more confederatesi
Lnan there were Union soldiers on the train
Indeed, one would suppose that the rebellion
was YET IN Its glory from the speeches fthese
Draggarts. Union men cannot breath freely
or rest at any ease apart from the military au-l
thofitles. This is solemn fact. Along the
entire line we witnessed enough to convince
us that no other remedy than bayonets will
suit this country for many months to come.
l heard of starved women and children
persons who had actually starved to death.
have no doubt that such is the case. The ap-
pearance OF the country fully justines the be-
llef that the greatest distress prevails among
t4e people. And yetitis strange how ter.i-
Oily bitter the returned rebels are. Even OIL
their way to the government commissary I'd
procure rations, they abuse the government
ana the people Of the United States. Terms
as unmerciiul as any we have heard for
months were used by this mad people. lgA
Inc colored people viii be murdered and
9riVen 10 untirely graves If the government
ooes not Keep provost guard at the count,
seats and the cities. So great is the madness
OF the old shareholders over defeat and subiu
CATION, that, on their return home, they amuse
themselves by cutting off the ears noses and
nps OF their. former slaves This is not q
Dream. 1t is terrible fact, and am sure
that when it is known stoo our loyal people
there VIII arise such feeling Of indignation
as VIII surely reach the very heavens. Il Al
Montgomery five men came in one day with
ears cuticf and in almost nude state. Others
came in with throats cut, while others appear
ed terribly marked over their bodies with
bows tron sticks and stones. The perpetra
tors are "chivalrouso men, high-minded. well-
bred gentlemen, no doubt. Thank heaven, the
dominion Of such gentry is at end Gen. A. j
Smith and Col. Geddes are vigiiant in their
search for the cruel monsters But these
cases are only samples. All officers and. sol
diers of the army here are filed with the deem
est horror over these awful deeds, and are re-
solved that they must end.
When the train stops on the raiir oad, OF
when boat stops at landing, the delay is us
ually spent In tormenting poor colc,red per
sons who may be attempting to come on board
The only exceptions are kneAA when a sufil
clint number OF Union officers are on board to
give protection to the poor refugees.
am OF opinion, candi dly, that one tWenti
eth ofthese awful deeds will never be known.
On lmy journey Gown the Alabama, / met
and conVersed with the celebrated Capt. Sem
mes OF ALABAMA He looked mad and rag
that the pirate had no means with which to
purchase meal-tickets, made him present OF
some. He was accompanied by his son, who
Is young fellow of about twenty years OF
age. sa row aeon .sfisfsN & -
Semmes said. "tAe country Is ruined-sou,h- h
ern gentlemen are utterly reduced to poverty
py theS.e cruel invaders-there is no hope left
--suS h as can get away will have to seek
sor .ie corner of the earth where they can live
S conference.-the had no doubt that the ne
gro was happy in state of fslavery-freedon1
as understood by the negro Is worse than
slavery in any form, and the Yankees will
findit the Yankees meant that southern slav
cry should perish and they have succeeded. tbet
are the smartest and worst people on the tor,
of the earth--history furnishes no record of
people SO industrious and so perserverng in
what they undertake-the defeat of the South,
with cause so Just, is deep mystery that
wears the appearance of God being against
the South, but that could not be fact for the
reason that the sacrifices and devotion of the
southern people were SO sincere and so relig
ious." He had novel printed on very poor
paper in Richmond Its title is Lady Audley's
Secret" 8AA4itsA q aEAs
On nearing Mobile we were a little more
free, and conyersed with rebel officers consid
era bly,. Speaking Of "our government" one
ofthese stepping up very firmly said, "No. sir;
not our government; il is yours. We have no
government. We are aliens and foreigners
and win never have our souls SO degraded as
to have anything whatever to do with such a
government. Release us from the obligations
OF this parole, and we we will leave the d-n
people who have overpowered u.s." "Yes, sir
that's our view," said dozen others of the
same stripe. JH
-t ---------- --s fas 81
"A Western farmer who was told that In
Europe "fencingn was taught ua an ancoun.