The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-23
CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
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TRIP THROUGH SOUTHERN ALABAMA.
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Political, Crop |and Business Prospects Of
Aontgom cry, Selma. Mobile and the
Surrounding Country.
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Only Eig'At Hundred Thousand Bales
'bfC0ttOn in the South.
HOW Il 10 Government II Being Robbed Of
the Captured Cotton,
49,, &C., &c.
Our selma Correspondence.
Ala vul IQ

3
Our selma Correspondence.
II snxA, Ala, July Q, 1886
ree days Of heat and dust At Montgomery, awaiting
shs laval this Of the year is wont to
'ry( ones patience, well as temper Previous to
daily line OF steamers were running between
kdbae Montgomery and all doinga paying busness
hut only few boats and they Of an inferior char
acser left to do the business.
THE WANT MEAss TRANSPORTATION
ss badly felt for have awaiting shipment the
whole length of the river The Coquctte, which
took passage loaded down with freight, consisting
OF cotton anurorn for the Mobile market
THE COUNTRY
along the banks OF the Alabama the finest and
productive i'm the State Large and fine plantations
for distance of four hundred miles be either
bank and the thing Is true further back In the
country. know of part of the South inviting
for settlers fo the North than this portion Of Alabama
Now Is the time to buy land at low figure Many Of
che planters disgused at the loss Of their negroes,
and without confidence in the FREQ labor system,
offering their plantations at very low prices. Az
good land there is in the South capable of raising
either cotton or grain, with all the improvements at
fached, be bought at from three to hve dollars
per have heard Of several plantations between
Selma and Demopos for sale al these prices which
before the war were valued at fifty dollars per acre
Many who by the vicisstudes OF have lost all they
possessed in cotton negroes and stock anxious 10
sel part Of their plantations in order to raise the means
Of carrying the balance. They to desire that
good Northern farmers should settle among them in
preference any else and doing all they 10
encourage immigration People at the North who con-
template settling at the South Of investing their
capital here will have better opportunity Of doing
Ahan the prssBnt
ssyfREHarERsp GOING TO LEAVE TIE sOura.
There aHethsr class consisting Of the original ere
>sser 'Tast ditch men, who say they cannot and will
ao4 femainsin the South OF country where the
nsgrees arsx,S ,Stce, and who, are anxious to dis
pose Of their property TO- obtain the means Of
having Quite number of those in the States
OF South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. are
discussing the plan Of organizing company Of the
"nrst families Of the South, and emgrans 70 Brazil
where thy caa once more negroes and live under
. slave government Others talk Of going to Cuba for
the purpose and Offering their lands At ssc-
noe Most o. these people embraced in that class
Who continually harping upon the worhessness and
ideness 81 ne freedmen and the impossbility OF raising
they see Sss asishOcrs prospecting under the new sys
tem they viii change their minds and continue 10 re-
main . while longer IN the country
large proportion Of the cotton between Selma and
Monteohsy-s distance Of one hundred and ten miles
owners 70 prevent ts falling into his hands what is
left consists generally small lots Of from i've twenty
bales which fsss Being bought up By specuasos from
nov NM oov.nnnsrr soBsrD COTTON
regular system Of thieving In cotton ID also being
practssd Sz,sssvsy on tho alabama rvor BY which the
governmsnt y being dcffaudcd out Of immense sums
greet proportion Of cotton had been bought by the
rebel government and left IN charge Of the planter t
United stasea The manner in which the thing s man
on The bes sf terms with our soldiers finds where lot
cf th. cotton stored He goes 70 his oroney in the
federal army, and tells him II he will get permit TO ship
% many baes Il cotton they will go together dis
pose Of It. The permit s obtained, and II night they
g s TO or
N 70 buyers on che ground Tho planter who he's the
cotton In chge he's already sold II once 70 the rebel
What becomes Of It, He is often interested party IN
shs transaction and all he has 70 do TO report the loss
h not unfroousnty an Interested party This s merely
enc way in which the thing done. There are numer
= pot fss dollars ' into " their cir pocTss ~ The fact
~ n is almost impossible for man s'outside
az ..s e % by Sssa ans ss . %sra:
vent his shipmehs - n Rs sppiiss p ,shtp iot u
esAon which he has boush.in good faith n me nrst
does never did belong 70 the rebel sovenment
This u often dihcult. and oven II abls 70 do No
.es E and soon SsUOmes apparent tha. the psrss hsv
ing the matter In charge will not permit the cotton 10 be
shpppsd matters . not hew Just the claim = s I've
tmmehse amount Of this kind OF swindling is going
In this department. well other departments Of the
States government have not realized one NTH Of the
amount Of cotton which actually belonged to them
both before and during the war; one Of the principal
Aepos for cotton and the only business place Of mpor
sancs between " Mobile and nonisomery contained cont
number OF fine brick and business houses
Unfortunately for the inhabitants IL ofthc OBJ
tectve points Of General Wilson In his celebrated raid Ia
April last Another unfortunate thing the attempt
ON the part Of the rebel military authorities 70
thousand troops in immediate command subject to
the order OF General Dick Taylor. General Forrest
strongly opposed 70 attempting resistance but was per
took good care himself 10 leave the city just
prior to the attack General Forrest, with his
small command together with what citizens he
able 10 press into the service, occupied
fhe trenches just outside the Some ten thousand
bales OF cotton was also piled In the streets and suburbs
General Wilson made his attack late the afternoon
sweeping everything before him. but meeting with con.
siderable loss Upon gaining possession Of the city The
soldiers not only completed the destruction Of the cotton
but also burned four nfhs OF the business part Of the
city The rebel government had foundry here for
the manufacture OF shot and shell AZ well as heavy
ordnance Those were, OF course destroyed but with
them large amount Of private property In fact with
he exception Of private and few .sorss there
is but little left Of Selma
JoHS ". ohLE,
the author Of the advertisement offering million Of
dollars reward the assassination OF President LINCOLN
and who is now In arrest at washington, resident Of
Cahawba lew miles from selma. ] have takop some
pains ascertain the aniecedents OF Mr. Gale, who es
tensively known In tis section OF the country. He
lawyer Of considerable ability and has been all his lh.
n violent southern man aud secessoDist. He hss
been fast liver and OF disspaed habits and although
doing lucrative business, has fully lived 70 his In
come He has been the possessor Of more than
thousand dollars and the oierns OF tho rewsrd s
said have been done In joke while drunken fr0c
No here acqu snted with the man ever considered
Il any thing except Ia the light Of Joke ond would
never have thought Of II again had not the murder Of
the President occurred He has not taken any active
part In the war; but lived al home practising his profes
and drinking wbiskoy These the facts. AZ Told
By respectable citizens OF Selma
GENERAL n'AprnUn
" In command Of thss DISTRICT with headquarters ~
Selma ,ColoosI hsrahal, Of Wisconsin, " in command
of this post
tpourIk yRssDnEr.
rhe usual roount Of trouble with freedmen has been
experienced here elsewhere at the South; but
I"nerh timing the negroes have returned 70 their
homes aud auietly at work wherever proper Of
forts have made 10 explain To them the nature Of