Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-07
THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE.

Gently returned from trip through a pOr-
ton of the Southern States, whittier he
went on official business, confirms the re-
ports of the utter destitution Of the South
ern people, and of the desire to cheerfully
submit to the wishes Of the Government.
The suf1erings of these unfortunate beings
are almost indescribable With a few eX
ceptions-all of which will come within the
! $780, 900 clause of President Johnson's proc
lamation-the people are actually StarUing.
| In crowds they come to the lines Of the
railroads in the hope Of picking up some
| thing from the passing trains, with which
to hold body and soul together. There
they live in tents, huts, and mud-houses,
and even III many cases in the woods, with
out shelter of any kind. They have no
| money.
A planter who lived near Andersonvile, and
| owned before the war, two plantations and
| forty seven negroes, declared that he could
no langer make living in the South
When the rebellion commenced he yielded
| to the pursuasions Of his wife, and sold his
| negroes and mules But he invested the
proceeds in Confederate bonds, bearing
eight per cent interest. He felt perfectly
comfortable mad nothing to do and, be-
| ing beyond the age when he could be con-
scripted, reposed on his laurels, and took
life easy One day he heard that Mr..
Sherman" as all negroes called that dash
ing general, was coming, and he tried to
sell his Confederate bonds. To his utter
dismay, nobody would buy them at any
price, and, in an hour, he found himself pen
niless. He had, however, patch Of corn
and few hogs He thought he would try
J. (u+r no |
| fed them Just as did before the war, and
Im-if | could fatten them. They
were bound to keep lean. | can't fatten a
hog any longer in this southern country,
and if anybody will buy my two plantations
| will go north and try to make living
| there"
Gen Baker stopped at log cabin to get
something to eat, The inmates were just
! upon the verge OF actual starvation. There
was young woman Of about thirty years
of age-she looked fifty--her mother, and
two children. The mother was slowly dy-
ing of consumption. The daughter was
scarcely clad enough to hide her nakedness.
Her dress consisted of gunny bags sewed
| together fastened around her neck and
reaching to her knees, and even this miser-
able apology for raiment was trayed and
tattered to rags Two little children were
running about as naked as they were born
The young woman said Eve were always
poor folks, but we could always get enough
to eat Now we have nothing, and do not
know how we are to live from day to day
But we are as well off as the rest" \
good many of the people about there had
died, and the only cause was absolute star
vatiOn.
The whole country was desolated Gen.
Baker gave this poor woman five dollars,
and she begged that he would allow her
''old man" to go on his train up to Atlanta
to buy something to eat. The old man, ON
being produced, was found hardly able to
drag one leg after the other-he was weak
from hunger, He went to Atlanta, was
furnished with transportation back, and
gained for himself and his family weeks
respite from famine.
In contrast to this misery of the poor
whites was the gorgeous and ostentatious
display of some of the noureaur riches Of
the Confederacy-thosew who had been ell
gagged in cotton stealing, smuggling, buy
ing and selling Confederate bonds, and
dealing in the secret service fund 1t is
said that the mansions Of these favorites of
the Confederate Government are most mag
niticent. The furniture is costly, and as
fine as can be procured in the world. Paint
ings of rare value adorn the walls, and all
the appointments are of the most luxurious
and elegant description. The blockade
runners and the exchange brokers' who
have made great fortunes, but their gold
will eventually blister their hands
Gen. Baker questioned almost every per-
son he met as to his feeling in regard to
Jeff Davis The feeling of bitterness
against him and all the leaders of the rebel
lion was universal During tie tchoie trip
he fouad bit one man 3Cho 1caS friendly to
| the President ofHte late ConfedaUcy Erery-
body lcqS either indifferent to has fate or hop
ed he ,cottld be erecuted The evidence ac-
cumulates rapidly to show, that during the
last two years of the rebellion, Davis exer-
cised a despotic sway over a people who
were ready to give up the fight and aban-
don the confederacy 1t is known that
many who are now considered to have been
among the leaders Of the rebellion were op-
posed to the obstinate and the persistent
course Of jeff Davis After Gettysburg,
Vicksburg and Chattanooga, they recog-
nized their failure to establish a nation on
the foundation of human slavery. They
considered the fight hopeless, and We're
, anxious to stop the further et1usion Of blood
and prevent the inevitable impoverishment
of the country The South, as we'll as the
North recognize in Jefferson Davis the
, prime mover of the rebellion, and she re
sponsibe head Of the cabal which ruled the
unfortunate destinies of the Confcderacy.
: AN old Quaker lady was standing at he
$ counter one day, when a gay young cir
f came in to engage hair dresser for tn,
t evening. She gave her order hurried,
:, saying that she wanted half dozen rolls
S and butterfly on top, Grecian OF wa
e terfall at the back, with plenty of "puls
! and ours" and ended with an injunction
n to send along any quantity of rats,
y "mice" and cataracts."
d "Poor child" said the dear old lady, com
is passionately, looking after her as she dc
5 parted" What pity she has lost he
le mind !"