The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1866-03-30
Florida Correspondence Of the Pilot.
TALLAHassEE. FLORIDA.
March 2, 1866 (


west wipd, singing birds amid the ever
greens. trees blossoming, flowers blooming,
and garden sass" all under way; at once
delightful day, and specimen Of our
Winter here. No wonder these people
laud their country 80, and looked with
dread upon the snow and ice and the cold
winds Of the North. Nothing can be
more agreeable to one used to the piercing
cold Of northern Winter than these
balmy skies in Winter months. Yesterday
being such one, previously arranged
party Of officers and their wives lief. ITALIA
bassee at an early hour on horseback for
Natural Bridge, one Of the many freaks
which nature played here in this "land
of flowers Nearly one year ago to-day
this bridge was the theatre Of one Of the
many brisk little engagements which, with
GRANTS and SnERMAN's giant blows, sent
the vast fabric of Confederate Indepen.
dence topping to the ground Amid the
universal clash of arms which vas then
attracting and dislracting the public at
,ertion, it was hardly noticed beyon the
small circle which its blows reached |.
was here on the 9th of March, 1865, that
Gen John NEWTON, with a small force
| net a severe repulse 10 his advance on
Tallahassee. The battle lasted from
morning until dark, when after cousidera-
| bic loss Gen. NEwroN fell back to bis
! boats and left northern Florida to the vic
to,s But to the ride The soil on these
! hills, the best in the State, is red clay,
Yielding under the present system Of cul>
| livation one bale of cotton 10 tie acre
It's seldom you find an uncultivared field
shout here. Although tie freedmen
10 not work as well as when lashed &c it,
! he still DO far better thar generally re-
! presented. One or two of the few smali
arms on the route had been rented bv
! tue}r white owners TO negroes and are now
il tall blast In the verge Of the great
! pine barrens which encroach on the arabic
| lands here, and about four miles FROM
| tallahassee, is The subuEbern village Of
Belle Air +" in which these imaginative
people, locking forward few years, saw
the great city their State Capitol was to
BE-, and planned here their Summer resi-
dences and retired homes. 1t now con
slots Of a few scattered houses, not partic
uiarly distinguished for elegance, nor with
surroundings bespeaking refined taste
guiding surplus wealth. From here the
country is igh, dry white sand, covered
with pine and few scrub oak. Over the
remnant Of plank road our route lay.
The day was warm, and the woods per
fectly silent, no birds enlivened the vast
solitude. The expanse of timber was
broken up Low aud then by little clear
ing where some SINAI, farmer 0: poor
white WAS struggling for living agslus.
the barren soil. Corn alone is raised, and
! the soil is SO poor tina. eight bushels per
acre is deemed a good yield. Whether or
not a better yield could be obtained with
a more energetic system, and An appH
cation Of manure will probably be deter
mined IN few years, when northern far
mers take hold The present owners are
| 100 INDECENT and ignorant to undertake
cultivation understand that Wis
| consin gentleman is now travelling thro'
Florida gathering information for be pur.
pose Of inducing northern farmers 10 immi-
CRATE. While the rich unbroken prairles
Of the West and the vastly more produc-
tive regions Of the South West remain, |
cannot conceive of any iDducsment TO set.
tie here. The land along the plank road
seIs, or did sell, for one shilling per acre,
and was a Dad investment at that. The
residence of Mr.. Johnson " will prove
good .ype of the general run of houses in
the country. No cultivated acres stretch
ing away from the house give you warning
of your approach to it, but you come upon
it suddenly in the pine woods. A pre-
monitory bark from one to half
d zen dogs may be your frs, information
OF human dwelling anywhere about. A
mans family is indicated by the number
Of dogs he has-the more the poorer
Mr. Johnson rejoices in the possession of
bal: dozen-roughly estipated-of IS
eaunt, uncouth looking wbelps as ever
dsgraced the canine race, or affrighted the
.paIe faced moon" with their "deep
mouthings' The house is low, of logs,
stick chimney no, aspiring to reach be-
vond the roof, but content TO cuodie under
the gable and send the smoke, as lazy as
itself, the rest Of It's way unasssted; an at,
tempt a, fence sadly out Of repairs, with
stately rooster surveying his harem from
the Hottest rail; some shadowy pigs grunt
ing about the door, or endeavorinc to I'M
dermiue the chimney, which stands top
ping to IFS fall " supported By rail