The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-05-16
A Southern City. ,

"Ohio" writes 10 the Auglaize county
Democrat from Selma, Alabama, gossip
ping letter from which we make brief ex-
tracts Of interest. He wrote under date of
the 2sth ult 'H"- mood fNri H.tnis yfrint
Before Wilson's Raiders visited this place,
Selma must have been one of the hhndsom-
est towns Of the South, The business por-
ton and all OF the best buildings were
burned, and only asmall portion have been
rebuilt. A great many blocks have only the
crumbling walls and chimneys TO mark the
spot where once stood magnificent busi-
ness houses. y"
Here II will be recollected, was the great
iron works. navy yard and ordnance stores
of the South, and among the last cities cap
tured by the Federal troops, Gen. Wilson,
after a pretty sharp fight 1anked Forrest
and Chalmers, and entered the city on Sun
day evening. the 2nd day OF April, A. ID.
1866, and by Tuesday morning the work OF
destruction was complete.
West OF the town, more than two acres of
ground covered by bundreds Of tons OF
musket and rife barrels, bayonets, locks
and heaps of machinery and iron In all
shapes and FORMS, marks the spot where
small arms and munitions of war were man
ufactured, and the site oftheir arsenal East
Of town, you come TO the ruins, where the
larger instruments of destruction were
shells Of all size, grape shot &C.. lie around.
Hundreds of cannon In all the different
stages of completion from the lump of Pig
iron to the finished rifed Gun, aud from ali
sizes from six to sixty-four Founders lie
around IN the utmost profuslon and confii-
sion, just where the fire left them. found
ten cannon, with aboring machine In each,
and everything else shows the unexpected
invasion. South of this, were two more
machine shops, then the navy yard, then
the wagon. ambulance, and gun carriage
factory, then the extensive fOundery, and
the car factory, with large number OF cars
and Locomotives, and about fifty large brick
buildings We're oil left mass Of shoulder
ing ruins, Over two millions of dollars
worth of property was destroyed In the
short space of thirty-slx hours. II Is pity
that Gen. Wilson did not know that the war
was so near at an end, and saved this prop
erty, as IL certainly was among the finest In
the United States. | am credfbly informed
that the gentleman who purchased the old
ruin and machinery from the government,
cleared the snug little sum Of one hundred
thous and dollars, by the operation in ne
day.
Notwithstanding all her misfortunes,
Selma II decidedly pretty town. Her
buildings are mostly Of brick streets very
wide and regular. and well shaded. IL
contains Il population of about seven thous-
and. and Just now under the care of the
'Freedmen's Bureau over four thousand ne
groes settled on the outskirts of the city. II
Is situated on the Alabama River, has three
Rail Roads completed, and two more In the
process of construction. Large boats run
regularly up the river 10 Montgomery, the
capital Of the State, "a miles, and down 10
Mobile, about $50. We have here ripe
strawberries, peas and potatoes in blossom.
onions and radishes almost full size, and
corn being worked the second time. Corn
Is worth 81 Go cents per bushel, and hay.
S85 per ton.
From Cecil Place, another town there, he
wrote.
Here we found an Ohio family. Ohm
friends and Ohio comforts. This planfae
tion Is owned by Messrs. Cecil and Miller.
of Ohio, and Mr. Bevill, of this neiohbor.
hood. Ii contains about six thousahd
acres, large Gin house, with three cotton
gins worked by steam, a cotton house.
steam boat landing. large steam mill, &c.
&c. and was bought less than one year AGO
for 20 % per acre In gold; or seven dollars
In currency, h 7.s'I a'n IITr I
Here we found Capt. II. h. Underwood
aud brother and Jimmy Irwin, (the brainA
rs you all remember, Of the Provost Mar,
shal's Office, at Lima,) who are engaged In
planting, putting out this spring, $50 acres
Of land in cotton and corn. ad t1s q
j iieIe We nave ROOu opportunity OF see
ing the workings OF the hired freedmen.
They have about $50 hands on the planta-
tion on the share system. They give the
hands one-sixth OF all the crops raised.
furnishing them everything, their rations
consisting Of one peck of meal, three lbs OF
pork. and one pint Of molasses, per week.
They seem TO be working and getting along
very well. Mr. Cecil. (who Is from Middle
town ohie) says that back from the towns,
and the interference OF the Freedmen's
Bureau, they do not have much trouble with
the darkies. They are planting over three
thousand acres in cotton and corn on this
plantation, Corn Il up large enough %
work. Peaches land they are plenty) are
large as hulled hickory nuts. Strawberries
Will be nc In day or two for table use.
We have plenty OF fine radishes, lettnce
&c. not Of hot bed, but natnral planting
and growth. .tlI M .I'. =
Out OF the three or fosr thousand blacks,
We have seen and been among, l am conf
dent we have not seen over one hundred
muiattoes, and most OF them are nom one 70
three years of age. mementoes, presume,
miles.
Around the towns, the negroes are dying
on like rotten sheep. Small pox 4 very
prevalent all through, the South. Az the
little town OF Meridian, alone, over fifteen
hundred darkies have been buried since the
emancipation proclamation eA ailh III