davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09
Historical Sketch Of First Regiment
Alabama Volunteers, G. S. A., I86I-65

BY Z. Y. McMokkLEs.


erinz us with kissss-thrown from the
hand. AS they approached my transport
the prisoners naturally made a rush TO
the side approached by the tug. causing
the boat TO careen very much. The COM
mander of the boat ordered the prisoners
back to the other side. They refused to
obey. He then threatened to order the
Essex to fire into the tug. II we persisted
in disobdience. Being plainly told what
might happen to him in that case ended
the incident While here we viewed the
battle ground of our Arkansas Ram with
the Federal fleet few months previous
and the wreck Of Federal gunboats by til }
Ram.
On the morning of Sept. 2lst. 1852, we
anchored In sight Of Vicksburg. How we
realized the goodness of God to us. How
sad the reflection that so many OF our
comrades were left dead at Island 10. and
at the various Confederate prisons OF
the North, and some even upon the banks
of the river along our route from Alton.
The next day. bidding our guard adieu,
we were landed On the west bank, and
Gre ased the, river on feeryh"at to v''ks-
burg.
1t has doubtless fallen to my happy lot
to chronicle the time and place when and
where Confederate PRISONERS we're t:sated
With more humanity than elsewhere. OF
at any other time during the war.
The ladies' were serving free luncn OF
c orn-bresd ard harbccued beef from
crude tables erectad on the banks OF the
liver, and here We spent a happy nour
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

Copyright, 1909, by Fra 1k 4. -Carpente:)
ST. ETIENNE. France.
Have you ever heard of st. Etienne? 1t
Is the ribbon town Of the world. it makes
most of the trimmings ;or the hats and
bonnets Of Christendom, and there is
hardly a weli-dressed woman who has
not some Of Its goods on her person.
There are two hundred factories here
which do nothing else but weave ribbons.
AM there are thousan Is of looms upon
which these French men and women are
weaving the brilliant strips Of silk In
their homes. Four-hfths Of all the ribbon
and silk braids made in France, and
about half of all made in Europe come
from here. We patronize St. Etienne to
the extent of almost $4,000. 100 every year,
and its total output of ribbon annually
sells for almost $50, 000, 900.
The Birmingham Of France.
This Is the Birmingham of France. 1t
is situated about three hours by rail
south of Lyons, on what might be called
the roof of the country. The land Is
mountainous and filled with beds of man.
ufacturing coal. / rode through tunnel
after tunnel in coming here from the silk
en- metropolis. and am now in a coun-
try which is not unlike the Black Country
of England There are smokestacks
everywhere. The air is as dark as that
of Pittsburg, and the population is large
ly made up of the working classes
st. Etienne has 10000 people, mostly the
employees of the ribbon, gun and cutlery
works Long lines of coal carts are to
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

but weave ribbons. One of the chief fac
tors tells me that the best of his workers
come from, the families which have been
weaving for generations. He says that
the girls must be deft rather than skill
full, and that they must be cold-blooded.
II the maiden perspires her hands are
liable to stain the delicate ribbons, and
warm girls are not wanted.
French House Industry.
This whole country is beehive OF
house industry. Outside the great ribbon
factories there are thousands Of looms
upon which the people weave ribbons in
their homes. Many are connected with
the electric power plants Of the city. a
charge of cents per loom per day being
made for the current. There are thous-
ands of girls about st. Etienne who work
in lace and other thousands on the farms
who make lace when they cannot work in
the fields. There are also many men who
manufacture cutlery in their homes, and
st. Etienne turns out something like TO-
900 knives every week. 1t makes quanti-
ties of guns in the same way, and in ad-
dition there is here the Government arms
factory which sometimes employs 10000
men at one time. They are now making
guns that use liquid gas in place of pow
der.
In the Ribbon Factories.
The tendency is now to make ribbons in
ally declining and new factories go up
every year. 1 visited one of the largest
this afternoon, going through room after
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

manned by the First Alabama, and De-
Gourneay's battalion of artillery.
. The batteries of our regiment were:
Battery No. /, Company X, had one ~
FOUNDER and one 30-pounder.
Battery No. 2. Company A. had one ~
pounder and one 32-pounder.
Battery No. 8. Company 9. had one u
FOUNDER and one 32-pounder.
Battery No. 5. Company B, had one rs
FOUNDER and one 32-pounder.
The land defenses, when completed,
consisted of line of breastworks ana
batteries four miles long. somewhat IN
the form of a semi-circumference con-
Meeting the upper and lower extremity OF
the river line Of defenses. The semi-cR-
Gle thus enclosed was a plateau rising
abruptly to a height of eighty fee<
above low water-mark of the river.
gashed here and there by yawning
chasms and fringed on the north ana
south with deep ravines. A space OF nan
a mile on each side of the railroad was
an old field comparatively level. ana
strongly fortified Distributed along TINS
line were 80 batteries and redans num-
bered from left to right:
Very few of these batteries and FORTH
cations had any existence. except on -
per, when we reached Port HUDSON. an
some were never completed.
The regiment was armed with old hint-
lock nnusfets.
An election held for Lieutenant Colonel
in October resulted In the eieeeaN~
Captain M. B. Locke OF the Perote
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

room in which different kinds of ribbons
are made. Both steam and electricity are
used, and the factory is not unlike the
silk mills l described in my letter from
LYONS In one room scores of girls were
reeling silk for the warp, and in others
men and women were weaving. Inc
looms were small, though some made
many ribbons at one time. was sur
prised at the work II takes to make
ribbon. The raw silk is produced In
France and elsewhere. The cocoons are
spun and the threads reeled before the
real work begins. Then the pattern must
be designed and the loom arranged for II;
SO that an army tolls to make the ribbons
which encircle the necks of our maidens.
Many Of the ribbons are of velvet. Some
are of satin, and some have flowers and
birds raised in satin on a soft silken
ground. st. Etienne makes gold ribbons
and silver ribbons and ribbons as wonder
full in their decoration as n peacocks tail.
You can have your portrait thus woven IN
silk If you can afford to pay the BILL
There are ribbons of cotton covered with
silk. and ribbons which are half velvet
and half cotton. On one loom I saw
thirty shuttles working at once. They
were making ribbons one-fourth OF an
inch wide covered with embroidery. The
ribbons were woven over glass rods and
the shuttles flew back and forth like
things of life. In one pattern 1 was told
there were 200 threads, and that the
design alone cost 81. 900.
In other places they were printing rib
bons, and in others they were weaving
them of fancy gauze for trimmings. The
factors tell me that America Is one OF
their best markets. and that times are
good or bad according to the American
demand.
The Coal Fields Of France.
This town is in the heart of the coal
fields of Central France. Here and along
the borders of Belgium and near Calais
the most of the coal of the country Is
mined About 3,5OO,OoO tons are produced
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

Guards, a position he ever honored BY
his superior ability as an officer, by his
dignity, his refined Christian character
and uniform courtesy to subordinates.
To this time since its reorganization. the
regiment had been without Leutenant-
Colonel.
A to the number of men and officers on
the muster-rolls of the regiment when IL
reached Port Hudson. and consequently
its loss at Island 10 and in prison. ! hnd
different authorities widely at variance.
But after careful examination and CONS
parison we are bound to accept the one
cial report of General Beall. Oct. 22nd,
1862, lust eighteen days after our arrival
as the most trustworthy basis. He rec
ports 312 effective men (Confed. Military
History, volume 7, y. $50. To this add 80
officers and we have 362; allowing 10 per
cent. at hospital and on furlough We
have 4S5; to which adding Isbells bat
TALON of 1872 we have ST.. Colonel l. q.
w, Steedman, in a letter dated May. 1soz,
to the writer says. we left Barrancas,
Fla, March 5th, 1862. with not less than
1000 men," If he includes Captain Whit
fields company, which Joined us week
later at Island, 10. the total loss for this
seven months is 1000. less 6l7. or 3s8 men.
II Whltfieid's company, about 30 men)
was not included. the loss was 1850. less
6l7, or 423 men. The latter Is more prob
ably correct. Appalling as these figures
are they cannot be excessive. Hon. VIII
lis Brewer, In his history of Alabama,
nuts the total loss at 15O-figures absurdly
incorrect when it is certain fact that
1O4 of our regiments dead are buried at
the single prison of Madison. Wis. say.
ing nothing of our heavy loss at Island.
TO- Camp Butler. Camp Douglas Camp
Chase and other prisons. and the loss OF
Tsbells battalion during the interim.
Further, subsequent official reports cor
roborate our estimate. Between Oct 4th'
1862. and the investment Of Port Huosoh
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

be seen moving this way and that along
the streets. Sooty- faced miners. in caps
and blouses, go through them to and
from their work, and with them are pale
faced weavers and jaunty factory girls
who work only on ribbons. At night the
public squares are filled with these work
ing people; men and women and boys
and girls move about arm-in-arm, the
band plays, and the people sit under the
trees and chat
Street Scenes.
The street scenes here are different from
those Of gay Paris. During the day all is
business. Men go along with great bas-
kets on their BACKS. and women are to be
seen pushing carts Of vegetables. through
the streets selling their wares from door
10 door. Much of the retail business Is
done by peddling. Girls travel about with
packs on their. backs and sell from house
to house as the itinerant Jew sometimes
does in America. Men push carts and
some pull, being harnessed up like beasts.
One of the queerest sights is the ribbon
porter, or the girl who carries boxes of
ribbons piled one On top of the other
until they reach high above her head.
She carries the boxes in her arms and
can hardly see her way for the bundle in
front of her. She is bareheaded and bare
armed, and Is almost always good look
ing.
Then there are school boys and school
girls going along with bags Of books on
their backs. The small children have
their legs bare from the calves to the
knees, and the boys wear black gowns,
hiding their trousers. There are old wo-
men in caps, and a multitude of young
women without them.
The Ribbon Girl.
like the looks of these ribbon girls
They are gay and giddy and decidedly
french From the style of their clothes
YOU would not think they worked for only
a few cents a day and put in ten or
eleven hours according to the season.
There are 10000 of them who do nothing
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

at jackson.
1t was difficult to get letters to or from
the South beyond the Federal lines. Few
ever reached us or our Southern homes.
Governor Andrew johnson of Tennessee.
afterwards president of the United States,
visited the prison during the Summer. and
Induced many Tennesseeanss TO take the
oath of allegiance. AS these were
marched out of the prison they were
First took the oath.
Exchange of Prisoners.
On the morning of Sept. 7th, 1862, the
First Alabama forming part OF the
second detachment of prisoners for ex-
change and guarded by a company Of
Goth Illinois left on fiat cars for Vicks-
burg by way of Alton, Ill. The fertile
lands along the route covered with luxu-
RANT crops of waving corn and large or
chards of apple trees bending with heavy
clusters of luscious fruit delighted us.
the happiest of the happy. At every sta
ton were large crowds of every age, sex
and condition to see the rebels. Inc
girls chunked the boys with red apples
and on several occasions slyly exhibited
n miniature Confederate flag. At Alton
the citizens gave us a lunch at the land
ing just before we embarked on the
steamer. About dark We proceeded GOWN
the river now at it's lowest water-mark
At Cairo we were met by several boat
loads of prisoners. and under escort OF
the Essex and Connestoga set out for
Vicksburg Our progress was slow ow-
ing to the sa1d-bars and large fleet and
being under flag of truce, we could not
travel at night. We viewed with inter-
est Ruckers's battery, the east bank and
Island 10 as we passed which now from
low-water appeared to be upon bluff
fifty feet high. We anchored at Memphis
two days. While here the ladies' of the
town secured a little steam tug; and,
crowdinz into it as long as one could
hang to its deck came out to our boat.
bringing tobacco and eatables and show
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09
(Continue5.)
Officers Imprisoned at Johnson's
leland

Officers Imprisoned at Jonnsons
Island.
All the officers of the First Alabama
Regiment, except the few who escaped or
were absent on furlolgh, were imprisoned
on job 7son's Island for about six months.
This island Is situated in Sandusky Bay.
Lake Erie, three miles from SanduslSy
city. It was a beautiful and healthy To-
cation for a prison. No one but officers
were confined there. The buildings were
new: wooden shells. but clean and COM
Portable. except in the extreme cold OF
the rigorous Winter IN mat Northern
climate. The prisoners were well fed on
good army rations, and there was little
sickness among them. They were guard
ed by Home Guard militia, who treated
them fairly well.
Early in September, 1862. our ohicers
were sent by rail to Cairo. and thence by
steamboat to Vicksburg for exchange
These officers were crowded on the steam
boat like so many CATTLE, just as our men
were. Colonel Steedman informs me that
he was glad to get place on the Texas
deck by the side of the pilot house. large
enough to spread his blanket. The pilots
spit their tobacco Juice across him and
sometimes by accident on him. Their ra-
lions were raw pork and hard tack,
which they broiled on long spli9ers be,
fore the boiler furnaces each man taking
his turn. The crew treated them kindly.
1t was joyful day when officers and
prsivates met at Vicksburg and in camp
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09
The Globe Electrically Belted.


The completion of the new submarine
cable from Vancouver, British Columbia,
to New Zealand and Australia doubles
the worlds resources for communication
with the Far East Till now messages to
India. China. Japan, the Philippines, Aus
traIia. etc. all went over lines extending
eastward, but hereafter there will be
choice of routes. A message from London
may reach China or Australia by cross
ing the Atlantic westward. crossing Can
ada and crossing the Pacific. and compe-
tition will reduce the charges The mo-
tives for laying this cable were, however.
chiefly political. Not the whole extent of
the Eastern lines lay In the sea, or IN
British territory. in case of war commu-
nication between London and Calcutta,
or Melbourne. might be interrupted on
non British territory 1t was accordingly
desired TO have an ''all-British" line, and
England, Australia and Canada have con-
trib1ted to the cost Of the trans-Paciflc
cable.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

than a ton of coal in heating power. Only
refined petroleum Is used. that from the
United States being preferred. The in
vention is new one. and it might prob
ably be of value in the coal fields of
Pennsylvania where the oil and the refuse
coal dust are so close together. The sell
ing price of these petroleum bricks is
about SIS a ton.
Among the French Miners.
There are about 25.OOO men employed in
the coal mines OF the basin of the Loire
and Saone and of these 1900 work under
ground. There are In all about 1900
coal miners In France the greatest num-
Der being in the north. The coal is not
very clean and a number of hands have
to be used for sorting and picking. The
mines are fiery and life is by no means
safe. Wages are comparatively low. One
of the largest companies pays its miners
$40 a day, its timber men 80 cents and
its common laborers from so cents to 80
cents.
Work begins at o'clock in the morning
and continues until IL, when there is a
stop for lunch. The men go to work
again at IL and stop at $3.50. This gives
them a day of about eight and one-half
hours All repairs are done at night. In
these mines the men are working at a
depth of 1900 feet from the surface. The
mines are worked in steps, generally
three to each seam. The seam avera ges
from II to Is feet thick and it is so worked
on account of the gases, which, it is said,
are better avoided by this method of OPP
Grafton. Picks only are used, as explo-
sives are very dangerous. Other mines
have much thicker seams. One which
produces a million tons of coal year has
a seam over ninety feet thick. The seam
of this mine dips about forty degrees: it
is mined upward in horizontal strips.
The French Government buys coal for
It's railroads by the thousands of tons.
The fuel is both in the lump and in
briquettes. There are piles of black
bricks put up like the bricks in brick
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09
Brothers in Misery.

Chicago Tribune.
Boots Tar'tington. She author, candi
date for the Indiana Legislature. and o.
F. Williams. consul general at Singapore.
attended a meeting OF his own nelghbors
with the intention of spellbnding. them.
only to ind himself spellbound by his
audience. In the other case Mr. Will
to CbicaQo failed to "spellbind' his au-
dience becsx0s ~ vas 100 long about It,.
Mr. Tarkineton recognized his failure
and promptly subsidized. MI Williams
manifested a disposition to raise riot.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09
FAREWELL TO JoHNsoN's ISLAND.

FAREWELL JoHNsoN'S ISLAND.
sounding lows o.
the barrier of
Farewell farewen with
Thou too subse o
With echoes of
even! with Joy
hasth o
nsave a bed
March Prison Hospital
the prisoner After general
"me"' OF every p'''"e' WI" " ~ ~ - $3.50 q w se4dma
The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

CONTINUED on Page Fourteen.)
West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-05-27

Some people are really too truth
full to enjoy fishing.
West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-05-27

John Mccoy drove out to Mid
dlebourne Friday. He was accom-
panied home by his wife who had
been insisting friends there.
Miss Ina CARLY went to Pleas
ant Ridge Monday and will spend
the week with her grandparents,
Mr.. and Mrs. Chas. Keller.
Died. at her home on Willow
Fork, Mrs Martha Jacobs on last
Wednesday. She leaves q husband
and Eve children to mourn her loss.
who have the sympathy of the en-
tire community.
Mrs. Mary Leach, of Middle
bourne, spent Friday and Saturday
with friends here.
]. B. Gorby went to Wheeling
Tuesday on business.
Born, to J. T. Ingram and wife.
Friday, a boy.
Mrs. Nelson Allen. of Buffalo,
spent Saturday and Sunday with
her brother, M. L. Core and wife.
A party composed of W. A. Reed
and sons, Isaac Eddy and sons
drove over to Middle Island Satur-
day to fish. Well I guess they had
6sherman's luck.
West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-05-27
Long Reach.

May 25.-Several of our people
intended to attend the box supper
at Zion Hill last night. but the rain
kept them at home. Never mind,
girls, there'll come a time.
Mrs. Oscar Eherhart, of Eliza
beth, Is visiting her parents, Mr..
andl Mrs. J. S. Harrison, of this
place.
The funeral of Dye Riggs was
largely attended last Friday.
Frank Johnson and JesseHolmes
are working in the oil field back of
New Martinsvllle.
Ernest Harrison Is attending the
M. S. B. college at Parkersburg.
We have had two swell parties
in our neignborhood the past two
weeks and we expect TO have an
others.one next week.
Mr.. Tom Holdren, of Grape Is.
land, moved into his new house on
the Parker farm last week.
Mrs. Andy Smith was visiting
relatives and friends at Sancho last
week.
House cleaning is all done and
know the women are not sorry.
Flowing corn will be the next
thing on the program.
Miss Eunice Moore Is visiting her
sister at New Martinsville. We
will have preaching at our church
the first Thursday night In next
month. All are invited to attend.
Miss Cora Holdren, of Ben's
Run, was calling on friends of this
place today.
John McVay and family were
visiting relatives of Ben's Run Sat
urday and Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs r. E. Hill and lit.
tie daughter were vlsitsng relatives
of Benwood Saturday and Sunday.
West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-05-27
From correspondents


E. J. Templeton, of Salem, was
at home one night last week.
Jonathan Moore was on the sick
list last Wednesday and Thursday.
Mrs. Amanda People. and Miss
Annie McIntire also Mrs. John Nc
Coy, CT Lower Pursley, were shop
ping In Sistersville Saturday.
Hunter Cowan, who Is drilling
on the gas we'll for Capt. Jones
near Middlebourne, came home
Saturday evening and returned
Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Shriver Moore at
tended the funeral of Mrs. Dan
Jacobs last Thursday. Mrs. Jacobs
father, Benoni futile. was buried
on Friday. Mr.. Tuttle and his
daughter were noble people and
will be missed very much by those
of their neighborhood.
T. A. Twyford has been suffering
from sore eyes for the past week
and at this time he has not i'm
proved any.
That old maid at Little says:
"Come over, brother Pursley, and
give our boys a little brush and
then they will do better" Brush
your own selves and keep the
change for we are In an awful fix
J. Moore was at Waverly Sun
day.
Cleveland McIntire. and Toe
Kearns went to New Martinsville
Sunday.
Rev. w. N. Needs spent Tuesday
at S. Moore's.
Where was Pursley's other cor
respondent last week? Well that's
all right. We will make that old
maid at Little take back seat at
the c. E. society.
Mrs. Amanda Core returned
home Saturday from a visit with
her daughter, Mrs. James Sine, OF
Piney Fork.
Is that scribe from Little a he,
she or Ii? In last weeks issue she
says she Is neither young nor a
married man, but an "all fired ugly
old maid" and only a few weeks
ago, the same scribe was combine
women equal to Mr.. Caudle fo1
moving his razor. He made very
nice speech on the subject of house
cleaning and now says: II am an
old maid, too ugly to find a man
and If I did 1 don't think I'd have
one from Pursley or Zion Hill. .
Don't worry, for you'll not get one
from either, so now go away back
and sit down.
West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-05-27
Zion Hill.

May 26'-We are having some
nice growing weather at present.
It has been asserted that the So
cial at Zion would prove failure,
but we guess the person that made
the assertion Is mistaken as the net
gain Is SIS and we think there will
be another one Ia the near future
as we had the best of order for all
that were there were temperance
people.
Ross Lady and Alvy Flanagan,
Titles most hustling young men,
were seen In Friendly Friday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Geo. Young, oil
New Matamoras. was visiting at
Zion Sunday.
George Wagner, Of Hebron, was
visiting his grandmother, Mrs.
Flesher Saturday and Sunday.
Pearly Shook, who has been at
tending school at Parkersburg, at
tended the social Saturday night.
&c. Christy, of Long Ridge was
calling on friends of this place Sun.
day.
]. L. Hissom and Cal Kuowlton
of Little, were visiting their parents
here Sunday.
The reporter at Little says he
would rather die an old maid as tc
60 with one of the Zion girls. II
Is good reason why lack would
not eat his supper" He Is the only
old maid at Little that has not got
a girl. His cake Is dough.
Mrs. Nancy Williamson Is hav.
Ing her home repaired.
Rodney Sweeney and Blaine
Moore were at Little Sunday.
What Is the attraction, boys.