The age-herald., 1902-01-23
Washington Day by Day

Evidences Of the bitter wrongs WrouBhl and hardships imposed by the terrible tread of the war between the states are still constantly produced in Washington, and every tale tells with a thousand tongues the story of southern suffering in that fratricidal strife.
 There is an old man residing with his children not forty miles from the valley of Birmingham who has been trying for four and twenty years to obtain from the government satisfaction of a claim for less than thousand dollars. due on &C., count of the wanton destruction of his modest home by the notorious Wilson raiders of the Federal army in 1864. This man bears the name of David Davis-one bearer of which was one time president of the American Senate-and he is eight and eighty years old. He is entirely without means and Is wholly dependent upon his children, who are hard-worl1ing farmers. During all the years of his efforts to se- cure restitution from the government he has been aided by powerful Congressional and other influences; but justice has been baffled in his case, as in so many others. Had he been paid what is due him when he first laid claim to 1t, the money would have enabled him to get new start in life. though he was then past sixty. Even if he could secure payment now it would make him comfortable for the remainder of his days; and to this end Congressman Bankhead. in whose district the poor old man dwells, is making renewed efforts in all earnestness and energy.
 It would not be well now perhaps for the full story of Wilson's raid through Alabama to be told in type: 1t is too out rageous, too horrible, too monstrous to the provocation of passions that slumber! Wilson's riotious and licentious. thieving and outraging men, miscalled soldiers. swept like legions of devils through fair est Alabama, making damned desolation to take the place of war-woful homes of the brave in smiling fields of fertility crime of fire and sword against helpless women and children of war!
 And men like old Davis, and others, still vainly appeal for little justice.
 There is another Alabama case of foul outrage of war" now pending in Con- gress, Colonel Bankhead having brought 1t forward anew through the medium of a bill in the House of Representatives.
 Eight months after Appomattox, name ly, on the 20th of December 1865, a de- tachment of negro soldiers did at the hour of midnight go to the home of James Rhodes of Choctaw County, a quiet, peacable, and respected citizen, who had taken the oath of amnesty prescribed by the President of the United States; and driving this mans wife and children and grandchild destitute into the cold of the winters night, they burned the house and all it's contents. There is sworn evidence absolutely trustworthy that,
 "At the time of said burning, the said Rhodes was absent from home, but his family, consisting of his wife, children, and grandchild, were driven from their home in fear for their lives, and were unable to save anything from the flames"
 Out they were driven-out from the flames of their home, into the wild woods -out from the appalling presence of the black devils-out from peaceful beds of ever they might. fear-stricken in dumb helplessness. shivering and pitiable in the night-winds chill and the terror of devils and darkness!
 The home of this southern gentleman which was so ruthlessly, wantonly and infamously destroyed, was at the historic Bladon Springs, for a generation the re- sort of great planters of middle Alabama and great merchants of Mobile. From Mobile in the autumn of 1865 several com panies of negro soldiers were sent to and stationed at Bladon Springs, of all places, occupying the hotel, the scene of so many festivities of the old southern aristocracy, and the private cottages of those whose fortunes had been lost in war. The vil- lains who destroyed the Rhodes home were of those companies. It Is shown up- on unimpeachable testimony that the of- ficers of the negroes made no effort to restrain them or prevent the outrage, al- though they had good reason to believe that the soldiers intended to murder Rhodes and burn his property; and after the burning the officers refused to allow Rhodes, or any one for him to identify the
 %<->-<<>~~<~<>-%< ~ e~-~ GREAT GROWTH OF THE SOUTH. From the Baltimore American.
 The figures recently given to the public by the census bureau throw some very interesting light on the forces behind the new South and its development They at test the rapid growth which that section is enjoying and the large infusion of new blood into it's population. Indeed, its re- markable forward strides are all the more striking when placed in contrast with the changes in the North. For many decades the South, in its percentage of popula- ton increase. Jagged far behind the North and the West That was true because the South was fed very little by any streams