The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-20
THD BATTLE or SELMA

By Mrs. Charles c. Brown.
 As an introduction to this paper. a not be Inappropriate. A typical South ern town situated on the Alabama Riv- CT near the head of navigation. and the terminus of two railroads, 1t was rapidly becoming the market place for the cotton of the counties of Dallas, Ferry, Marengo. Lowndes and Wilcox, and at this time was one of the main graneries for our armies, and the site of one of the most important arssnals of the Confectionery. The lordly plant CTS owning the rich and extensive acres in the surrounding country, had made their homes in this beautiful town of sandy soil, erecting colonial houses of comfort and elegance amidst the magnificent water oaks bordering the restful Alabama River. Concen- trated there, as in the adjacent towns of Marion. DemopoIis and Greensboro were the representatives of the high est type of Southern culture. refine ment, generosity. vaior. daring chiv- airy, purity and all high domestic yir- tues and, exalted civic wofth pride and devoted patriotism.
 Tn proposition to its population. the town of Selma and county of Dallas, in fact this whole, black belt section, raised and equippeda and sent to the front as large~a number and as fine and gallant body of men, as any other section of the Southland. Tn truth, at the time of this battle, most of her sons were far away. with Lee and Johnston. or ftlling unmonument- ed graves in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi. Tennessee and Kentucky Save some few connected with the arsenal. only the old. the dis abled and the ministers of the Cos 4xY. as. from saying that the roll of citizen ship of Selma and like towns of this section, contained names of great law yers brilliant orators. profound states men, eloquent, devoted, spiritual min isters, brave and distinguished colo- nels and captains, and a soldiery of sons easily the peer of the worlds greatest heroes of war It Is we'll here to remark that save in the portions of the State bordering on the Gulf on the south, and the Tennessee River on the north, our beloved Alabama had snf- fered naught from the ravages of the Federal army Selma located near the center of the State, felt secure knew and felt little of the great shocks of battling hosts. save the sad news of the fall of her heroic sons on the hon- orable battlefelds in distant States, the return of her wounded and maimed, ililG AuttCEdt- NDCaAAAess etAAN body of dead hero to be inferred in the graveyard at home The eyes of the Federal commanders of the Army of the Cumberland were fixed upon Selma as one of the most prolific gran aries of the Confederacy, and the site of one of it's most important and saf- est arsenals. also one of the most densely populated negro sections of the State and of the South, whose la t.a a Hof seN r,4 T,~ immense crops of grain and cotton with which many of the soldiery of the Confederacy were fed and clothed.
 In the latter part of December, 1883, Major General Sherman determined to penetrate the central counties of Ala bama, and Mississippi, his objective point was the capture of Selma, and to destroy the arsenal and the great supplies of provisions ad cloAhing stored there, and to devastate that Sro- ductive region. This first campaign was inaugurated about the 18th of Feb ruary. 1884, when General sherman with a large and finely appointed army at his command including a cooper ating force, strongly armed with the most improved weapons and ample supplies of ammunition and stores of provisions, and well appointed and commanded artillery, directed Generals Smith and Grierson to descend through Northeastern Mississippi into Alabama on to Selma, carrying fire and sword with them preparatory for his advance with the main body of the army,
 This cavalry force was at West Point. Miss. near the Alabama line, met by the redoubtable Forrest, admit ted to be the greatest cavalry leader of the war between the States, and there ignominously defeated. Sher- mans campaign in Mississippi and Ala bama was thus brought to an abrupt close and. Selma saved.
 After a few months, the Federal commander with the same object in view, united the cavalry force of Grier- son with the infantry and artillery forces of Stringer for the purpose If annihilating General Forests com mand and thus opening an easy and unresisted march to the capture of Sel- ma and carrying to full completion the dire work of demolition and desola- ton. But this greatest of great cav airy leaders with forces outnumbered three to one by the most brilliant strategy, the most daring courage and masterful generalship. and with his vastly outnumbefed forces. by most wonderfully aggressive attacks and desperate charges both of his horse H1En anu HIS 1EAA4lGIy the kAI~ lant boy Morton, the peer of our knightly Pelham at Brice's Cross Roads, and utterly demolished the ar- rogant, yet brave and experienced sol diers of Sturgis and Grierson, captur- ing, wounding and killing nearly 4,00O officers and privates, taking and hold ing seventeen cannons, 5000 stands of arms, 250 wagons. proud trophies of this astounding victory. Thus again was Selma saved by General Forrest and his brave command. It is we'll to take a sad yet proudly submissive re. view of the condition, of our beloved Confederacy at that period, and her he- roic, barefooted. half-fed armies, ter ribly depleted by many battles, and the hand of disease, a mere slxirmish line of individual heroes, as compared with the hordes of the Federal armies. vel withal, still calm, patient, viEilant resolutely courageous with unabated and unwavering faith in Lee, Johnston and Forrest. and with rapt and abiding devotion to the descending star of the Southern Confederacy.
 Sherman had marched through Geor. gia. severing in twain the Coafeder- acy east of the Father of Waters. Fol. lowed by the disastrous campaigns oi the gallant Hood in Tennessee, hii overwhelming defeat at Nashville, the masterly covering of his retreat. ana the safe passage of the Tennessee bS the troopers of Forests command ri, vallng. yes, eclipslns Ney's rearguart of Napoleon. in his retreat from Mos. cow. In truth. the end was not far of The star of the Confederacy was sink, ing forever beneath the horizon of na. tionalities. General Lees lines at Pc, tersburg surrounded by Grants over, whelming forces. and by his deliberat. sacrifice of thousands upon thousandl of his snldiara In tha sradual and .,,.