Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-08
TFTE
CIVIL WAR
fifty YEARS AGO TODAY
Nav 20, 1861-WIIam H. Russell, War Correspondent OF
the London Times Was in the South and Sending His
Paper Letters That Were to Have Great Influence in Eu-
rope-Sprit of Southern Women

I'VE do not like slavery" Lord Palmer
son, prime minister. said about this time
to Charles Frances Adams, American
minister at London, but" he added,
I'VE want cotton"
These were indeed the two conditions
that made Russelrs letters from the
south of so much Importance to England
in aiding It's government and people
to follow the beginnings of the struggle
In which they were commercially so vi
tally interested.
UNCOMFORTABLE WOMEN.
The reader of Russell's letters so years
after they were written cannot fail to
be impressed by the unconquerable spirit
At New Orleans he noted "a sweet
ringing, silvery voice, issuing from
very pretty mouth" saying, I'm so de-
lighted to hear that the Yankees in For
tress Monroe have got typhus fever. 1
hope II may kill them ALL
He found in a New Orleans home that
"the mistress and all her seamstresses
were busily preparing flags as hard as
the sewing machine could stitch them,
and could attend to no business for the
present
He had earlier noted that 'all the
ladies' in Mobile belong to the Yankee
Emancipation society. They spend their
days sewing cartridges (bags for pow
der charges for cannon). carding lint,
preparing bandages, and I'm not quite
sure they don't fill shells and fuses as
we'll"
In the home of the general command
ing the militia at Savannah. the hall
was filed with little round rolls OF
flannel. These are cartridges (bags) for
cannon of different caliber, made by the
ladies Of Mrs Lawton's cartrige class.
There were more cartridges in the back
parlor."
The sorrows of separation the war was
bringing to some families were Impress
ed on Mr. Russell when he called on
Capt. Henry A. Adams, commanding the
frigate Sabine, on blockade duty off PEN
sacola. The captain. though born in the
north, had married In Louisiana and had
a plantation there.
After a long voyage he had returned
home to find his state had seeded, one
son in the Confederate army and two
others serving in the Virginia forces.
God knows he said, when / open my
broadside. but l may be killing my own
children" His daughter was vivandiere
of a Louisiana regiment and wrote him,
that she trusted he might be starved
wIille blockading the south"
WAR SCENES IN NEW ORLEANS
AT New Orleans Mr.. Russell found the
only activity that of preparation for
war. One great business house had al
ready closed it's doors and others were
likely to follow suit. All large transac-
tons were over for the season. The
levee was nearly deserted, except by
river steamers and those which could
not run the blockade.
Money was fast vanishing Bills on
New York were worth nothing and bills
on England We're at IS per cent discount
from the pa rvalue of gold, From want
If dc fofr nal mt
ened to close the city schools and disband
the police, while employers were unable
to pay their workmen. and the British
consul's office was thronged with English,
Irish and Scotch, entreating to be sent
north or to Europe.
Mechanics and skilled laborers are in
state bordering on restitution and star
vation,' Mr.. Russell wrote. "All bust
ness except tailoring for soldering and
cognate labors Is suspended" So cautious
were the banks, he found that TO bor-
row $500 a man of wealth and high
standing was obliged TO give as security
SO, 900 of Confederate bonds, lately bought
at par. d'f
1.-THE whole question now isl he noted.
May n, what will be done with the
blockade?" That blockade which a
month before he had heard ridiculed in
Charleston was now making its pressure
felt, as 1.-THE constant ADVICE IN the jour
nails to increasesthe breadth of land under
corn and to neglect the cotton crop"
plainly attesteds
Yet he found that southern confidence
was great with their faithful negroes
to raise their corn, sugar and cotton
while their young men are at war; with
France and England to pour gold into
their lap with which to purchase all they
need in the contest, they believe they can
beat all the powers of the northern
world in arms
'Tllimitable fields, titled by multitud-
nous negroes, open on their sight with
their manufactures, their industry and
their wealth PROSTATE at their throne,
crying out. Cotton! More cotton That
is all we askp"
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Literary
Press.)