The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-22

| Sherman from that predicate. The armies laid down their arms on Lincoln's prof fered terms
 1 When Provisional Governor Parsons took up his office. conditions among the | people of Alabama were indeed unhappy. In the large plantation belt stretching from eastern to western border midway between the hills to the north and the pine region of the south. abundance for man and beast had been produced by | faithful slaves. At Yeast 5000 people families of white farmers, north of that belt were in dire want. In peace, these people had lived bountifully. In plenty they raised hogs, cattle and poultry upon the lmitless wooded and watered com mons. They had lavish supply of the best bread substance In the world, water ground corn meal. They raised wheat and rye for the table. They had In abundance homemade molasses. The hedgerows supplied the lucious black berry at its best. Their orchards pro- duced the perfect apple, the like of which was nowhere else in the state to be found A bale or at most five bales of cotton from the farm was hsuied to Huntsville or Tuscumbia or Decatur for the mar ket The wives and daughters followed along on the side-sadde or afoot to in vest the proceeds in sugar and coffee and fancy millinery. The farm wool clip and the remainder of the ginned cotton was spun on the hand wheel and woven on hand loom, under the shed behind the dwelling. The bed clothing was all cotton. sheets and fancifully worked quilts spot less and always in order. The uncarpeted floors were secured bright.
 From this population came some of the most valiant companies and regiments Of the Confederate army. John Pelham him self was born and reased on the border of the white farmins region. Col. Jo- seph Wheeler led the Nineteenth Ala bama infantry at Shiloh to great deeds and almost every man was in brown jeans. showing that he came from the white farming. country.
 Some literature, post bellum, tells of the disinclnation of the white farmers to support the Confectionery. The story is seriously exaggerated if applied to the early stages of the war As late as the fall of 1861. when several great battles had been fought I was sent into a num- Der of the white counties. Walker. Blount, etc, to recruit volunteers, especially for cavalry. I called for men who would mount themselves. Many young men off, fered. without horses. There was only one horse on the farm and to send him off would be to abandon the farm, which otherwise could be kept up by the old man or the children.
 The Confederate government at that pe rod of the war offered s10 per month hire for the troopers horse, but if the hire was ever paid I know not. I ex- plained the law and offered to buy IS horses that were short, to be paid for by the captains of the company Into which the men were to enlist. James Boykin, a planter of Dallas county,
 No man in those counties ever saw me of of bought the horses and mounted the men without a dollar of cash. Later the purchase notes were all satisfied. l needed only 25 men but accepted 26. At that time, apparently northern Alabama was more enthusiastic in support of the war than southern Alabama The change of sentiment came after Beauregard's loss of Shiloh Had A. s. Johnston lived there would have been no occupation by the invader of northern Alabama and no tories there.
 Provisional governors were not appoint ed by President Johnson promptly. In the weeks or months of rule of the states and towns and communities by command CTS of garrisons and the Freed Mans Bureau. apprehension and consternation possessed the public mind. Toombs, Brecknridge. Benjamin were known to have escaped across the sea. The Pres ident, vice president. General Wheeler, Senator C. C. Clay, Jr.. and many others were in prison held for treason. Beaure- gard Maeruder, Isham G. Harris. Mat thew F Maury had escaped to Mexico. Gen Wade Hampton called for colonists that would follow him to Brazil Hampton recalled the emigration scheme, but Charles Gunter, a planter of great en- ergy, carried thither colony rom Montgomery
 The people possessed mental resources and moral strength of which they were not even yet conscious. They stayed at home organized themselves and put their oppressors to shame. Political organka- ton by men who had fought at Shiloh, at Gettysburg. at Atlanta, at Peters- burg. meant here in Alabama victory or death.
 The refugees came back to stay. Gen eral Lee had gone to work as teacher. Joseph Johnston had gone to work as in- suranee agent. Hardee was, president of a railroad Wheeler was selling bug gies and carriages in New Orleans. Penn berton was last heard of raising cotton. on borrowed money. in North Carolina. A war comrade asked. Do you know anything about it?' Nothing In the world was the answer from the Penn sylvanian, who had never been out of the army. General John T. Morgan. on attempting to resume his law practice found his office at Cahaba closed by the post commander. He procured patch Of ground hard by, hitched his war horse to the blow and with the aid of his lit- tie son dropping the eeed. prepared to make corn crop. It was not long be- fore a permit came to him to open the office to practice, but in Alabama courts only. \ formal permit from the Presir dent or a special act of Congress must be obtained to allow practice in the United States courts by rebel So the matter stood for several years. I sat by the side of this great lawyer at the desk where he labored. The messenger boy brought in a telegram. Tearing the cover he read and passed the message to me
 in silence but manfest,y much in earn est Speaking, he said: ''I shall accept no special favors from the United States It will be time enough for me to be re-
 ieved of disabilities intended to punish me, when my brethren of the bar gen erally get relief The telegram was iron, Senator George Goldthwaite. asking per mission to offer a bill to remove Nor gan's disability to practice in the federal courts.
 It has been remarked just back a lit- tie, the unconscious self-redeeming qual- ites of the Confederate veterans. Nor