The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-27
RAVENWOOD POINTS THE NEED
FOR GREATER LABOR SUPPLY
Civilization Remarkable For It's Achievement But
In Permitting Such Vast Resources to Was,S
Want of Men To Work the Land

teemed as were the masters OF the
fine old place Then came the Civil
War
War presents its influences n diff
ferent forms in different places. Prob
ably no other section suffered more
from war than the country between
New Bern and Kinston. In March,
1862, Burnside arrived at New Bern,
which he captured after a running
fight from SlOcum's Greek to the city.
This was one Of the first important
triumphs Of the Federal arms within
the territory of the Confederacy. The
Confederates fell back toward Kin
StOn, and there established a line Of
defense. With the Northern troops at
New Bern for a base and the COnfed-
crates at KinstOn the country between
was uneasy ground, and until the
end of the war it was a most unhappy
place in which to live.
A Country Desolated By War.
A Confederate foraging party rode
up to a farm house and if it found
anything fit to eat it accused the far
mer Of sympathizing with the North,
for otherwise his supplies would not
have been left unmolested by the
Union soldiers. SO what they found
was cOnfiscated. A Federal fora ging
farmer Of sympathising with the Con-
federates giving as evidence the fact
| that he was not deprived of his stores.
So those in the contested ground were
plundered by both sides, and their
lives were most miserable. Their food
was taken, their stock killed their
! horses and mules stolen, their fences
| burned. their houses plundered and
most of them burned. 1t was impos-
| sible to carry on any business OF
farming, numbering, or anything else.
| The men were principally in the army
The slaves were demoralized. For
three years this chaos reigned over
the debated ground. Here where had
| splendid old mansions Of the State
war brought the most complete de-
| struction.
| Elsewhere in the State Sherman
swept his track with fire and spolia-
| ton, but he made quick job anG
was gone. Here in Jones county wal
persisted until the surrender of John
son at Raleigh and then it quit. There
was little left for it to do. War il
| three years can trim up a job SO thai
| nothing further needs looking after
War Ruin Complete at RavenwOOd
1t is doubtful if any other section
of the United States can tell stor!
of greater desolation, of more com
plete ruin than here around Raven
wood. Men who had been the owner:
Of thousands Of acres of land, hun
dreds Of slaves, horses and mules b,
the scores, and of homes that Were
famed the world over, ca ame back tt
find the naked land a ruin. Field
were grown up with brush. Fences
were gone, homes and buildings gone
I Il fn1 1-i11 "a n
bitches filled up, villages in ashes
and every thing a picture of chao
sickening and discouraging.
Following came the reconstruction
with all it's horrors. The old inhabit
, ants turned their backs on the dis
coura ging picture and scattered to al
| the quarters of the globe. | canno
| think Of any place where war has lef
such a trail Of horror and demOraliZa
ton as here in the Ravenwood coun
try. Possibly in those days Of an
, cient Europe, when conquerOr il1
Attila bOaSted that grass never again
( grew where once his horse had set it
! foot war may have meant more thai
in these modern days where rules ar
supposed to govern hostiltie4s witt
( some degree Of consid deration for non
2 cOmbatantS.
Z When the war finished, this country
50 far as its resources and people Wer
: concerned had been wiped out of ex
v ! istence A few of the people re
! mained A large number had bee
killed. or they turned their backs o
the ghastly mementoes Of their home
: and sought opportunity in NOR
@ hopeful region.
e Half Century OF Peace.
o 1t is half q century now since thi
! tragedy was enacted. 1t is half
century that it has been dragging ii
CONTINUED on Page Eleven.)