Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-18
CONDITIONS DURING THE CIVIL
WAR AND NOW.

WAR AND NOW.
Dear Mrs. FELTON,:
When our Civil war broke out in 81
between the states, the seeded states
of the south in mutual agreement oand-
ed themselves together under a new
government. know mas the Southern
Confederacy.
This new born government found It
self embarrassed and handicapped IN
the essentials necessary in prosecuting
a war with the people of the north with
mo hope Of success, without one mishty
and supreme effort on the part OF every
man and woman of the south to over
come the difficulties.
The armies of the north vastly supe-
rior in numbers to those of the south,
and better equipped in every way, with
free navigation of the seas to foreign
countries from which they could NIL the
depleted ranks in their armies, as we'll
as get other needed supplies, were alb
parently unsurmountable advantages
over the south. with all her ports closed
by blockade to the outside world.
These UNEQUAL and distressing condi-
tions were known to our leaders and
stressed by them in their speeches In
perhaps every town and hamlet in the
south. had the effect of unifying our
people in the one common purpose of
raising an abundant supply of food
stuffs for our armies nthe field or
battle, as we'll as the people and stock
at home. To do this the farmers with
! out exception cut down their cotton crop
| to three or four acres to the plow, the
! balance of the land put in wheat, oats.
| corn. sorghum. potatoes and vegetables
! of all kinds in bountiful supply for both
man and beast.
H. 20 re
had to give one-tenth of all their grain
to feed our armies. Salt, sugar and
coffee were commodities extremely hard
to get at any price. Many people took
! the dirt from their smokehouses and
! treated it pretty much in the same way
| that our grandmothers did hard wood
! ashes to get potash or I've for making
| soap, and boiled it down in wash pots
| till ii chrystallized; while some went
| to the seashore and made salt from the
| sea water in the same way.
| Our women were no less resourceful
! than our men. They substituted cof-
! fee with rye, corn meal and other sub
! stances and substituted sugar-which
was not to be had-with sorghum,
| which was a popular and about the only
sweetening we had in those days.
| Stock raising of all kinds received
special attention. Every farmer kept a
! goodly number of cattle and hogs,
! enough for his own use and some TO
| spare. The matter of clothing was
! also considered which stimulated the
| raising of sheep in order 10 have wool
as well as cotton in the manufacture
! of clothes adapted to winter wear.
| The female members of the family.
| being deprived of the luxury of wearing
store clothes according to their taste
] he raTNf.N
| for they too for themselves. as well as
! for every member Of the household. spun
and wove with artistic design the cloth
! adapted to good taste and seasons of the
! year.
! With plenty of both durable and COM
! Portable clothing of home manufacture,
| as we'll as of food in abundance for all,
| there were none so far as l am aware
! that experienced discomfort in the
| change of conditions before and during
| the war.
without absolute knowledge of statis-
| tics. however. l venture to say, it is my
belief that we had more Of the necessa-
ries of life per capita at the surrender
of General Lees army at Appomattox
| than we have got today
I have thus written of the. eventful
days of my boyhood for the purpose of
comparison with those fthe present.
i Then, our ports being closed to the
outside world, we had to rely wholly
| on our own resources for all the neces-
saries of life. Now, the northwest SEQ
! ton of our country from which we have
| been getting our food supplies for near
i ly sixty years, having to feed the mil
! lions of men on the battlef1elds of Flu
rope, and whose productive capacity tax
ed to it's limit to do so, will not be able
far anfV oil of
the south in the near future. To meet
the situation that faces us with dire
| calamity, let this terrible war be long
| or short all of US must with one pow
| erful and united effort try to make good
| the deficit of SIS, 5000, 900 that Georgia
/ pays annually to the grain and meat
! growing sections Of our country, with
| enough over to feed our southern SOL
/ diers.
| I have no doubt if the state of Geor-
gia was forced under any circum-
stances to feed and clothe herself
and her people made to believe it
| that she could do II indefinitely. And
were every cotton growing state of the
south. and all as a whole. similarly
| conditioned what would be true of Geor-
gia applies with equal force to all the
rest.
! No one is wise enough to see the
end of the world war, hence the warn
ing in bugle blasts, PLANT more of the
food crops Of all kinds than ever be-
fore" has been sounded throughout the
! length and breadth of the land I am
no prophet, but feel these are times for
the crucial test of good Judgment that it
| takes to save the world
NJ. A. BELL,
| Elberton, Ga.