ALABAMA. 



9 



only port of the State, from the first of Septem- 

 ber" to the first of December, 1860, was 362,- 

 370 bales, being nearly one third of the crop 

 raised in the St:ite during that year. The 

 amount received during the same period in 

 1861, was 22 bales. That which was raised 

 was kept on the plantations, as the blockade 

 cut off all shipments. The commerce of the 

 State was entirely destroyed, except what took 

 place with the adjoining States. In 1862 a 

 very short crop was produced, owing to the 

 small breadth of land planted and the unusual 

 shortness of the yield. The corn crop was 

 also short, but sufficient for home consumption. 

 The wheat and oat crops were an entire failure, 

 owing to an unprecedented drought, which 

 continued through twelve weeks. 



Alabama is rich in mineral treasures. Lead 

 and saltpetre, which were greatly needed by 

 the Confederate Government, exist within 

 her limits, and vigorous efforts were made to 

 procure them. Four caves in the State were 

 worked for nitre, which yielded in a few 

 months over twelve thousand pounds, at a cost 

 of seventy-five cents per pound. 



The arrival of the Federal forces under Gen. 

 Benjamin F. Butler at Ship Island, at the begin- 

 ning of 1862, caused great alarm at Mobile. It 

 was supposed that an immediate attack would 

 be made upon that city. The governor, John 

 Gill Shorter, on the 1st of March issued a proc- 

 lamation to arouse the people to action. He 

 requested the citizens and directed the military 

 officers to burn " every lock of cotton within 

 the State, if it became necessary to prevent it 

 from falling into the hands of the public enemy. 

 He further urged them not to plant one seed 

 of cotton beyond their home wants, but to put 

 down their lands in grain and every other kind 

 and description of farm produce, and to raise 

 every kind of live stock, which might contrib- 

 ute to the relief of the needy families of the 

 soldiers of the army. There were at that time 

 eighteen hundred persons supplied with the 

 necessary articles of food at the free market, 

 which had been opened in Mobile. He further 

 appealed to the people to contribute their shot 

 guns to arm the soldiers, saying : 



Men, brave and gallant men, responding to the call 

 of their bleeding country, are rushing by thousands 

 to the field. Their cry is for arms with which to en- 

 gage the foe. People of Alabama ! will you not com- 

 mit your arms into their hands? People of Alabama! 

 will you not send the shot guns and rifles rusting in 

 your houses, that I may place them in the hands of 

 your own sons to defend your altars and your homes? 

 Agents are appointed all over the State to 'collect arms. 

 If they do not find you I beg you to find them. Let 

 every sheriff and judge of probate, and all State of- 

 ficers, civil and military, receive and forward arms. 

 Expenses will be promp'tly paid by the State. 



Let every man do something "toward arming our 

 troops, if he cannot go to the battle field. Turn your 

 shops into laboratories for the manufacture of arms and 

 munitions of war. Send me thousands of shot guns 

 and rifles, bowie knives and pikes. Send powder and 

 lead and ball. What you cannot afford to give, the 

 State will buy. Let the entire resources and energies 

 of the people be devoted to the one great purpose of 

 war war stern and unrelenting war to the Knife 



such a war as, in the providence of God, we may be com- 

 pelled to wage in order to vindicate the inalienable 

 right of self-government. 



About the same time, the militia of the coun- 

 ties of Mobile, "Washington, Clark, Baldwin, 

 Marengo, Choctaw, Sumter, Green, Perry, Wil- 

 cox, Monroe, Dallas, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Bibb, 

 Shelby, Covington and Antagua were ordered 

 to hold themselves in readiness to be called out 

 for ninety days. The entire body of militia in 

 these populous counties was to take the field, 

 and in addition sixty companies of volunteers. 

 Each company was to consist of one captain, 

 one first and two second lieutenants, five ser- 

 geants, four corporals, and not less than sixty- 

 four nor more than one hundred privates. Each 

 company was also to be provided with at least 

 six axes, four hatchets and four shovels and ten 

 days' rations, and be prepared as minute men to 

 proceed to Mobile. Each man was desired to 

 provide himself with twenty rounds of ammu- 

 nition suitable for the gun he carried, and to take 

 with him his bullet mould and powder flask. 



The force which the State had contributed 

 to the war previous to the call of President 

 Davis for an additional quota of 12 regiments, 

 Avas 22 regiments, and battalions, of at least ten 

 companies of horse and as many of foot. The 

 conscription act followed, by which every man 

 between eighteen and thirty-five was declared 

 to be a soldier. This law created much dis- 

 satisfaction in the State, and some suits were 

 commenced to test its constitutionality, but the 

 authorities waived the question, and sustained 

 the Confederate Government. 



On the approach of the Federal force in 

 north Alabama {see ARMY OPEEATIOXS). much 

 apprehension was raised that Montgomery 

 might be captured. At the time more than 

 fifty thousand bales of cotton were stored there. 

 Orders were issued by the Government, requir- 

 ing the railroads to prepare transportation to 

 remove it at once when desired by the owners, 

 and all public drays were impressed into ser- 

 vice to remove other portions to a warehouse 

 without the city, where it could be burned 

 without endangering the city. At the same 

 time all persons were forbid to remove the 

 cotton from their warehouses to their private 

 residences. Great alarm was produced through- 

 out the northern part of the State by the ap- 

 proach of the force under Gen. Mitchell. It 

 was supposed that the Federal army would 

 cross the Tennessee river, at the extreme south- 

 ward point of that river in Alabama, near 

 Gunter's Landing. This is within fifty miles 

 of Gadsden on the Coosa river, which distance 

 might be passed in one day, and the passage 

 of any more steamboats up to Rome might thus 

 be cut off; or the boats might be seized and 

 a force transported to Rome, where some most 

 important establishments for the manufacture 

 of cannon and small arms were in operation. 

 At this point engines and cars in large numbers 

 might also have been captured and a movement 

 made to destroy the bridges of the railroad. 



