ALABAMA. 



11 



ducted upon a scale commensurate with the demand 

 that the military supplies for the war created rail- 

 road depots, machine shops connected with them 

 every thing of that description which had been in 

 any degree subservient to the cause of the rebellion, 

 was laid in ashes. Out of some sixty odd brick stores 

 in the city, forty-nine, I think, were consumed. On the 

 line of march, you were scarcely out of sight of some 

 indicatiofl of its terrible consequences. 



Indeed, after three weeks had elapsed, it was with 

 difficulty you could travel the road from Planters- 

 yille to that city, so offensive was the atmosphere 

 in consequence of decaying horses and mules that 

 lay along the roadside. Every description of ruin, 

 except the interred dead of the human family, met 

 the eye. I witnessed it myself. The fact is, that no 

 description can equal the reality. When the Federal 

 forces left the little town which is built on a bluff 

 on the Alabama Kiver they crossed at night on a 

 pontoon bridge, and their way was lighted by burn- 

 ing warehouses standing on the shore. 



The expedition of Gen. "Wilson which termi- 

 nated in the interior of Georgia, was in many 

 respects a most remarkable one. Consisting 

 entirely of cavalry, it captured during its pro- 

 gress no less than six strongly fortified towns. 

 The surrender of the armies of Lee and John- 

 ston was followed by that of Gen. Taylor, by 

 which all opposition to the Federal forces ceased, 

 and the State became entirely subject to their 

 military control. The war suddenly ended, the 

 authority of the United States was again recog- 

 nized, and a restoration to their position of cit- 

 izens became the object of the people. 



On May 29th the proclamation of President 

 Johnston was issued, granting amnesty and par- 

 don to all citizens of the Southern States who 

 had been engaged in the rebellion, with certain 

 exceptions. This amnesty and pardon was ac- 

 companied with the restoration of all rights of 

 property except as to slaves, and in cases where 

 loyal proceedings for confiscation had been 

 commenced, but on the condition of taking an 

 amnesty oath. (See UNITED STATES.) This 

 measure restored a large mass of the people to 

 peaceful citizenship in the United States. None 

 of the political institutions of Alabama were 

 recognized as existing until they had been 

 changed to suit the views of the conquerors. 

 To accomplish this object a person was selected 

 in each Southern State, and authorized by the 

 President to set on foot a series of measures 

 which should result in a reconstructed State 

 Government. On June 21st, the President is- 

 sued his proclamation appointing Lewis E. 

 Parsons a Provisional Governor for the State 

 of Alabama, and recognizing a portion of the 

 previous institutions of the State. The author- 

 ity by which this appointment was made and 

 the plan of proceedings were thus stated in the 

 Proclamation : 



Whereas, The fourth section of the fourth article 

 of the Constitution of the United States declares that 

 the United States shall guarantee to every State in 

 the Union a republican form of government, and 

 shall protect each of them against invasion and do- 

 mestic violence ; and, whei-eas, the President of the 

 United States is, by the Constitution, made Com- 

 mander-in-chief of the army and navy, as well as 

 chief civil executive officer of the United States, and 



is bound by solemn oath faithfully to execute the 

 office of President of the United States, and to .take 

 care that the laws be faithfully executed ; and, where- 

 as, the rebellion which has been waged by a portion 

 of the .people of the United States against the 

 properly constituted authorities of the Government 

 thereof in the most violent and revolting form, but 

 whose organized and armed forces have now been 

 almost entirely overcome, has, in its revolutionary 

 progress, deprived the people of the State of Alaba- 

 ma of all civil government ; and, whereas, it becomes 

 necessary and proper to carry out and enforce the 

 obligations of the United States to the people of Ala- 

 bama in securing them in the enjoyment of a repub- 

 lican form of government : 



Now, therefore, in obedience to the high and 

 solemn duties imposed upon me by the Constitution 

 of the United States, and for the purpose of enabling 

 the loyal people of said State to organize a State 

 government, whereby justice may be established, 

 domestic tranquillity restored, and loyal citizens pro- 

 tected in all their rights of life, liberty, and property, 

 I, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States 

 and Commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the 

 United States, do hereby appoint Lewis E. Parsons, 

 of Alabama, Provisional Governor of the State of 

 Alabama, whose duty it shall be, at the earliest prac- 

 ticable period, to prescribe such rules and regulations 

 as may be necessary and proper for convening a con- 

 vention composed of delegates to be chosen by that 

 portion of the people of said State who are loyal to 

 the United States, and no others, for the purpose of 

 altering and amending the Constitution thereof; and 

 with authority to exercise within the limits of said 

 State, all the powers necessary and proper to en- 

 able such loyal people of the State of Alabama to 

 restore said State to its constitutional relations to 

 the Federal Government, and to present such a re- 

 publican form of State government as will entitle the 

 State to the guarantee of the United States therefor, 

 and its people to protection by the United States 

 against invasion, insurrection, and domestic violence. 

 Provided, that in any election that may be held here- 

 after for choosing delegates to any State Convention, 

 as aforesaid, no person shall be qualified as an elec- 

 tor or shall be eligible as a member of such conven- 

 tion, unless he shall have previously taken and sub- 

 scribed the oath of amnesty, as set forth in the Pres- 

 ident's proclamation of May 29, A. D. 1865, and is a 

 voter qualified as prescribed by the Constitution and 

 laws of the State of Alabama, in force immediately 

 before the llth of January, A. D. 1861, the date of the 

 so-called ordinance of secession. And the said con- 

 vention, when convened, or the legislature that may 

 be thereafter assembled, will prescribe the qualifica- 

 tion of electors and the eligibility of persons to hold 

 office under the Constitution and laws of the State 

 a power the people of the several States composing 

 the Federal Union have rightfully exercised from the 

 origin of the Government to the present time. And 

 I do hereby direct : 



first. That the military commander of the depart- 

 ment, and all officers and persons in the military and 

 naval service, aid and assist the said Provisional Gov- 

 ernment in carrying into effect this proclamation ; 

 and they are enjoined to abstain from in any way 

 hindering, impeding, or discouraging loyal people 

 from the organization of a State Government as here- 

 in authorized. 



Second. That the Secretary of State proceed to put 

 in force all laws of the United States, the adminis- 

 tration whereof belongs to the State department, ap- 

 plicable to the geographical limits aforesaid. 



Third. That the Secretary of the Treasury proceed 

 to nominate for appointment assessors of taxes and 

 collectors of customs and of internal revenue, and 

 such other officers of the Treasury Department as are 

 authorized by law, and put in execution the revenue 

 laws of the United States within the geographical 

 limits aforesaid. In making appointments the pref- 



