ALABAMA. 



The table is made out in tunns 1 tuun = 4 bushels. 



ALABAMA. The details of the Census of 

 1860, additional to these published in previous 

 volumes, have not yet been issued by the Gov- 

 ernment. 



The changes which took place in the State 

 of Alabama during 1863 present no new aspect. 

 Immediately after the occupation of the penin- 

 sula, opposite Vicksburg, by General Grant's 

 army, in January, measures were taken to cut 

 off the communication between the inhabitants 

 in the east and west sides of the Mississippi 

 through Red Eiver. From that stream the in- 

 habitants on the east side of the Mississippi 

 had access to vast supplies, particularly of salt, 

 sugar, and molasses. A large portion of the 

 Confederate army was supplied from the same 

 source. This communication was destroyed 

 by the gunboats of Admiral Porter, which were 

 below the batteries at Vicksburg, and by ves- 

 sels of Admiral Farragut's fleet at New Orleans. 

 In April a scarcity of provisions prevailed in 

 the southern part of the State, which created 

 an advance in prices. This was attended with 

 a depreciation of the currency, and food soon 

 advanced almost beyond the reach of the poor. 

 About the 15th of April a scene occurred in 

 Mobile, which was thus described : 



" A number of ladies, perhaps a dozen, com- 

 posed of the wives and daughters of soldiers' 

 families, who represented themselves and their 

 families to have been deprived of anything to 

 eat hi the last few days, save a small portion of 

 corn bread, were seen perambulating our streets 

 until they came up to a provision store on 

 Whitehall street. They all entered it, being 

 preceded by a tall lady, on whose countenance 

 rested care and determination. She asked the 

 merchant the price of bacon. He replied, stat- 

 ing that it was $1.10 per pound. She remon- 

 strated with him as to the impossibility of fe- 

 males in their condition paying such prices for 

 the necessaries of life. He remaining inexora- 

 ble in his demand, the tall lady proceeded to 

 draw from her bosom a long navy repeater, and 

 at the same time ordered the others in the 



crowd to help themselves to what they liked", 

 which they did accordingly, giving preference 

 to the bacon, until they had taken about $200 

 worth. They went out, and on being ques- 

 tioned by some gentlemen as to what they 

 meant, they related their suffering condition. 



"Seeing what was going on, and feeling a 

 deep sympathy for these ladies, a number of 

 gentlemen, of very moderate means, who 

 themselves have families to support, set to 

 work to raise a subscription in their behalf." 



This was one of several instances of distress 

 which occurred at Mobile. The famine existed 

 chiefly in the families of absent soldiers. 



The scarcity of provisions was such as to in- 

 duce all the authorities to wisely prepare for 

 the ensuing winter. The Confederate Con- 

 gress urged the people to plant less cotton and 

 more corn ; and the Governors of the States re- 

 peated the request. 



Governor Shorter issued an appeal to the 

 planters of the State at this tune, urging the 

 importance of raising articles necessary to keep 

 the people from starving. He said: " Failing 

 to accomplish our subjugation by the force of 

 arms and the power of numbers, the enemy 

 has called to his aid the terrible appliances of 

 want and starvation, and is carrying out this 

 savage and inhuman policy by the wholesale 

 larceny of slaves, the seizure of provisions, and 

 even the destruction of agricultural implements. 

 Are you, the planters of Alabama, prepared to 

 aid in this policy by pursuing a course which 

 may tend to its accomplishment ? Look around 

 you this moment, when the crop upon which 

 the poor must mainly depend is not yet planted, 

 and behold the want and destitution which, 

 notwithstanding the munificent provision made 

 by public and private benevolence, are to be 

 found at the hearthstones of many whose legit- 

 imate protectors have fallen in battle, or are 

 now fighting in defence of your homes and prop- 

 erty. Let us not deceive ourselves. The 

 failure to raise the largest possible quantity of 

 supplies in the present year may bring disaster 



