210 



CONFEDERATE STATES. 



the corn, the bacon, the pork, and the beef known to 

 exist in large quantities in different parts of the coun- 

 try. Even if the surplus be less than believed, is it 

 not a hitter and humiliating reflection that those who 

 remain at home, secure from hardship and protected 

 from danger, should be in the enjoyment of abundance, 

 ami that their slaves also should have a full supply of 

 food, while their sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers 

 are stinted in the rations on which their health and 

 efficiency depend ? 



Entertaining no fear that you will either miscon- 

 strue the motives of this address, or fail to respond to 

 the call of patriotism, I have placed the facts fully and 

 frankly before you. Let us all unite in the perform- 

 ance of our duty, each in his sphere ; and with con- 

 certed, persistent, and well-directed effort, there seems 

 little reason to doubt that, under the blessings of Him 

 to whom we look for guidance and who has been to us 

 onr shield and strength, we shall maintain the sov- 

 ereignty and independence of the Confederate States, 

 and transmit to our posterity the heritage bequeathed 

 to us by our fathers. JEFFERSON DAVIS. 



This was followed by appeals from the gov- 

 ernors of several States to their citizens, and 

 by resolutions of legislative bodies. A very 

 extensive effort was also made to secure the 

 planting of more wheat and corn. 



An extra session of the Legislature of Geor- 

 gia was called, by Governor Brown, to meet on 

 March 25th, "to secure the use of all produc- 

 tive labor in the cultivation of grain and arti- 

 cles necessary to sustain life." Governor Vance, 

 of North Carolina, in March issued an address 

 to the people, urging them to plant corn and 

 raise articles of prime necessity, saying: "By 

 universal consent there is allowed to be but 

 one danger to our speedy and triumphant 

 success, and that is the failure of provisions. 

 Everything depends now upon the industry 

 and patriotism of the farmer." Governor 

 Shorter, of Alabama, issued an appeal to the 

 people, saying : " The failure to raise the largest 

 possible quantity of supplies in the present 

 year may bring disaster to our cause." (See 

 ALABAMA.) 



On the 3d of April, the Legislature of South 

 Carolina assembled. The Governor in his mes- 

 sage stated that they were called together for 

 the express purpose of considering the proper 

 measures to be taken to provide food for the 

 sustenance of the army and the people. 



The prospective result of these efforts was 

 thus described in a letter from the Commissary- 

 General to the Secretary of "War, as follows: 



ATHENS, April 25A, 18C3. 

 Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War: 



SIR: As the excessive want of supplies in this de- 

 partment will require me to proceed back to Atlanta, 

 Georgia, before returning to the capital, I deem it ex- 

 pedient, in view of the present importance of time, to 

 acquaint you by letter of the impressions I received 

 from my conference with the Governors, etc. Gover- 

 nors Brown, Shorter, and Vance only were present; 

 but Governor Pettus, I have learned, arrived at Mil- 

 ledgeville after my departure. 



All agree that the planters of their States evince 

 no disposition to seed for more than the usual quan- 

 tity of grain and other articles necessary for the sub- 

 sistence of the people and the army. Neither the reso- 

 lutions of Congress, requesting the President to appeal 

 to the people, nor the appeal itself, have produced any 

 viable effect. Such of the planters as doubt the ex- 



pediency of raising more cotton and tobacco seem 

 bent upon clearing up new lands instead of tilling 

 those now fit for cultivation. In riding by mail from 

 Hilledgeville to this point, I passed, as you are aware, 

 througn one of the best corn districts in Georgia, and 

 not one acre in fifty, as I ain assured by my own ob- 

 servations and the reports of travellers on the roads, 

 is being prepared for raising that indispensable article, 

 or other products requisite for the subsistence of man 

 and beast. 



It is lamentable that the people are so deaf to the 

 many appeals of their representatives and so blind to 

 their own interests. It is obvious that something must 

 be done immediately, or both the people and the army 

 must starve next winter. This is an alarming reflec- 

 tion, but it is fully warranted by the situation. Now 

 is the time to avert the impending danger. A few 

 days more and it will be too late. 



Several plans were suggested by the Governors for 

 promoting our object among them that of 'convoking' 

 the farmers, at numerous points throughout the States, 

 and addressing them through prominent speakers on 

 the absolute importance of meeting the wants of the 

 nation. Although this plan was favorably regard- 

 ed, it was deemed, too late in the season to attain the 

 desired results by its execution ; and the Governors 

 finally decided to send an address not to be publish- 

 ed by the press, exposing our wants to the enemy to 

 all leading planters in their respective States, urging 

 upon them the imperative necessity of producing all 

 the grain, live stock, etc., possible. But since the ap- 

 peal of the President is disregarded by this class of 

 citizens, what response can we expect them to make to 

 similar appeals of the Governors? In my judgment, 

 none. 



It is only by more rigorous, and indeed arbitrary, 

 measures tnat we can prevent distress in our towns, 

 and subsist the armies in the field through next win- 

 ter and spring. The appeal put forth by the Presi- 

 dent, and the one proposed by the Governors, will be 

 entirely useless. This is the opinion also of General 

 Bragg, with whom I yesterday conferred for two hours 

 at Dalton. 



The general suggests three plans for preventing the 

 threatened famine. The first is, that the President, by 

 proclamation, prohibit the raising of any more cotton 

 and tobacco, or clearing of new lands, until further 

 notice. The second is, that by proclamation he order 

 all planters to seed a certain number of acres of grain 

 or other articles of necessary consumption in proportion 

 to the quantity of cleared land and negroes belonging 

 to them. The third is, for the Government to take pos- 

 session of the plantations, or such portion of them as 

 the owners do not intend to seed with grain, etc., and 

 to employ the negroes belonging thereto in raising 

 such agricultural products as may be deemed neces- 

 sary. Officers and soldiers who have been rendered by 

 wounds and disease unfit for further service in the 

 field could be employed as superintendants and over- 

 seers. 



The last mentioned plan appears to me to be feas- 

 ible and entirely the best that can now be adopted. 

 As reasonable compensation would, of course, be al- 

 lowed for the use of the land and negroes, etc., I think 

 the plan would in general meet with favor. At all 

 events, the measure would not be more arbitrary than 

 others the Government has been forced to resort to, 

 and in view of the emergency, and as a military neces- 

 sity, it would be perfectly justifiable. 



The wheat harvest, it is easy to see and learn from 

 a trip through the country, will not be half as bounti- 

 ful as we have anticipated ; and the belief into which 

 the Government has been led, that there are large 

 quantities of bacon in many parts of the country, is 

 erroneous. The inventory ordered by Governor Brown 

 of the bacon and live stock in G_eorgia (of which you 

 have by this time probably received a copy) shows UM 

 well-nigh exhausted cond'ition of that State, and yet, 

 beyond peradventure, it is less nearly exhausted than 

 nnv other State in the Confederacy. 



it will, therefore, be no easy matter to keep ourar- 



