the sequel of appomattox-第1章

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The　Sequel　of　Appomattox；　A　Chronicle　of　the　Reunion　of　the　States

by　Walter　Lynwood　Fleming








CHAPTER　I。　THE　AFTERMATH　OF　WAR


When　the　armies　of　the　Union　and　of　the　Confederacy　were　disbanded　in　1865；　two　matters　had　been　settled　beyond　further　dispute：　the　Negro　was　to　be　free；　and　the　Union　was　to　be　perpetuated。　But；　though　slavery　and　state　sovereignty　were　no　longer　at　issue；　there　were　still　many　problems　which　pressed　for　solution。　The　huge　task　of　reconstruction　must　be　faced。　The　nature　of　the　situation　required　that　the　measures　of　reconstruction　be　first　formulated　in　Washington　by　the　victors　and　then　worked　out　in　the　conquered　South。　Since　the　success　of　these　policies　would　depend　in　a　large　measure　upon　their　acceptability　to　both　sections　of　the　country；　it　was　expected　that　the　North　would　be　influenced　to　some　extent　by　the　attitude　of　the　Southern　people；　which　in　turn　would　be　determined　largely　by　local　conditions　in　the　South。　The　situation　in　the　South　at　the　close　of　the　Civil　War　is；　therefore；　the　point　at　which　this　narrative　of　the　reconstruction　naturally　takes　its　beginning。

The　surviving　Confederate　soldiers　came　straggling　back　to　communities；　which　were　now　far　from　being　satisfactory　dwelling　places　for　civilized　people。　Everywhere　they　found　missing　many　of　the　best　of　their　former　neighbors。　They　found　property　destroyed；　the　labor　system　disorganized；　and　the　inhabitants　in　many　places　suffering　from　want。　They　found　the　white　people　demoralized　and　sometimes　divided　among　themselves　and　the　Negroes　free；　bewildered；　and　disorderly；　for　organized　government　had　lapsed　with　the　surrender　of　the　Confederate　armies。

Beneath　a　disorganized　society　lay　a　devastated　land。　The　destruction　of　property　affected　all　classes　of　the　population。　The　accumulated　capital　of　the　South　had　disappeared　in　worthless　Confederate　stocks；　bonds；　and　currency。　The　banks　had　failed　early　in　the　war。　Two　billion　dollars　invested　in　slaves　had　been　wiped　out。　Factories；　which　had　been　running　before　the　war　or　were　developed　after　1861　in　order　to　supply　the　blockaded　country；　had　been　destroyed　by　Federal　raiders　or　seized　and　sold　or　dismantled　because　they　had　furnished　supplies　to　the　Confederacy。　Mining　industries　were　paralyzed。　Public　buildings　which　had　been　used　for　war　purposes　were　destroyed　or　confiscated　for　the　uses　of　the　army　or　for　the　new　freedmen's　schools。　It　was　months　before　courthouses；　state　capitols；　school　and　college　buildings　were　again　made　available　for　normal　uses。　The　military　school　buildings　had　been　destroyed　by　the　Federal　forces。　Among　the　schools　which　suffered　were　the　Virginia　Military　Institute；　the　University　of　Alabama；　the　Louisiana　State　Seminary；　and　many　smaller　institutions。　Nearly　all　these　had　been　used　in　some　way　for　war　purposes　and　were　therefore　subject　to　destruction　or　confiscation。

The　farmers　and　planters　found　themselves　〃land　poor。〃　The　soil　remained；　but　there　was　a　prevalent　lack　of　labor；　of　agricultural　equipment；　of　farm　stock；　of　seeds；　and　of　money　with　which　to　make　good　the　deficiency。　As　a　result；　a　man　with　hundreds　of　acres　might　be　as　poor　as　a　Negro　refugee。　The　desolation　is　thus　described　by　a　Virginia　farmer：

〃From　Harper's　Ferry　to　New　Market；　which　is　about　eighty　miles　。　。　。　the　country　was　almost　a　desert　。　。　。　。　We　had　no　cattle；　hogs；　sheep；　or　horse　or　anything　else。　The　fences　were　all　gone。　Some　of　the　orchards　were　very　much　injured；　but　the　fruit　trees　had　not　been　destroyed。　The　barns　were　all　burned；　chimneys　standing　without　houses；　and　houses　standing　without　roof；　or　door；　or　window。〃

Much　land　was　thrown　on　the　market　at　low　pricesthree　to　five　dollars　an　acre　for　land　worth　fifty　dollars。　The　poorer　lands　could　not　be　sold　at　all；　and　thousands　of　farms　were　deserted　by　their　owners。　Everywhere　recovery　from　this　agricultural　depression　was　slow。　Five　years　after　the　war　Robert　Somers；　an　English　traveler；　said　of　the　Tennessee　Valley：

〃It　consists　for　the　most　part　of　plantations　in　a　state　of　semi…　ruin　and　plantations　of　which　the　ruin　is　for　the　present　total　and　complete　。　。　。　。　The　trail　of　war　is　visible　throughout　the　valley　in　burnt…up　gin…houses；　ruined　bridges；　mills；　and　factories　。　。　。　and　in　large　tracts　of　once　cultivated　land　stripped　of　every　vestige　of　fencing。　The　roads；　long　neglected；　are　in　disorder；　and　having　in　many　places　become　impassable；　new　tracks　have　been　made　through　the　woods　and　fields　without　much　respect　to　boundaries。〃

Similar　conditions　existed　wherever　the　armies　had　passed；　and　not　in　the　country　districts　alone。　Many　of　the　cities；　such　as　Richmond；　Charleston；　Columbia；　Jackson；　Atlanta；　and　Mobile　had　suffered　from　fire　or　bombardment。

There　were　few　stocks　of　merchandise　in　the　South　when　the　war　ended；　and　Northern　creditors　had　lost　so　heavily　through　the　failure　of　Southern　merchants　that　they　were　cautious　about　extending　credit　again。　Long　before　1865　all　coin　had　been　sent　out　in　contraband　trade　through　the　blockade。　That　there　was　a　great　need　of　supplies　from　the　outside　world　is　shown　by　the　following　statement　of　General　Boynton：

〃Window…glass　has　given　way　to　thin　boards；　in　railway　coaches　and　in　the　cities。　Furniture　is　marred　and　broken；　and　none　has　been　replaced　for　four　years。　Dishes　are　cemented　in　various　styles；　and　half　the　pitchers　have　tin　handles。　A　complete　set　of　crockery　is　never　seen；　and　in　very　few　families　is　there　enough　to　set　a　table　。。。。　A　set　of　forks　with　whole　tines　is　a　curiosity。　Clocks　and　watches　have　nearly　all　stopped　。　。　。　。　Hairbrushes　and　toothbrushes　have　all　worn　out；　combs　are　broken　。　。　。　。　Pins；　needles；　and　thread；　and　a　thousand　such　articles；　which　seem　indispensable　to　housekeeping；　are　very　scarce。　Even　in　weaving　on　the　looms；　corncobs　have　been　substituted　for　spindles。　Few　have　pocketknives。　In　fact；　everything　that　has　heretofore　been　an　article　of　sale　in　the　South　is　wanting　now。　At　the　tables　of　those　who　were　once　esteemed　luxurious　providers　you　will　find　neither　tea；　coffee；　sugar；　nor　spices　of　any　kind。　Even　candles；　in　some　cases；　have　been　replaced　by　a　cup　of　grease　in　which　a　piece　of　cloth　is　plunged　for　a　wick。〃

This　poverty　was　prolonged　and　rendered　more　acute　by　the　lack　of　transportation。　Horses；　mules；　wagons；　and　carriages　were　scarce；　the　country　roads　were　nearly　impassable；　and　bridges　were　in　bad　repair　or　had　been　burned　or　washed　away。　Steamboats　had　almost　disappeared　from　the　rivers。　Those　which　had　escaped　capture　as　blockade　runners　had　been　subsequently　destroyed　or　were　worn　out。。　Postal　facilities；　which　had　been　poor　enough　during　the　last　year　of　the　Confederacy；　were　entirely　lacking　for　several　months　after　the　surrender。

The　railways　were　in　a　state　of　physical　dilapidation　little　removed　from　destruction；　save　for　those　that　had　been　captured　and　kept　in　partial　repair　by　the　Federal　troops。　The　rolling　stock　had　been　lost　by　capture；　by　destruction　to　prevent　capture；　in　wrecks；　which　were　frequent；　or　had　been　worn　out。　The　railroad　companies　possessed　large　sums　in　Confederate　currency　and　in　securities　which　were　now　valueless。　About　two…thirds　of　all　the　lines　were　hopelessly　bankrupt。　Fortunately；　the　United　States　War　Department　took　over　the　control　of　the　railway　lines　and　in　some　cases　effected　a　temporary　reorganization　which　could　not　have　been　accomplished　by　the　bankrupt　companies。　During　the　summer　and　fall　of　1865；　〃loyal〃　boards　of　directors　were　appointed　for　most　of　the　railroads；　and　the　army　withdrew　its　control。　But　repairs　and　reconstruction　were　accomplished　with　difficulty　because　of　the　demoralization　of　labor　and　the　lack　of　funds　or　credit。　Freight　was　scarce　and；　had　it　not　been　for　government　shipments；　some　of　the　railroads　would　have　been　abandoned。　Not　many　people　were　able　to　travel。　It　is　recorded　that　on　one　trip　from　Montgomery　to　Mobile　and　return；　a　distance　of　360　miles；　the　railroad　which　is　now　the　Louisville　and　Nashville　collected　only　thirteen　dollars　in　fares。

Had　there　been　unrestricted　commercial　freedom　in　the　South　in　1865…66；　the　distress　of　the　people　would　have　been