the sequel of appomattox-第3章

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e　whites。　Their　scanty　supplies　have　been　exhausted；　and　now　they　look　to　the　Government　alone　for　support。　Some　are　without　homes　of　any　description。〃

Where　the　armies　had　passed；　few　of　the　people；　white　or　black；　remained；　most　of　them　had　been　forced　as　〃refugees〃　within　the　Union　lines　or　into　the　interior　of　the　Confederacy。　Now；　along　with　the　disbanded　Confederate　soldiers；　they　came　straggling　back　to　their　war…swept　homes。　It　was　estimated；　in　December　1865；　that　in　the　states　of　Alabama；　Mississippi；　and　Georgia；　there　were　five　hundred　thousand　white　people　who　were　without　the　necessaries　of　life；　numbers　died　from　lack　of　food。　Within　a　few　months；　relief　agencies　were　at　work。　In　the　North；　especially　in　the　border　states　and　in　New　York；　charitable　organizations　collected　and　forwarded　great　quantities　of　supplies　to　the　Negroes　and　to　the　whites　in　the　hill　and　mountain　counties。　The　reorganized　state　and　local　governments　sent　food　from　the　unravaged　portions　of　the　Black　Belt　to　the　nearest　white　counties；　and　the　army　commanders　gave　some　aid。　As　soon　as　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　was　organized；　it　fed　to　the　limit　of　its　supplies　the　needy　whites　as　well　as　the　blacks。

The　extent　of　the　relief　afforded　by　the　charity　of　the　North　and　by　the　agencies　of　the　United　States　Government　is　not　now　generally　remembered；　probably　on　account　of　the　later　objectionable　activities　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　but　it　was　at　the　time　properly　appreciated。　A　Southern　journalist；　writing　of　what　he　saw　in　Georgia；　remarked　that　〃it　must　be　a　matter　of　gratitude　as　well　as　surprise　for　our　people　to　see　a　Government　which　was　lately　fighting　us　with　fire　and　sword　and　shell；　now　generously　feeding　our　poor　and　distressed。　In　the　immense　crowds　which　throng　the　distributing　house；　I　notice　the　mothers　and　fathers；　widows　and　orphans　of　our　soldiers　。　。　。　。　Again；　the　Confederate　soldier；　with　one　leg　or　one　arm；　the　crippled；　maimed；　and　broken；　and　the　worn　and　destitute　men；　who　fought　bravely　their　enemies　then；　their　benefactors　now；　have　their　sacks　filled　and　are　fed。〃

Acute　distress　continued　until　1867；　after　that　year　there　was　no　further　danger　of　starvation。　Some　of　the　poor　whites；　especially　in　the　remote　districts；　never　again　reached　a　comfortable　standard　of　living；　some　were　demoralized　by　too　much　assistance；　others　were　discouraged　and　left　the　South　for　the　West　or　the　North。　But　the　mass　of　the　people　accepted　the　discipline　of　poverty　and　made　the　best　of　their　situation。

The　difficulties；　however；　that　beset　even　the　courageous　and　the　competent　were　enormous。　The　general　paralysis　of　industry；　the　breaking　up　of　society；　and　poverty　on　all　sides　bore　especially　hard　on　those　who　had　not　previously　been　manual　laborers。　Physicians　could　get　practice　enough　but　no　fees；　lawyers　who　had　supported　the　Confederacy　found　it　difficult　to　get　back　into　the　reorganized　courts　because　of　the　test　oaths　and　the　competition　of　〃loyal〃　attorneys；　and　for　the　teachers　there　were　few　schools。　We　read　of　officers　high　in　the　Confederate　service　selling　to　Federal　soldiers　the　pies　and　cakes　cooked　by　their　wives；　of　others　selling　fish　and　oysters　which　they　themselves　had　caught；　and　of　men　and　women　hitching　themselves　to　plows　when　they　had　no　horse　or　mule。

Such　incidents　must；　from　their　nature；　have　been　infrequent；　but　they　show　to　what　straits　some　at　least　were　reduced。　Six　years　after　the　war；　James　S。　Pike；　then　in　South　Carolina；　mentions　cases　which　might　be　duplicated　in　nearly　every　old　Southern　community：　〃In　the　vicinity；〃　he　says；　〃lived　a　gentleman　whose　income　when　the　war　broke　out　was　rated　at　150；000　a　year。　Not　a　vestige　of　his　whole　vast　estate　remains　today。　Not　far　distant　were　the　estates　of　a　large　proprietor　and　a　well…known　family；　rich　and　distinguished　for　generations。　The　slaves　were　gone。　The　family　is　gone。　A　single　scion　of　the　house　remains；　and　he　peddles　tea　by　the　pound　and　molasses　by　the　quart；　on　a　corner　of　the　old　homestead；　to　the　former　slaves　of　the　family　and　thereby　earns　his　livelihood。〃

General　Lee's　good　example　influenced　many。　Commercial　enterprises　were　willing　to　pay　for　the　use　of　his　name　and　reputation；　but　he　wished　to　farm　and　could　get　no　opportunity。　〃They　are　offering　my　father　everything；〃　his　daughter　said；　〃except　the　only　thing　he　will　accept；　a　place　to　earn　honest　bread　while　engaged　in　some　useful　work。〃　This　remark　led　to　an　offer　of　the　presidency　of　Washington　College；　now　Washington　and　Lee　University；　which　he　accepted。　〃I　have　a　self…imposed　task　which　I　must　accomplish；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　led　the　young　men　of　the　South　in　battle；　I　have　seen　many　of　them　fall　under　my　standard。　I　shall　devote　my　life　now　to　training　young　men　to　do　their　duty　in　life。〃

The　condition　of　honest　folk　was　still　further　troubled　by　a　general　spirit　of　lawlessness　in　many　regions。　Virginia；　Tennessee；　Arkansas；　and　Louisiana　recognized　the　〃Union〃　state　government；　but　the　coming　of　peace　brought　legal　anarchy　to　the　other　states　of　the　Confederacy。　The　Confederate　state　and　local　governments　were　abolished　as　the　armies　of　occupation　spread　over　the　South；　and　for　a　period　of　four　or　six　months　there　was　no　government　except　that　exercised　by　the　commanders　of　the　military　garrisons　left　behind　when　the　armies　marched　away。　Even　before　the　surrender；　the　local　governments　were　unable　to　make　their　authority　respected；　and　soon　after　the　war　ended；　parts　of　the　country　became　infested　with　outlaws；　pretend　treasury　agents；　horse　thieves；　cattle　thieves；　and　deserters。　Away　from　the　military　posts　only　lynch　law　could　cope　with　these　elements　of　disorder。

With　the　aid　of　the　army　in　the　more　settled　regions；　and　by　extra…legal　means　elsewhere；　the　outlaws；　thieves；　cotton　burners；　and　house　burners　were　brought　somewhat　under　control　even　before　the　state　governments　were　reorganized；　though　the　embers　of　lawlessness　continued　to　smolder。

The　relations　between　the　Federal　soldiers　stationed　in　the　principal　towns　and　the　native　white　population　were　not；　on　the　whole；　so　bad　as　might　have　been　expected。　If　the　commanding　officer　were　well　disposed；　there　was　little　danger　of　friction；　though　sometimes　his　troops　got　out　of　hand。　The　regulars　had　a　better　reputation　than　the　volunteers。　The　Confederate　soldiers　were　surfeited　with　fighting；　but　the　〃stay…at…home〃　element　was　often　a　cause　of　trouble。　The　problem　of　social　relations　between　the　conquerors　and　the　conquered　was　troublesome。　The　men　might　get　along　well　together；　but　the　women　would　have　nothing　do　with　the　〃Yankees；〃　and　ill　feeling　arose　because　of　their　antipathy。　Carl　Schurz　reported　that　〃the　soldier　of　the　Union　is　looked　upon　as　a　stranger；　an　intruder；　as　the　'Yankee；'　the　'enemy。'　。　。　。　The　existence　and　intensity　of　this　aversion　is　too　well　known　to　those　who　have　served　or　are　serving　in　the　South　to　require　proof。〃

In　retaliation　the　soldiers　developed　ingenious　ways　of　annoying　the　whites。　Women；　forced　for　any　reason　to　go　to　headquarters；　were　made　to　take　the　oath　of　allegiance　or　the　〃ironclad〃　oath　before　their　requests　were　granted；　flags　were　fastened　over　doors；　gates；　or　sidewalks　in　order　to　irritate　the　recalcitrant　dames　and　their　daughters。　Confederate　songs　and　color　combinations　were　forbidden。　In　Richmond；　General　Halleck　ordered　that　no　marriages　be　performed　unless　the　bride；　the　groom；　and　the　officiating　clergyman　took　the　oath　of　allegiance。　He　explained　this　as　a　measure　taken　to　prevent　〃the　propagation　of　legitimate　rebels。〃

The　wearing　of　Confederate　uniforms　was　forbidden　by　military　order；　but　by　May　1865；　few　soldiers　possessed　regulation　uniforms。　In　Tennessee　the　State　also　imposed　fines　upon　*wear　wearers　of　the　uniform。　In　the　vicinity　of　military　posts；　buttons　and　marks　of　rank　were　usually　ordered　removed　and　the　gray　clothes　dyed　with　some　other　color。　General　Lee；　for　example；　had　the　buttons　on　his　coat　covered　with　cloth。　But　frequently　the　Federal　commander；　after　issuing　the　orders；　paid　no　more　attention　to　the　matter　and　such　conflicts　as　arose　on　account　of　the　uniform　were　usually　caused　by　officious　enlisted　men　and　the　N