the day of the confederacy-第16章

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white　men　in　the　countryside；　the　roads　were　carefully　patrolled
at　night；　and　no　slave　ventured　to　go　at　large　unless　fully
prepared　to　prove　his　identity。　But　with　the　coming　of　war　the
comparative　smallness　of　the　fighting　population　made　it　likely
from　the　first　that　the　countryside　everywhere　would　be　stripped
of　its　white　guardians。　In　that　event；　who　would　be　left　to
control　the　slaves？　Early　in　the　war　a　slave　police　was　provided
for　by　exempting　from　military　duty　overseers　in　the　ratio
approximately　of　one　white　to　twenty　slaves。　But　the　marvelous
faithfulness　of　the　slaves；　who　nowhere　attempted　to　revolt；　made
these　precautions　unnecessary。　Later　laws　exempted　one　overseer
on　every　plantation　of　fifteen　slaves；　not　so　much　to　perform
patrol　duty　as　to　increase　the　productivity　of　plantation　labor。

This　〃Fifteen　Slave〃　Law　was　one　of　many　instances　that　were
caught　up　by　the　men　of　small　property　as　evidence　that　the
Government　favored　the　rich。　A　much　less　defensible　law；　and　one
which　was　bitterly　attacked　for　the　same　reason；　was　the
unfortunate　measure　permitting　the　hiring　of　substitutes　by　men
drafted　into　the　army。　Eventually；　the　clamor　against　this　law
caused　its　repeal；　but　before　that　time　it　had　worked　untold　harm
as　apparent　evidence　of　〃a　rich　man's　war　and　a　poor　man's
fight。〃　Extravagant　stories　of　the　avoidance　of　military　duty　by
the　ruling　class；　though　in　the　main　they　were　mere　fairy　tales；
changed　the　whole　atmosphere　of　Southern　life。　The　old　glad
confidence　uniting　the　planter　class　with　the　bulk　of　the　people
had　been　impaired。　Misapprehension　appeared　on　both　sides。　Too
much　has　been　said　lately；　however；　in　justification　of　the
poorer　classes　who　were　thus　wakened　suddenly　to　a　distrust　of
the　aristocracy；　and　too　little　has　been　said　of　the　proud　recoil
of　the　aristocracy　in　the　face　of　a　sudden；　credulous　perversion
of　its　motivesa　perversion　inspired　by　the　pinching　of　the
shoe；　and　yet　a　shoe　that　pinched　one　class　as　hard　as　it　did
another。　It　is　as　unfair　to　charge　the　planter　with　selfishness
in　opposing　the　appropriation　of　slaves　as　it　is　to　make　the　same
charge　against　the　small　farmers　for　resisting　tithes。　In　face　of
the　record；　the　planter　comes　off　somewhat　the　better　of　the　two；
but　it　must　be　remembered　that　he　had　the　better　education；　the
larger　mental　horizon。

The　Confederacy　had　long　recognized　women　of　all　classes　as　the
most　dauntless　defenders　of　the　cause。　The　women　of　the　upper
classes　passed　without　a　tremor　from　a　life　of　smiling　ease　to　a
life　of　extreme　hardship。　One　day；　their　horizon　was　without　a
cloud；　another　day；　their　husbands　and　fathers　had　gone　to　the
front。　Their　luxuries　had　disappeared；　and　they　were　reduced　to
plain　hard　living；　toiling　in　a　thousand　ways　to　find　provision
and　clothing；　not　only　for　their　own　children　but　for　the　poorer
families　of　soldiers。　The　women　of　the　poor　throughout　the　South
deserve　similar　honor。　Though　the　physical　shock　of　the　change
may　not　have　been　so　great；　they　had　to　face　the　same　deep
realitieshunger　and　want；　anxiety　over　the　absent　soldiers；
solicitude　for　children；　grief　for　the　dead。　One　of　the　pathetic
aspects　of　Confederate　life　was　the　household　composed　of　several
families；　all　women　and　children；　huddled　together　without　a　man
or　even　a　half…grown　lad　to　be　their　link　with　the　mill　and　the
market。　In　those　regions　where　there　were　few　slaves　and　the
exemption　of　overseers　did　not　operate；　such　households　were
numerous。

The　great　privations　which　people　endured　during　the　Confederacy
have　passed　into　familiar　tradition。　They　are　to　be　traced　mainly
to　three　causes：　to　the　blockade；　to　the　inadequate　system　of
transportation；　and　to　the　heartlessness　of　speculators。　The
blockade　was　the　real　destroyer　of　the　South。　Besides　ruining　the
whole　policy　based　on　King　Cotton；　besides　impeding　to　a　vast
extent　the　inflow　of　munitions　from　Europe；　it　also　deprived
Southern　life　of　numerous　articles　which　were　hard　to
relinquishnot　only　such　luxuries　as　tea　and　coffee；　but　also
such　utter　necessities　as　medicines。　And　though　the　native　herbs
were　diligently　studied；　though　the　Government　established
medical　laboratories　with　results　that　were　not　inconsiderable；
the　shortage　of　medicines　remained　throughout　the　war　a
distressing　feature　of　Southern　life。　The　Tredegar　Iron　Works　at
Richmond　and　a　foundry　at　Selma；　Alabama；were　the　only　mills　in
the　South　capable　of　casting　the　heavy　ordnance　necessary　for
military　purposes。　And　the　demand　for　powder　mills　and　gun
factories　to　provide　for　the　needs　of　the　army　was　scarcely
greater　than　the　demand　for　cotton　mills　and　commercial　foundries
to　supply　the　wants　of　the　civil　population。　The　Government
worked　without　ceasing　to　keep　pace　with　the　requirements　of　the
situation；　and；　in　view　of　the　immense　difficulties　which　it　had
to　face；　it　was　fairly　successful　in　supplying　the　needs　of　the
army。　Powder　was　provided　by　the　Niter　and　Mining　Bureau；　lead
for　Confederate　bullets　was　collected　from　many　sourceseven
from
the　window…weights　of　the　houses；　iron　was　brought　from　the　mines
of　Alabama；　guns　came　from　newly　built　factories；　and　machines
and　tools　were　part　of　the　precious　freight　of　the
blockade…runners。　Though　the　poorly　equipped　mills　turned　a
portion　of　the　cotton　crop　into　textiles；　and　though　everything
that　was　possible　was　done　to　meet　the　needs　of　the　people；　the
supply　of　manufactures　was　sadly　inadequate。　The　universal
shortage　was　betrayed　by　the　limitation　of　the　size　of　most
newspapers　to　a　single　sheet；　and　the　desperate　situation　clearly
and　completely　revealed　by　the　way　in　which；　as　a　last　resort；
the　Confederates　were　compelled　to　repair　their　railroads　by
pulling　up　the　rails　of　one　road　in　order　to　repair　another　that
the　necessities　of　war　rendered　indispensable。

The　railway　system；　if　such　it　can　be　called；　was　one　of　the
weaknesses　of　the　Confederacy。　Before　the　war　the　South　had　not
felt　the　need　of　elaborate　interior　communication；　for　its
commerce　in　the　main　went　seaward；　and　thence　to　New　England　or
to　Europe。　Hitherto　the　railway　lines　had　seen　no　reason　for
merging　their　local　character　in　extensive　combinations。　Owners
of　short　lines　were　inclined　by　tradition　to　resist　even　the
imperative　necessities　of　war　and　their　stubborn　conservatism　was
frequently　encouraged　by　the　shortsighted　parochialism　of　the
towns。　The　same　pitiful　narrowness　that　led　the　peasant　farmer　to
threaten　rebellion　against　the　tax　in　kind　led　his　counterpart　in
the　towns　to　oppose　the　War　Department　in　its　efforts　to
establish　through　railroad　lines　because　they　threatened　to
impair　local　business　interests。　A　striking　instance　of　this
disinclination　towards　cooperation　is　the　action　of　Petersburg。
Two　railroads　terminated　at　this　point　but　did　not　connect；　and
it　was　an　ardent　desire　of　the　military　authorities　to　link　the
two　and　convert　them　into　one。　The　town；　however；　unable　to　see
beyond　its　boundaries　and　resolute　in　its　determination　to　save
its　transfer　business；　successfully　obstructed　the　needs　of　the
army。*

*　See　an　article　on　〃The　Confederate　Government　and　the
Railroads〃　in　the　〃American　Historical　Review；〃　July；　1917；　by
Charles　W。　Ramsdell。


As　a　result　of　this　lack　of　efficient　organization　an　immense
congestion　resulted　all　along　the　railroads。　Whether　this；　rather
than　a　failure　in　supply；　explains　the　approach　of　famine　in　the
latter　part　of　the　war；　it　is　today　very　difficult　to　determine。
In　numerous　state　papers　of　the　time；　the　assertion　was
reiterated　that　the　yield　of　food　was　abundant　and　that　the
scarcity　of　food　at　many　places；　including　the　cities　and　the
battle　fronts；　was　due　to　defects　in　transportation。　Certain　it
is　that　the　progress　of　supplies　from　one　point　to　another　was
intolerably　slow。

All　this　want　of　coordination　facilitated　speculation。　We　shall
see　hereafter　how　merciless　this　speculation　became　and　we　shall
even　hear　of　profits　on　food　rising　to　more　than　four　hundred　per
cent。　However；　the　oft…quoted　prices　of　the　later　yearswhen；
for　instance；　a　pair　of　shoes　cost　a　hundred　d