Clarke County Democrat

THE CIVIL WAR IN CLARKE COUNTY

Freezing temps, flooded rivers plagued Clarke County residents along with war in January 1864


Chronicling the Civil War of 150 years ago from the pages of The Journal* of the 1860s.

The Clarke CountyDemocrat was renamed The Clarke County Journal during the war. Cannon illustration from the papers of the 1860s.

January 1864 was cold across the United States and the Confederate States as well. Clarke County was no exception.

On Friday and Saturday, Jan. 8 and 9, the temperature remained below freezing in Grove Hill and a heavy sleet already on the ground melted slowly, The Clarke County Journal reported, On Sunday, Jan. 10 more sleet fell making it eight days sleet had been on the ground, “something before unknown to the ‘oldest inhabitant.’ Verily is the North crowding us,” the newspaper wrote.

But just like today the weather could change in the bat of an eye. By the end of January the weather was reported to be much more pleasant, “warm enough for April.”

Flooded waterways isolated county

The newspaper also wrote of flooded waterways. “High rivers, creeks, etc., have almost cut us off from communication with the outside world. The Alabama River is quite high and still rising.”

Modern day Clarke Countians take our highways and river bridges for granted. There were no river bridges then and rickety ferries had to suffice and they were often grounded when the rivers flooded. Some of the larger creeks may have had bridges but most were forded and the shallow fords were likely impassable when the creeks were flooded.

Inflation continued to be a problem. The Journal’s first paper of the new year stated, “After the 1st of January, 1864, the subscription price of the ‘JOURNAL’ will be $4 a year, payable in advance.”

The paper had been $2 a year when it started in 1856.

Better use for corn?

The State Legislature proposed a new law to more effectively regulate and prohibit the distilling of liquor. The Journal commented, “Some one remarked last year that it was a great pity that so much grain should be consumed in the way of bread when whisky was so high and scarce. It would appear that the Alabama Legislature has taken a different view of the matter.”

In a separate article, editor Isaac Grant wrote that George Fluker had brought him a bottle of the distilled juice of the Chinese cane, or millet, “the flavor of which equals the best brandy we ever tasted.”

The teetotaler Grant wrote, “ We think it excellent for convalescent patients….” Apparently he wasn’t opposed to alcohol’s use for medicinal purposes!

The rich and influential avoiding military service isn’t anything new. An article from the Mobile Tribune noted that some parents had sent their sons to Europe to avoid service in the Confederate army.

“These men [the parents] are in business, and have made their money in the South. This is an outrage upon our sons, brothers and fathers now periling their lives for the cause from which these young men have been retired by patriotic fathers,” the writer stated adding that a law should be passed barring such fathers and sons from casting a vote or doing business in the Confederacy.

The practice of hiring substitutes to serve in one’s place in the military was widespread among those able to afford it but steps were being taken to stop it. The newspaper reported military orders had been issued to all who had substitutes in the Confederate army to report for immediate enrollment. They will be considered volunteers or conscripts but “…all who fail to report by the 1st of February will be considered as having renounced the privilege of volunteering and held for assignment according to law.”

Corn for the needy

Probate Judge Z. L. Bettis purchased from the Confederate government, out of the tax money reserved for the purpose, 7,000 bushels of corn for the use of indigent families in the county. He was planning to purchase 2,000 more which “it is thought, will be amply sufficient to supply all the needy families of the county.”

Agents have been appointed in each beat to oversee the distribution of the corn.

In other county government news, W. R. Foster was elected county commissioner to fill the vacancy of John M. Drinkard, who died in late 1863.

The county also appropriated $4,000 to purchase land for the use of the county saltworks.

T. C. Lanier, Lt. Col. Commander of the 42nd Ala. Infantry wrote from Dalton, Ga. to thank the ladies of Suggsville and vicinity for the clothing and blankets they recently sent the regiment. The cold weather likely made the blankets especially appreciated.

The women named were Misses R. G. Portis, Ella A. Portis, Emma Portis, L. G. Rivers, J. C. Rivers, S. O. Barnes, L. Walner, M. F. Odom, M. O. Brodnax, M. E. Goodloe, E. Cleveland, Mrs. John W. Portis, Mrs. S. Cole, Mrs. A. F. Denny, Mrs. Nordinger and Mrs. Rush.

A Mobile newspaper reported that the “Gray Jacket,” a schooner rigged to be blockade runner, was captured on her first trip out of Mobile a few weeks ago with some 500 bales of cotton aboard. “A heavy loss to her owners,” it was stated.

But the “Austin,” from a foreign port, made it into Mobile. “She was fired at by the blockaders but received very little injury. “Her cargo is on Government account and consists of pork, gunpowder, blankets, etc.”

Deaths noted

Many deaths were reported by the newspaper, both at home as well as from the warfront.

William Stringer was wounded April 14, 1795 and died at his residence near Jackson, Dec. 7, 1863 at the age of 68—pretty old for 1863. The obituary said he was born in Baldwin County, Alabama but there was no Baldwin County and no Alabama in 1795. He was apparently born in what would become Baldwin County—although it was much larger than it is now in its early years.

Stringer had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South for about 40 years and at the time of his death was a steward and Sunday school superintendent.

Wm. G. Fountain, Miles E. King and Woody Burge and Mrs. Jas. S. Dickinson all died in the last few weeks, the Jan. 14 newspaper reported.

Mrs. Dickinson—Mary F. Dickinson— died Jan. 12, 1864 “after a painful illness of eight days.” She was born in Louise County, Virginia in 1821, married in 1844 and moved to Alabama in 1845. She was a member of the Horeb Baptist Church.

She was the wife of James S. Dickinson, a prominent Grove Hillian who raised a company of volunteers for the army and served in the Confederate Congress.

William E. Sackett, once a resident of Clarke County, died in Claiborne Dec. 31 of “congestion of the brain,” whatever that was.

Other deaths included Major May, John May, Jacob Dunigan and Lee Whatley.

Military deaths reported included George F. Williamson, 21, died of wounds received in the battle of Chickamauga on Sept. 22, 1863.

Corporal Jesse Smith, son of Jesse and Maria Smith and a member of Co. R, 23rd Regiment Alabama Volunteers died May 22, 1863. He had entered the army on Sept. 27, 1861.

He was in the battles of Port Gibson and Baker’s Creek in Mississippi and was in the siege of Vicksburg where a minnie ball pieced his head. “His remains were interred by his brother soldiers…”

Lieut. Milton J. Gordon of the 38th Alabama Regiment, was killed in battle Sept. 19, 1863 in Georgia. A.R.L. wrote that he knew him as a boy and as a solider and he wrote in great detail of his heroics in battle.

“I knew him last amid the roaring of cannon, the shrieking of shells, and the deadly aim of musketry, where comrade after comrade fell by his side…he was in his property position, his manly form looming up, ,cool, calm and collected, doing his duty only as such heroes can, with sword in hand pointing steadily to the fore, giving his company the command, ‘forward!’… At once he sprung far in advance of his company with the shout ‘forward Grays!’ He seemed determined to take their artillery or perish. Twenty paces in advance of his company he died—he died as he had lived, doing that which was gallant, chivalrous, noble.”

Due to the cold winter, the only confrontations in January were minor skirmishes and guerrilla actions here and there.

Union’s dominance

Some of the non-military actions that month spoke of the deteriorating condition of the Confederacy. In Arkansas, elections were allowed by the occupying Union armies since the state had proposed an antislavery constitution. A pro- Unionist was selected as provisional governor.

In Louisiana, the Confederates organized a government at Shreveport. The capital, Baton Rouge, was occupied by the Yankees.

In Tennessee, the Yankees agreed to allow local elections, confident that it had strong enough control of the state to allow them.

The war was far from over but the noose was tightening on the Confederacy.



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