Secession and Civil War.2C 1861-1865 History of Alabama

the unionists successful in elections of 1851 , 1852. passage of kansas-nebraska bill , uncertainty agitation against slavery led state democratic convention of 1856 revive alabama platform . when democratic national convention @ charleston, south carolina, failed approve alabama platform in 1860, alabama delegates, followed of other cotton states , withdrew. upon election of abraham lincoln, governor andrew b. moore, instructed legislature, called state convention. many prominent men had opposed secession. in north alabama, there attempt organize neutral state called nickajack. president lincoln s call arms in april 1861, opposition secession ended.

on january 11, 1861, state of alabama adopted ordinances of secession union (by vote of 61-39).

alabama joined confederate states of america, government first organized @ montgomery on february 4, 1861. csa set temporary capital in montgomery , selected jefferson davis president. in may 1861, confederate government abandoned montgomery before sickly season began , relocated richmond, virginia, capital of state.

the inauguration of jefferson davis in montgomery on february 18, 1861.

governor moore energetically supported confederate war effort. before hostilities began, seized federal facilities, sent agents buy rifles in northeast , scoured state weapons. despite resistance in northern part of state, alabama joined confederate states of america (csa). congressman williamson r. w. cobb unionist , pleaded compromise. when ran confederate congress in 1861, defeated. (in 1863, war-weariness growing in alabama, elected on wave of antiwar sentiment.)

some idea of current transportation patterns , severe internal logistic problems faced confederacy can seen tracing jefferson davis journey plantation in mississippi montgomery. few roads , railroads, traveled steamboat plantation on mississippi river down vicksburg, boarded train jackson, mississippi. took train north grand junction, third train east chattanooga, tennessee , fourth train south main hub @ atlanta, georgia. took train alabama border , last 1 montgomery in center of state.

as war proceeded, federals seized ports along mississippi river, burned trestles , railroad bridges , tore track. frail confederate railroad system faltered , virtually collapsed want of repairs , replacement parts.

in part of civil war, alabama not scene of military operations. state contributed 120,000 men confederate service, practically white male population capable of bearing arms. recruited locally , served men knew, built esprit , strengthened ties home. medical conditions severe soldiers. 15% of fatalities disease, more 10% battle. alabama had few well-equipped hospitals, had many women volunteered nurse sick , wounded. soldiers poorly equipped, after 1863. pillaged dead boots, belts, canteens, blankets, hats, shirts , pants. uncounted thousands of slaves impressed work confederate troops; took care of horses , equipment, cooked , did laundry, hauled supplies, , helped in field hospitals. other slaves built defensive installations, around mobile. graded roads, repaired railroads, drove supply wagons, , labored in iron mines, iron foundries , in munitions factories. service of slaves involuntary: unpaid labor impressed unpaid masters. 10,000 slaves escaped , joined union army, along 2,700 white men.

thirty-nine alabamians attained flag rank, notably lieutenant general james longstreet , admiral raphael semmes. josiah gorgas, came alabama pennsylvania, chief of ordnance confederacy. located new munitions plants in selma, employed 10,000 workers until union soldiers burned factories down in 1865. selma arsenal made of confederacy s ammunition. selma naval ordnance works made artillery, turning out cannon every 5 days. confederate naval yard built ships , noted launching css tennessee in 1863 defend mobile bay. selma s confederate nitre works procured niter nitre , mining bureau gunpowder, limestone caves. when supplies low, advertised housewives save contents of chamber pots—as urine rich source of nitrogen.

in 1863, union forces secured foothold in northern alabama in spite of opposition of general nathan b. forrest. 1861, union blockade shut mobile, and, in 1864, outer defenses of mobile taken union fleet; city held out until april 1865.

losses

alabama soldiers fought in hundreds of battles; state s losses @ battle of gettysburg 1,750 dead plus more captured or wounded; alabama brigade took 781 casualties. governor lewis e. parsons in july 1865 made preliminary estimate of losses. white men served, 122,000 said, of whom 35,000 died in war , 30,000 disabled. next year governor robert m. patton estimated 20,000 veterans had returned home permanently disabled, , there 20,000 widows , 60,000 orphans. cotton prices low, value of farms shrank, $176 million in 1860 $64 million in 1870. livestock supply shrank too, number of horses fell 127,000 80,000, , mules 111,000 76,000. overall population remained same—the growth might have been expected neutralized death , emigration.