Civil War and Reconstruction in AlabamaFleming, Walter L. (Walter Lynwood)
History
Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama
Fleming, Walter L. (Walter Lynwood)
Alabama -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877) -- Alabama
Besides the industries above mentioned there were many minor enterprises.
Household manufactures were universal. The more important companies were
chartered by the legislature. The acts of the war period show that in 1861
there were incorporated six insurance companies and the charters of others
were amended to suit the changed conditions; three railroad companies were
incorporated, and aid was granted to others for building purposes. Roads
carrying troops and munitions free were exempted from taxation. Two mining
and manufacturing companies were incorporated, four iron and coal
companies, one ore foundry, an express company,[401] a salt manufacturing
company, a chemical manufacturing company, a coal and leather company, and
a wine and fruit company. In 1862 the legislature incorporated four iron
and foundry companies, a railroad company, the Southern Express Company, a
gas-light company, six coal and iron companies, a rolling-mill, and an oil
company, and amended the charters of four railroad companies and two
insurance companies. In 1864 two railroad companies were given permission
to manufacture alcohol and lubricating oil, and the Citronelle Wine,
Fruit, and Nursery Company was incorporated. Various other manufacturing
companies--of drugs, barrels, and pottery--were established.
Besides salt the state made alcohol and whiskey for the poor. Every man
who had a more than usual regard for his comfort and wanted to keep out of
the army had a tannery in his back yard, and made a few shoes or some
harness for the Confederacy, thus securing exemption.
Governor Moore, in his message to the legislature on October 28, 1861,
said: "Mechanical arts and industrial pursuits, hitherto practically
unknown to our people, are already in operation. The clink of the hammer
and the busy hum of the workshop are beginning to be heard throughout our
land. Our manufactories are rapidly increasing and the inconvenience which
would result from the continuance of the war and the closing of our ports
for years would be more than compensated by forcing us to the development
of our abundant resources, and the tone and the temper it would give to
our national character. Under such circumstances the return of peace would
find us a self-reliant and truly independent people."[402] And had the
war ended early in 1864, the state would have been well provided with
manufactures.
The raids through the state in 1864 and 1865 destroyed most of the
manufacturing establishments. The rest, whether owned by the government or
private persons, were seized by the Federal troops at the surrender and
were dismantled.[403]
SEC. 2. CONFEDERATE FINANCE IN ALABAMA
Banks and Banking
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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