USA > Alabama > Butler County > The history of Butler County, Alabama, from 1815 to 1885 > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
46
THE HISTORY OF
here seemed to be well pleased. The yield of the land in these early days was really astonishing. Everything being cheap, it cost but little to live, and consequently the prosperity of the thrifty was remarkable.
There is nothing of importance to record for several years. Everything was work, money, and abundance. Education and the various accom- plishments, as well as the luxuries of higher civ- ilization were gradually introduced, until the county and the people became enlightened in many respects. Everything moved on quietly and smoothly until 1855, when an effort was made to have a railroad run through the county for the transportation of produce and the accommodation of the people. This enterprise received great en- couragement from the wealthy and influential men of the county, and was soon a reality. It was not until 1861 that the road was completed. In May of that year Butler County was in communication with Montgomery and Mobile, the two principal towns in the State. Their cotton, corn, stock, timber. leather, and any other part of their pro- ducts could be shipped to any part of the country in a few days.
This railroad, known as the Mobile and Mont- gomery, was of great value to the county. More emigrants flocked to the county, land rose in value, wages were raised and the whole county began to show decided evidences of an increased prosperity.
E
GOV. T. H. WATTS.
47
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
CHAPTER VII.
THOMAS HILL WATTS, Ex-Governor of Alabama.
THIS honored citizen of Alabama was born in Butler County, January 3, 1819, and was the eldest child of John H. and Prudence Watts, who moved in 1817 from Greene County, Georgia, to Butler County, in the then Territory of Alabama. His father was among the first settlers of Butler County, and located the place now known in the Flat as the Watts' Old Place, and which is often visited as the birth-place of one of the Governors of Ala- bama. His mother was a daughter of Thomas Hill, who distinguished himself by his generosity to the first emigrants to this county, and after whom the subject of this sketch was named. The country being new, Governor Watts did not have the privilege of going to a good school until he was sixteen years of age, when he was sent to the Airy Mount Academy, in Dallas County, where he received careful instruction from James A. McLean, a thoroughly educated Scotchman. Here young Watts made rapid progress, and was pre- pared for college in 1836. He was admitted to the University of Virginia in November of the same year, where he remained until July, 1840, when he was graduated in all the schools in the regular course except the school of the Greek
48
THE HISTORY OF
language and literature. In addition to the regu- lar academic course, he received certificates of proficiency in political economy, geology and mineralogy. During the last session at the Uni- versity, he took the junior course in law. On his return home, in the summer of 1840, he found the county very much excited over the celebrated Harrison presidential campaign, and he began his political career by making several speeches in favor of the Whigs.
He continued the study of law at home until January, 1841, when he moved to Greenville, where he was admitted to the bar in March, on the examination of the eccentric Judge Ezekiel Pickens. He at once entered upon the duties of his profes- sion, but was often interrupted by politics.
In 1842, he was elected to the Legislature by the people of his native county, and was re- nominated in 1843, but declined the honor for want of time to devote to his business. He was, however, elected in 1844 and again in 1845 ; and made a good member of the Legislature each time. It was during his last session that the Con- stitution was changed so as to have only biennial sessions, and this was the last session at Tus- caloosa. On the 10th day of January, 1842, he was married to Miss Eliza B. Allen, the accom- plished daughter of Wade Allen, Esq., then a prominent and wealthy citizen of Montgomery. She died August 31, 1873, leaving a family of ten children. In 1847, Governor Watts removed to
/
49
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
Montgomery. That city, then being the Capital of the State, was looked upon as headquarters for all the best lawyers of the Alabama bar. Here he opened an office, and enjoyed a successful prac- tice, soon winning the esteem and confidence of the intelligent people of the town and county. They showed their high appreciation of his worth by electing him to represent them in the House in 1849, and in the Senate in 1853. The Capitol was burned during the session of 1849, and the effort to remove the seat of Government back to Tus- caloosa, and not rebuild in Montgomery, was the absorbing question during the remainder of that session.
In 1855, he was the Whig candidate for Con- gress from this district, but was defeated by James F. Dowdell, Esq., the Democratic nominee. Al- though Mr. Watts was defeated by a small majority in this election, he was generally recognized as the leader of the Whig party in the State; and was, accordingly, nominated as an elector on the Bell and Everett ticket in 1860, hoping by their election to avoid, the necessity of secession. He was disappointed.
The whole South was, in the fall and winter of 1860, in a state of intense excitement. William L. Yancey and Thomas H. Watts were elected by the people of Montgomery to the Secession Convention of the State, which assembled on the 7th day of Jan- uary, 1861. Colonel Watts voted for and signed the Ordinance of Secession, a lithographic copy of
50
THE HISTORY OF
which now nangs in the library of the Supreme Court at Montgomery. After the organization of the Confederate Government, he was appointed by President Jefferson Davis, to act as Confederate States Commissioner to Arkansas, but declined the appointment from the fact that he was a mem- ber of the convention which seceded. In the spring of 1861, war was proclaimed against the Southern States by President Lincoln; and Mr. Watts was instrumental in raising the 17th Alabama Regiment, of which he was elected colonel. He first entered active service at Pensacola, in the grand bombardment which took place there in 1861. In March, 1862, he was ordered to Corinth, Mis- sissippi, and it was while his regiment was at this place, that he received notice from President Davis of his appointment as Attorney General of the Confederate States, with the request that he immediately repair to Richmond. This appoint- ment was unsolicited by Colonel Watts or any of his friends, and shows how his ability as a lawyer was recognized by the public men of the South. With this appointment, Colonel Watts retired from the battle-field, after having won for himself a fine reputation in the military circles of the country, for bravery and gallantry.
He entered upon the duties of this office, April 9th, 1862, and continued to act as Attorney Gen- eral until October 1, 1863. In August of that year, while he was absent from the State, the people of Alabama, from their high regard for his
51
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
executive ability, elected him to the office of Chief Magistrate of his native State. He received a majority of the votes cast in every county of the State except Winston.
Governor Watts entered upon his administration under most trying circumstances. The cause of the South had already assumed a distressing as- pect ; the governmental affairs in every State were in a most embarrassing condition, and it required a steady nerve and a sound and experienced judg- ment to meet every emergency to the satisfaction of the oppressed people. Governor Watts guarded the interests of Alabama to the best of his ability, and made the best use possible of the means at his command, for the good of the general public. In these times of great trial and excitement, he held the reins of Government with a firm and unswerv- ing hand, and the people of this grand State were exceedingly fortunate in having such a man at the helm of the ship of State. It is a remarkable fact that he gave general satisfaction. During the sec- ond year of his administration, the cause of the South became the Lost Cause, and the Govern- ment of the people was changed to the Provisional Government. The people of the South know, by experience, the effects of this form of Govern- ment. Fortunately, the Government of the peo- ple has been re-established, and Alabama buds and blossoms again as of yore.
With the introduction of the Provisional Govern- ment, Thomas H. Watts, the distinguished Ex-
52
THE HISTORY OF
ecutive Officer, retired from public life. He has, ever since that time, diligently devoted himself to the practice of law, giving his whole time and energy to every case entrusted to him. He has argued more cases in the Supreme Court of Ala- bama than any other lawyer that ever lived in this State ; and has defended over one hundred persons charged with murder, and never had one of his clients hanged. He still lives in Montgomery, and enjoys a good share of public patronage from different counties in the State ; and is a member of the firm of Watts & Watts, having taken in part- nership with him his son, Thomas H. Watts, Jr., who is a lawyer of recognized ability.
Governor Watts is a strong advocate of temper- ance, and has abstained from drinking any ardent spirits for forty years. He is now sixty-five years old, and still walks with the springing step of youth; and is now able to do more work, both physical and mental, than he could do at the age of forty.
He has a good knowledge of hygiene, and en- joys perfect health. In August, 1846, while liv- ing at Greenville, he connected himself with the Baptist Church, and has been a consistent Chris- tian ever since. He is now a prominent member of the First Baptist Church of Montgomery, and contributes liberally to all charitable enterprises.
Before the war, he had accumulated a large amount of property, owning over 200 slaves, but, by his great liberality to friends during the needy
53
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
times of the war, he lost his wealth, and was forced into bankruptcy in 1868.
Governor Watts is a warm-hearted, polite, tem- perate, intelligent, energetic, honest, conscientious Christian, and is worthy of the admiration of all those who appreciate the rare qualities of a truly great man. He has many relatives, and a host of warm friends in Butler County, who remember him very distinctly, and refer to his name with a great deal of patriotic pride. Let the noble ex- ample of Governor Thomas H. Watts serve to kindle in the breasts of the young men of Butler County, the desire to make their lives useful, and light up the pages of Southern history with their illustrious names !
CHAPTER VIII.
The War Between the States Interferes with the Great Prosperity of the People-The County Furnishes Many Brave Soldiers-The War Robs Her of Some of Her Best Men and Sweeps Away the Wealth of Her Citizens, Etc.
AMID great prosperity and progress, the South was stirred from center to circumference in 1861, by a declaration of war between the States. The party issues of the country culminated in the elec- tion of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency of the
54
THE HISTORY OF
United States in 1860, and war was declared against the Southern States no sooner than he had taken his seat as Chief Executive Officer. The Southern States, feeling that their people deserved justice, seceded from the Union, and formed the Confederacy, to decide all party issues at the point of the bayonet. The author will not attempt to enter into the details of this bloody conflict be- tween the North and the South. He is concerned only in the part that Butler County took in the matter, and how she suffered from the effects of the conflict.
Her men were brave and heroic sons of liberty, and espoused the Southern cause with as much patriotism as Roman soldiers. The Greenville Guards, with Captain H. A. Herbert in command, set out for Richmond early in May, 1861. Sev- eral military companies were soon organized and equipped by the citizens of the county, and sent to the battle-field to fight for justice to rule over the land. The whole county was enthusiastic on the subject of joining the Confederate Army, and six- teen companies were soon formed, and marched toward the scene of action, feeling almost confi- dent that their arrival would determine the result of the contest in favor of the South. The noble and thoughtful women from all parts of the county greatly assisted in the equipment of these com- panies of gallant men, and underwent many hardships and privations for the soldier-boys far from home. They worked with untiring energy
55
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
to provide for their families and keep the soldiers in clothing at the same time. These patriotic daughters of Butler County, many of whom are still living in our midst, should be praised as much for the noble part they took in the late war, as our gallant soldiers, who spilt their life-blood on the gory fields of battle, and each should wear a crown of gold for their many self-denials in "the times that tried men's souls."
The wheels of commerce were soon clogged by the struggles of war, and all the luxuries, as well as some of the necessities, of life were taken from the people. The cards, the spinning-wheel and loom of pioneer life had to be pressed back into service, for making clothing for the family at home and for the absent ones fighting for peace and justice. Coffee and tea were hardly to be had at any price. Meal, bran, okra, potatoes, sassafras and other things were substituted as a beverage for coffee and tea.
A few men remained behind to prepare food for the army by working the slaves of several plan- tations in connection, and these men generally succeeded in making a good harvest every year during the war. The negroes labored faithfully and showed no signs of discontent, and are to be highly commended for their conduct and action in this great struggle concerning their future freedom. News was constantly received of the death of a brother, father, son, other near relatives, neigh- bors, or of the defeat of the Confederates in some
56
THE HISTORY OF
battle; but this did not discourage the men at home nor the brave-hearted women, for they con- tinued to work without thinking of giving up hope of victory for the Southern people. It is, indeed, sad, that all their hopes, arduous labors, self-deni- als, earnest and tearful prayers should be in vain; and, though the bravest and most gallant men of the nineteenth century fought for the Confederacy, the South was defeated. And in the spring of 1865, while the South bloomed in all the beauty of her flowers, and shed sweet fragrance over the soil made sacred by the blood of her noble citizens, the whole country was pillaged and plundered by the Federal Army-not satisfied with the injury al- ready done the rebels, these thoughtless victors proceeded to drain the last drop of blood from the veins of the Southern people. The horse or mule was taken from the plow, corn from the barn, meat from the smoke-house, the last cent from the purse, every piece of jewelry that could be found -all these, and any other valuables that were in reach, were boldly seized by the Union soldiers and either carried off or destroyed. The dome of heaven was often lit up by glaring light from the flames that laid in ashes the palatial home of some Southern family. During this great excitement the Confederate soldiers began to return to their homes, to find the whole country in perfect con- fusion.
After all the soldiers had returned, many of Butler's brave and noble sons were found absent.
57
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
Among the gallant officers that were left dead upon the battle-field were Colonel Samuel Adams, commander of the Thirty-third Regiment; Captains R. N. Cook, Zachariah Daniel, William E. Dod- son, E. Y. Hill, Lewis A. Livingston, J. D. Mc- Kee, H. H. Rutledge and William S. Sims. Besides these officers, there were many privates whose names the author could not mention here for want of space, although they were noted for their gallantry and courage in many hard-fought battles.
The war being over and the freedom of the col- ored people established, great excitement pre- vailed among the negroes. Some went off with the Union soldiers, while others, more sensible, contracted with their old masters to stay with them the remainder of the year for a certain part of the crop. All the bonds issued by the Con- federate Government had now no value whatever, and cash money was at a premium. The citizens of the county, being robbed of their wealth by the freedom of their slaves and the high taxes of the war, began at once to arrange their business matters, to provide for their respective households and make the best of the circumstances in which the country was placed by the late war. In addition to the many disadvantages and embarrassments of the times, the people had to endure the provisional form of government, and be ruled by men either directly opposed to the Southern cause, or who were in sympathy with the Union men, and had
58
THE HISTORY OF
turned traitor to the South for the purpose of gain. Every office in Butler County was soon filled by an officer against the will of the ma- jority of the most intelligent citizens of the county. Several years were spent in trying to readjust matters, to wind up bankrupt and insolvent es- tates, and get back into the old path of happiness and prosperity. Many wealthy citizens sank amid the financial crash, only to rise in poverty ยท and obscurity. This state of things could not last always, and a change for the better was earnestly hoped for by the downtrodden people. They gave up all hopes of the negro as ever being of any more service to them financially, and began to concentrate all their energies to fight their own battle in the struggle for subsistence.
CHAPTER IX.
The People Manage to Survive the Oppressive Times Which Followed the War, and Begin to Pros- per-They Succeed in Electing Their County Officers from the Ranks of the Intelligent Dem- ocrats, and are no Longer Governed by Carpet- Baggers and Republicans-The Prosperity of the People Assured, Etc.
THE business interests of the county were now
59
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
in a bad condition. No one's credit was good for any amount; the commerce of the whole country was greatly affected by the destruction of the war; the labor of these sections was of no service to the people for some time, and many other things retarded the progress of the county for several years. But this state of affairs could not last al- ways. The clouds soon began to break away in the East, and a bright sun rose to shine in all its grandeur and splendor upon the desperate efforts of the Southern people to free themselves from the oppression of the times, and restore peace, happiness and prosperity in this their beautiful land.
In 1874, the affairs of the county were removed from the hands of the Republican party, where they had suffered greatly from the want of proper attention, and all the offices were filled with men elected by the Democrats-this party consisting of a majority of the most intelligent and influen- tial voters of the county. The result of this elec- tion was received with great joy by the whites, for it meant that the provisional form of government was abolished, and justice and right should once more rule over the people.
The principal officers inaugurated under the new regime in the fall of 1874, were John L. Powell, Judge of Probate Court; Ransom Seale, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and William M. Flow- ers, County Sheriff.
The whole county now presents a different as-
60
THE HISTORY OF
pect-the farming and business interests begin to look up and prosperity is secured to the thrifty. All kinds of enterprises of the citizens receive great encouragement, and the natural resources of the county begin to be developed by the capitalist. The immense forests were brought in service for making houses, and shipping timber to different parts of the State; farming land and all kinds of real estate increase in value, and everything once more assumes an air of prosperity. This progress has steadily continued from that day, until Butler County stands to-day abreast with any county in the State in nearly every respect, and is far ahead of the average in some particulars.
CHAPTER X.
A General Description of the Present Resources of the County, and Its Prospects for Future Devel- opment.
WE will now take the reader over a summary of all the resources of the county, showing him its area of cultivated and uncultivated lands, the variety of soil in different localities, with its pro- ducts; and, in fact, everything of interest to a per- son in search of general information will be found in this chapter. A fuller description of the small
61
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
villages and neighborhoods in particular localities of the county can be read in the second part of this book.
There are in this county about 450,000 acres of land, about 5,200 of which belongs to the Gov- ernment, subject to homestead entry at the rate of ten cents per acre; the rest is owned by cor- porations and private individuals. The Mobile and Montgomery Railroad, which extends about thirty-four miles nearly diagonally across the county, owns 8,800 acres, valued at $1.25 per acre; the Michigan Land Company owns 10,700 acres, the Milner, Caldwell & Flowers Mill cor- poration owns 25,000 acres, and Judge Samuel Bolling pays taxes on 20,000 acres. Joseph Steiner, W. W. Wilkinson, and others, own small plantations in several portions of the county.
The mineral resources of the county are lim- ited. Up to the present there has been reported but one deposit of iron ore which contains enough metallic iron to pay for working it.
The real value of the land, as well as its market price, depends upon the amount of timber on it, its agricultural products, and its locality. All the land of the county can be classified under three heads, viz., the Prairie, or Black Belt; the Mid- dle, or Red Clay Belt ; and the Southern, or Gray Lands.
Black Belt. The land in the northwestern part of the county, drained by Cedar Creek and the lower half of Wolf Creek, and lying north of Man-
62
THE HISTORY OF
ningham, and north of Monterey, and bordering these villages on the north, is of the black prairie variety, and is very productive without any assist- ance in the way of fertilizers. There are about 8, 500 acres of this land, nearly all of which is in a high state of cultivation. The principal growth on these lands was red cedar, ash, hickory, sev- eral kinds of oak, covered with gray moss, poplar, wahoo, elm, sweet gum, dogwood, etc. Cane also grows vigorously in this region. This soil yields from thirty-five to sixty bushels of corn, from 800 to 1,700 pounds of seed cotton per acre, and other things in proportion. From the richness of the soil, this is the most valuable farming land in the county, selling for, at least, $10, and some- times as high as $25, per acre. Fossils and rocks of the cretaceous division are plentiful here, and interfere somewhat with the higher cultivation of the soil. Water in this section is very scarce, and, when found, is impregnated with lime, which renders it almost unfit for drinking purposes, often producing sickness. The malaria, constantly rising from the stagnant water in the lagoons found on the edges of the swamps, is the cause of so much sickness, that but few people dare trust their health in this locality. A great many, neverthe- less, live along the dividing line between the red and the black land, and own plantations in this productive region.
Middle, or Red Clay Belt. This section borders the black belt of which we have just spoken, and
63
BUTLER COUNTY, ALABAMA.
extends in a southern direction, occupying nearly all of that portion of the county lying north of Greenville, and including that city, and extending east to Crenshaw County. The red color of this soil is due to the large amount of iron oxide dif- fused through it. In some places this iron has been concentrated, probably by the agency of cir- culating atmospheric water charged with organic matter, and may now be found in beds of very fair needle iron ore, yielding about fifty per cent. of metallic iron upon analysis. This deposit of ore begins in the neighborhood of Dead Fall, and is found on the tops of hills from this place around to near McBride's, in the eastern part of the county. The red clay section is not near so pro- ductive as the prairie lands, but when properly assisted by some kind of fertilizer, it has been known to produce very abundantly. Naturally, it yields from six to eight hundred pounds of seed cotton, and from fifteen to twenty bushels of corn per acre, but can be made to produce three or four times as much if properly assisted and cultivated. The natural growth is chestnut, oak, hickory, gum, long and short-leaf pine, etc. This land is generally termed rolling, and is sup- plied with plenty of freestone water. The locality is healthful and convenient to market. The lar- ger portion of this division is already under culti- vation, and is valued at from $5 to $15 per acre.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.