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swiftly along the banks and； at points commanding the channel；
rain on the passing steamer unheralded destruction。 He was silent
upon the really serious matter； the patrol of the river by
Federal gunboats which rendered commerce with the
Trans…Mississippi all but impossible。
This report； dated the 26th of November； gives a roseate view of
the war in Tennessee and enlarges upon that dreadful battle of
Chickamauga which 〃ranks as one of the grandest victories of the
war。〃 But even as the report was signed； Bragg was in full
retreat after his great disaster at Chattanooga。 On the 30th of
November the Administration at Richmond received from him a
dispatch that closed with these words： 〃I deem it due to the
cause and to myself to ask for relief from command and an
investigation into the causes of the defeat。〃 In the middle of
December； Joseph E。 Johnston was appointed to succeed him。
Whatever had been the illusions of the Government； they were now
at an end。 There was no denying that the war had entered a new
stage and that the odds were grimly against the South。 Davis
recognized the gravity of the situation； and in his message to
Congress in December； 1863； he admitted that the
Trans…Mississippi was practically isolated。 This was indeed a
great catastrophe； for hereafter neither men nor supplies could
be drawn from the far Southwest。 Furthermore； the Confederacy had
now lost its former precious advantage of using Mexico as a means
of secret trade with Europe。
These distressing events of the four months between Vicksburg and
Chattanooga established also the semi…isolation of the middle
region of the lower South。 The two States of Mississippi and
Alabama entered upon the most desperate chapter of their history。
Neither in nor out of the Confederacy； neither protected by the
Confederate lines nor policed by the enemy； they were subject at
once to the full rigor of the financial and military demands of
the Administration of Richmond and to the full ruthlessness of
plundering raids from the North。 Nowhere can the contrast between
the warfare of that day and the best methods of our own time be
observed more clearly than in this unhappy region。 At the opening
of 1864 the effective Confederate lines drew an irregular zigzag
across the map from a point in northern Georgia not far below
Chattanooga to Mobile。 Though small Confederate commands still
operated bravely west of this line； the whole of Mississippi and
a large part of Alabama were beyond aid from Richmond。 But the
average man did not grasp the situation。 When a region is
dominated by mobile armies the appearance of things to the
civilian is deceptive。 Because the powerful Federal armies of the
Southwest； at the opening of 1864； were massed at strategic
points from Tennessee to the Gulf； and were not extended along an
obvious trench line； every brave civilian would still keep up his
hope and would still insist that the middle Gulf country was far
from subjugation； that its defense against the invader had not
become hopeless。
Under such conditions； when the Government at Richmond called
upon the men of the Southwest to regard themselves as mere
sources of supply； human and otherwise； mere feeders to a theater
of war that did not include their homes； it was altogether
natural that they should resent the demand。 All the tragic
confusion that was destined in the course of the fateful year
1864 to paralyze the Government at Richmond was already apparent
in the middle Gulf country when the year began。 Chief among these
was the inability of the State and Confederate Governments to
cooperate adequately in the business of conscription。 The two
powers were determined rivals struggling each to seize the major
part of the manhood of the community。 While Richmond； looking on
the situation with the eye of pure strategy； wished to draw
together the full man…power of the South in one great unit； the
local authorities were bent on retaining a large part of it for
home defense。
In the Alabama newspapers of the latter half of 1863 strange
incidents are to be found throwing light on the administrative
duel。 The writ of habeas corpus； as was so often the case in
Confederate history； was the bone of contention。 We have seen
that the second statute empowering the President to proclaim
martial law and to suspend the operation of the writ had expired
by limitation in February； 1863。 The Alabama courts were
theoretically in full operation； but while the law was in force
the military authorities had acquired a habit of arbitrary
control。 Though warned from Richmond in general orders that they
must not take unto themselves a power vested in the President
alone； they continued their previous course of action。 It
thereupon became necessary to issue further general orders
annulling 〃all proclamations of martial law by general officers
and others〃 not invested by law with adequate authority。
Neither general orders nor the expiration of the statute；
however； seemed able to put an end to the interference with the
local courts on the part of local commanders。 The evil apparently
grew during 1863。 A picturesque instance is recorded with extreme
fullness by the Southern Advertiser in the autumn of the year。 In
the minutely circumstantial account； we catch glimpses of one
Rhodes moving heaven and earth to prove himself exempt from
military service。 After Rhodes is enrolled by the officers of the
local military rendezvous； the sheriff attempts to turn the
tables by arresting the Colonel in command。 The soldiers rush to
defend their Colonel； who is ill in bed at a house some distance
away。 The judge who had issued the writ is hot with anger at this
military interference in civil affairs。 Thereupon the soldiers
seize him； but later； recognizing for some unexplained reason the
majesty of the civil law； they release him。 And the hot…tempered
incident closes with the Colonel's determination to carry the
case to the Supreme Court of the State。
The much harassed people of Alabama had still other causes of
complaint during this same year。 Again the newspapers illumine
the situation。 In the troubled autumn； Joseph Wheeler swept
across the northern counties of Alabama and in a daring ride；
with Federal cavalry hot on his trail； reached safety beyond the
Tennessee River。 Here his pursuers turned back and； as their
horses had been broken by the swiftness of the pursuit； returning
slowly； they 〃gleaned the country〃 to replace their supplies。
Incidentally they pounced upon the town of Huntsville。 〃Their
appearance here；〃 writes a local correspondent； 〃was so sudden
and。。。the contradictory reports of their whereabouts〃 had
been so baffling that the townspeople had found no time to
secrete things。 The whole neighborhood was swept clean of cattle
and almost clean of provision。 〃We have not enough left；〃 the
report continues； 〃to haul and plow with。。。and milch cows are
non est。〃 Including 〃Stanley's big raid in July；〃 this was the
twenty…first raid which Huntsville had endured that year。 The
report closes with a bitter denunciation of the people of
southern Alabama who as yet do not know what war means； who are