Huntsville

Huntsville, Alabama, the town just occupied by Gen. Mitchell is the capital of Madison county, Ala. Being 150 miles northeast of Tuscaloosa, and 116 miles southeast of Nashville. Its population in 1860 was about 5,000. Ex-Senator C. C. Clay resides there. In the summer months the cream of the Alabama aristocracy from the Gulf counties frequent the place. It is situated on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, and by its occupation, communication between the rebel armies in the southwest States is cut off. The people generally may be classed as “conditional Unionists.” Madison county, in which it is situated, has a population of 26,450, of who 14,375 were slaves. At the last election it gave Douglas 1,300, Breckinridge, 591 & Bell 400 votes.

– Published in The Athens Messenger, Athens, Ohio, Thursday Morning, April 24, 1862