Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1861-10-09
rho I,riyate Soldier.

NlflkS .Ol tue OltllllCTll NfilS IHSf 'tt'
! not enlisted mcrccnarics they arc volun.
tccrs. and yet bear all the hardships and
pcris that fall to the lot of mcrcinary pri,
Yates, and Alike them, thrown in the back
ground in the distribution Of glory. 1t is
necessarily so, for glory, SO widely diff.
fused. bears to each man no distinguish,
ing mark, though cac.l has been a hero
worthy "all Greek and Roman fame. "
And it is because. knowing that they
would have the lions share of danger, and
that the monopoly of the renown must,
and perhaps ought to, fall to the more
prominent figures in the canvass, to tho
military leaders, they rush not only with
willingness but enthusiasm to the ranks,
that We honor, and admire the volunteer
private soldiers Of the South above all
other men and classes Of men in this Nine
tccnth Century.
Wchnnor anIrcspcct. rs all men ought.
the great military chicIlaims, aud all the
subordinate officers who are qualified for
their positions, but yet we look upon the
private volunteer snldicrs with,a rercr-
encc that We feel for no official rank.
Their being where they arc shows us just
what they are. Their position saves US
hc trouble of analv2ng their motives !;
they are honest as they are brave, they
are mcn-gcnnir> men: the true metal,
Wre gold. Tkcv ar, no political ASH
,.nts. Il, n.Iitar! rlrt,rlrl, ;: In luz :ll'1
,;.o.,I:.'l haiubyig: lii F..tri':i- std n,
ra@>, 10 wlior, j "ii may tai" I'll your nat:
ana do homage to sincerity and mallincss
in the most perfect combination and un.
Questionable shape.
With tt%; exceptions, Of worthless and
s"cEl,s* :;dycntiir"r>--sn i,.w HAT they
only establish ,n. .snt.,.l r,i,'--l III T,I-
uIllrcr lrl,.,'r ri lln. ;;;.'ilIIull' Stat: :'tr
the yer, lIW,f"l The Whole l.uIl. IL al
lIai constitutes character, virtue :slnl :"
cal position the great body ni, Illc.a' !r''lr.
CARRYING muskcls OH their shoulders.
sleeping often on the bare grounl, and
eating chcertllly the coarsrst food are
equal in every respect to the highest oili-
GERS by whom they are led TO battle. Yet.
for that very reason. no symptom "l dis.
content. no spirit Of INSTRUMENTATION. Is
ever manifest in their ranks. Implicit
obedience to orders, which it was thought
would be difficult thin, 10 enforce
among h;St-spiriitd Soulharner., has be-
come 4 distinguished characteristic Of the
Southern camp, Wills! the very opposite
prevails among the Northern s"lirrs.
whose frequent rows anal breaches nl dis
ciplinc arc matters OF constant newspaper
n0torictY. The rclsnli OF the difference
is That thc Southern, Army, the rank aud
ii!e, is mostly made upof gentlemen, wIm'
have taken up arms from the pnrrSt sell
limcnts of patriotism; who submit 10 the
most rksninc discipline Oh arcountof the
cause, and whose lmbituaI selI:rcSpccl
precIudcs the very existence Of Il spirit OF
envy and msubordination towards official
superiors.
We don't speak the language of cXag.
gcraIion Wien We sly ;liat such an AMY
lis the South has nuM i'll the field i"
world never saw before. Europe has ha,!
larger armies, nadcup, however. of nnrr-
ccnarics, Of the very drc.s of the cil"i'r.
but never any country. ilra;eicn' nr mod
crl times. an army comprising the YER:
cream OF the intelligence, virlHeand honor
of the land. Drawer men neither Greece
nor Rome ever produced the Old GIarrl
of Napoleon and the Zouaves Of the pres.
ent Emperor never achieved prodigies Of
valor, but who would compare the one or
the other, in individual dignity Of charac-
ter, with the private soldiers of the South
ern Army? Their va!or, however, is sur
passed by their lortitulc and praicncc cx-
crcsed in the endurance of privations and
har,lships far more trying t" such spirits
than the ordeal Of the battlefield. 1t is Il
mystery to us how youths, tendcrly mr.
tured, and muny of them not come 10
mans estate; how gentlemen accustomed
not only to the comforts Of competency,
but the luxurics Of wealth, exchange all
this for the corll-cakcS and fried bacon o.
the camp, cooking it themselves, and in
the most perfect igroranc" otllow to cook
it properly; sleeping often on the bare
ground exposed to all the vicisstudes OF
,, weather, and enduring personal prira,
tionS, wants, and hardship ps which the mnst
Of their slaves have never suffered. and
all this without mnrmur Or complaint
all this for the cause. and without the
faintcst hope of that rcnown aud fame
officers may hope for, but which, in the
nature of things, must be greatly weak,
cned by diffusion through large mass.
A gentleman, who has seen many of o,lr
wounded snldierS. rtarms lis that he has
not met tone who conn claimed ofhis wounds
and it is difficult to find one who com.
plains Of his coarse fare and hard life.
Did The world ever sec such mcn l,el;nrn.
It is al h'llnr Ia live III the same age with
such lofty, ,iisintrrrstrd spirits. Surely
>ilrh men will he hlrsscl ut Heaven. and
their cause and all they hold dear hc Ilr-
der its special carc.-Hichmond Dispatch.
4 Case Of Unprecedented Patriotism.
The New Orleans Picoyune tells the
following story
Alold man, vcrgng towards 'hrcc.scorc
aud ten. whose hairs have whitrncd by
years Of daily soil on the icvec, earning Il
support for himself and family, with the
broad-ay, entered Mayor ilonroc's Office
ON Saturday last. aud begged 10 lnakc 10
him Il confidential concentration. lIr
stated that he had received, in payment
for Ills labor, fifty dollar note of our
glorious and beloved Conttdcracy, the
first he had seen, and that poor as he was,
he determined to consecra.e it to the holy
caasc of the independence Of the Conii'dc.
rate States of America His Honor,
having known for years the honest and