The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-13

nfent-a Dorps incapable of per for ming the
uuuea.oi m iuli regiment without imposing
! on ttS members n far greater amount of labor
man should justly fall to their lot The
/ netfiis for weeks past have been very heavy.
These details are made from the Brigade
| headquarters, whence they are issued simnl-
| taneously TO the several regiments aud corps
| OF tha brigade. They ought to be m sde with
reference TO the strength of each regiment -
Such does not seem to bp the case ho wayer: and
| rs tn" numerical strength 0f thn i. regiment
/ Is much less than that OF ei ther of the Others
WE are mus required TO perform y double
snare OF dntV. III we were only rated a. q
btttalion--ead we are scarcely rlora-tha de.
| mends up1n-r,S would he in proportion to our
strength. Ta"n il il not wrong that a mere
! technlcality should impose oUsrous aud un-
necessary burdens upon men who aIV-ays
| have dore and are evar Willing to do their
| dnty-their whole dutY-aud who have al
! READY eNnihited 'hHir elrnestnesS of sonl by
| writing their names IN characters Of blood
upon me page az lhetT cOnutry'S history -
Wh" came TO Fl hg0t, and not to drag ont two
thltds OF their time in digging trenches, re
| ntirihg roads, cutting wood. Guarding wa
goHS, or watching the sacred preci acts of some
| General OH :er headquarters. Oar ranks at
etch day dress parade scarcely preSen Is a
front OF one hundred men. The rest except
! ing thc SICK, are handling the pick, the spade
| OF me axe, or walking the luonotonUus beat
| OF the sentinel.
| Since the day on which we left Richmond
the lst Regiment has been constantly IN the
3dNante- ii has done as much, perhaps ore
service thar any other regiment in the State
| or. may say. IN the Confederate army II
| has, through the un firing eXertous OF it's of
| hceTs, acquired proficiency in drill not
| eqnaiied hy any other volunteer infantry
corps in the service, and the materials Of
which II - com posed such As never
brought the blush OF shame 10 the cheek of a
2aliAut trader. There Is planty more Of the
tina materials ~ home. Then why do not
| our numbers iucrease, ather than diminish
| Is there any prospect Ct filling ourranks? /
answer, none, as thiGe> now exist. Aud vet
IN oil
hers 10 6o9 men within one month "The
lst mas an enylabie reputation, 80 far as |
can learn, at home ard abroad. Scores OF
young men are willing. and even anxious, to
. JON the army, for a variety OF reasons and
would prefer entering this regiment to any
other. <Hat, they have no idea of bidding
good bye 10 their homes and friends, with no
! hope of returning unril the expira ton of
| their term OF service. They hayeno thought
| OF voluntarily becoming prisoners Of war,
snch they know us (of the ranks) to be -
| Ne.eT was Il greater mis- take made by our
Generals, han the determinatio TO grant no
more furi0ugns. This hts gone forth To the
country, and the backWardness OF volunteers,
| as well as two thirds O: the discharges and
designations, is entirely owing to it.
II J. hard . forget home, even when sur
rounded by scenes which eDIiyen thn soul and
give ease and pleasure to the body. Tnere are
!eT meu whose hearts do not turn 70 it witt
an almost irresistible longing when their
| bodies ard minds are worn ana yexed with
| the sights and sounds, the turmoil and tiS-
|
ineNpressi bic relic! 10 be permitted to return
| home, though il be for only few days. Find
ing this lm possible, and I'll II the day of their
| delIyerdEC3 Is many weary months ahead,
| those who can do so, resign, Whil. Others
who are re1used q short leave of absence, OBJ
| tain discharges npon various preteXts Others
| less fortunate, who can neither resign nor Oh
| tain discharges, become enervated in mind
anu body, ana sink under the weight of their
delscLton. Many are rendered unit for duty
| by no iher disease than the "home fever ="
and others who are slightly unweli from ther
causes become seriously ~ as their minds re
| vert 10 the tender nursing which. in former
| times, they received at home from willing
| hands, bnt which Is now denied them by tAe
| lneNOTa bic decree ''uO more turloughs.' -
Again. when tae subject OF main tanning or
! increasing the strength OF the army Is con-
| sIdered, Ii should be borne Ill mild, that the
| hour Of enthusI isrn is past. Men 90 not spring
| into the ranks now as At the irst call of their
county. The idea ot WAR has become a fimi- =
| liar Thing, and while all good citizens are
none the less determined 10 resist tyranny
| AID 70 defend all tnat IN axes life worth hay-
| ing, Yer, these who dId Not yield to he fir Z
impulse 10 rush TO arms, tbs Ne VINO were no
| swept away in iae first wave of popular &.
| element, are disposed 10 yiew The subject
| with calculating eye. with each daV ) re-
/ ft-r:iOn danger seems more remote: patriot
| ism is placed in the balance egalrst their
| habit CT personal freedom their love OF the
| comforts of home 1gainst the privutions and
| ps1ls OF the camp and field, and when p,. .
| triotism does not actually kick tho beam the
| scales ere nearly balanced. II cannot hn de.
| ata s.ra t.o+ La.,, i, ~ - ~ 80 -, 80
! being The case, eV cry abrIGgmen Of individual
| privilt GeS, not absolutely necessary 10 the
| maintenance OF military discipline is an in
1anE tharany n fha cs,lsa in 1,,h;1 SCI @ : 49,
engaged.
Now, while II j. true That men who ought
~ ~ i, +hc ,rro, ,,..,,sa -, ~, 80, - -
| snti.-i II dos no; foTfou, ~ 80. ~ - -
| natrio+io than ofhtrS NJ - -. -. i' :;
the urs.art i;fst4naa "a ,Iana - bo,,seIr-r -,
Ear 13nii,taT-- ,.,t!. -, IN ~ J g - "a;
| uu.aer do - +o.,, -rsightx r.,-,,cs -, ~ ~ ~ " 8
| r,4rs ra~sau..l sonsioera +io,-s \ D;ts,isI,a+
/ ,Ia IA not more dear +ban . cta~i ho1
H. a r,uot;-v his NOT r,r Itj,,r, i,,I, ~ =
| strot,e, 80 ~ 80, hl,,l ~ -, 49,, - - -.
| ana nnnrn,artad ~isfeTr IN ~, 80 . 80
vyhau = man Gives himself 20 his .oun+rv hn
not only NitbdrA,ys the chpertf.g inuu4nra
| ofhis presence from those who have a MAIN
! raj claim uOOu him. bur h q! % ahanconS the
| means by which they nave ohtained sha,ter
nud surport. Can any man do hi. v-i1hout
! n ptintul s.ruEyiee "A Re these not acr.1ir.I
| ,.trt4g Of hesitation ? Tha man Is not. vyort7
| bnViug whose affections are not rwinad
| round and round his Homestead and its occt,-
| pant~ He can be true TO nothing who ls.noL
| true 70 the mother who watched his iuflucy
| thex7ife uf his altar spoken VOWS or tie sis
| ter who shared lis chIll4O0lS Suuuy sports.
| 4 u1an who haS these to bind him - home
| may we'll hesitate 10 enter the arm with the
| aGict ''nO more furlougnS' staring him III the
| tfce
! The all i'm pCrtant question now with uS
| is whether or not we are 10 pass the winter
| here. 1t IS q maFteI o. 10 little concern, as
| you may readily imagine, AID the ques,i n Is
one which | am constrained in my own mind
| 10 answer III the ali native 50 tar rs ! can
! learn. the friends of the lSt Va Regiment
neei not hope iii Il they Will return TO Rich
= m0nd this Winte II, indeed, We 20 into win
Ter quarters at ali. They are the one year
soldiers, and the policy Cf the War Depart
ment is 10 get all the service out o. them that
| can lie had within that time. II we remain