The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-06-13
gIae YoEunfeeTs--WEly they Ese-
F~Esg-as3.

ling I" wish to first brand the whole
forty nine as deserters, traitors to their
country and their country's cause; next
to pronounce every story and complaint
Of hardship aud abuse, as an absolute
falsehood."
What bright visions Of fame must have
aoated before the imagination Of the writ
er as he contemplated those forty niue
deserterS annihilat.d and consigned to an
eternity of disgrace by that single dash
Of denunciatory eloquenee. The Bull Of
excommunication that Pho Nino hurled at
Victor Emanuel sinks into insignidcance
in comparison. All true patriots must
,egret that he chooses such an igpoble
foe. Had he directed his shafts at the
leaders of the Southern Coufedoracy,
Scots occupation would have been gone,
the ~incipient ~laurcls would have been
pluched from his hoary locks, to have
matured on the youthful brow of the great
extirminator, and concealed his modest
blushos as he receives the adulations Of
a grateful people. But human beings
are apt to mistake their abilities so with
our hero; his difidonce prevented him
from choosing an antagonist worthy his
might his powers were expended on an
Insignificant enemy, and the tide Of Grim
son war still rolls on. Alas for human
errors But leaving our hero to his Iau-
rcls ''that be, and that might have been,''
let US turn to Reconsideration Of tho ar
ticlo under consideration.
OF that I have only tc say that it de-
serves notice only because it appears IN 4
public Journal. Its pretended account Of
difficulties in the company, is garbled and
untrue its statement Of the reasons why
the Volunteers returned, is totally false ];
while its denunciations Of individuals are
too contemplate to excite any other emo
ton than that Of amusement.
In the same issue Of the Journal is an
Article entitled "Our Disgrace" over the
initials Of a prominent citizen Of Gou-
dersport. In this article, in blissful ig-
uorance cf the facts, we are branded as
desertars, and the people of Potter are
told that they are forever djsgraced IN
less they compel US to return to, what the
writer is pleased to call, our post Of du-
ty." Under most circumstances, those
~torty-nine dcSertcrs claim to have sufi
cieut intelligence to determine where the
'tpost of duty" is, and with all the IN
formation we could obtain on the subject.
We could not, for the tiIe being, discover
that mythical support to be IN any other
pIdce than Potter county. Now. gentle
men, what was the occasion Of being thus
frightened from your propriety, aud OF
calling hard names? Is it necessary to
the keeping up Of your patriotism, that
you call some n traitor, etc if 50, fire
away.
But here is a simple statement Of the
facts, I believe, in ignorance Of which.
those charges were made As is well
known, near q hundred young men from
Potter responded 10 the cal Of the Presi
dent for Volunteers. We arrived in Har-
risburg just before the three months re,
QUESTION was full, and were told almost
Immediately by Col. Kane that we were
accepted by the Governor; yet we were
not taken lnt0 the three months regi-
ments. We then supposed that our
chance was good for three years, and when
we read the letter Of See. Cameron to Gov.
Curtin, requesting that in making up the
two remaining regiments for three years,
the preference be given to Allegheny and
ether western counties Including the
Z" Wild Cat district, we felt morally Ger,
tain that we should haze a chance to f1Lt;
but.the three years quota was made up
and We were excluded. Notwithstanding
this, we were told from day to day that
we were to be sworn in Immediately {;
that all we were waiting for was the ar
rival Of mastering emoar from Washing
ton, etc. We were thus thrown entirely
out Of the U. S. service, and were asked
to enter the service OF tic State. We
were ind gnant at not having been receiy-
ed into the national service as we had
been led to believe we should be; we
were aware of the treatment Of the Penn
syigania volunteers, and under all those
circumstances playing soldier in the State
militia was not in accordance with our
ideas.
At this juneture Gov. Curtin visited
the Camp, called the wild eats around
him, and after explaining the nature Of
the State service, be continued nearly 10
the following words " You have done
your duty, and now under the circum-
stances, ii any one wishes to return home
he can have an honorable discharge, and
wish it distinctly understood that in no
case can any disgrace attach to any for
so doing"
We supposed then, that Gov. Curtin
was good authority in this matter; ard
notwithstanding the anathema8 that have
been hurled at Us through the Journal
and otherwise, | am Inclined to the same