Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-11-01
NV erFTERrYe SOLDIER.

To ~ ESitOr Of IA Wzis:
CAMP AMY NcRTHIRE VIRGINIA.
Yoe The z,4l and feet With which you advocate the
lot,sssts of tks solder, you hayo the thanks Of every
private, and CT every worthy otacer, too, in the service.
The d~sstitutioa Of our army In every article Of com.
fort you DO not exAEgerate. When ] assure you that q
very large proportion Of the army are without coats
without Ihirts, without ~brsecheA, without. shoes, without
blankets that not one In q hundred u dsoantly and CON
forsAby clad and that In consequence, vermln are al
moot universally prevalent when / tell you these things
/ make = Easmsnt Of which / Am prepared to furnish
lneOntroVertibls proof.
In the commencement Of the campaign, before yet We
bad encountered The enemy, 1t became necessary that
The men should abandon their knspsackA. Thus, for
three months they have fought aud marched without a
slangs Of clothing, aud withou. any rsparation of the
scar and tear incidsntt to their rough and srduous ser
vice. No wonder THAR foul and ragged appearance pro-
vokes the deIiscn Of the enemy. Nor should there be
more marvel, il With the icss Of every deosncy Of dress,
aud al physical cleanliness, our soldiers eventually come
to lose that selfrsspeot Withou! which neilhsr courage nor
discipline can saise This, however, IL q result for
which they only are responsible upon whom devolves
the Administrations Of the army. Your benevolent sE
forts ale directed rather to rouse the sympsthies Of the
pubic, and go 4 supply Oaisisl negIec. by the voluntary
contributions Of the community. 10 this generous CT
deaVOr you could not fail Of success, If 1t we're possible
even for your gaphlc pen to convey a nat conception Of
the circumstances Ct tbil army. Here are msn, Of whom
Ee may say With literal truth, that they we're reared In
The lap OF leHdsy, . men of high birth and Ifl lent con-
ditioD, Ignorant hitherto OF p~riVation and hardship
:oese men, constituting in Large proportion our mSgni-
6ssnt Army-,he men, who from Manassas to Sharpe
burg carried our g in triumph, surmountiug all obsta.
elss, Inaccessible 10 Luager or fatigue, d,AInt In the
presence OF thrice their nunbsr, and not broken under
he pressure Of overwhelming odds-these ussl 80 brave,
50 devoted, 50 victorious, the "chiyAlry Of the South
.hese men nov huddle around s scanly fire and SILVER
in the blast Of November night, with no tant 10 shelter
hem from The inclemsney OF tue season, with no cloth
log to protect them from the piercing cold with no bls1.
kss 10 wrap them in the few hours OF s'eep, aud no shoes
70 cover their feet in the rugged mIrches. These men
are capable, l kn1S, Of whatever vAlOr or endurance
nay accomplish; but nature has her limits, aud even
the corqqero.s Of Manassas must sueeumb TO neglec;
and the r'gOrs CT winter.
This Sigh, sketch will sufise for your vivid imsgina.
ton. You mus. complete tbs picture, and | am per.
susded when YOU have sd6qlstely portrayed the psiyG-
Ions and suffnlngs Of this army you will realize tie oil.
jeci OF your eIeTtion in the bounuiul contribution OF a
generous and patriotic psople. APRrLrE
NorE-We slGl be 6 Al 20 hear from "a Private" in
he future, should be 6ni Aught With which to employ
his pea.-Ed WAiq