Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-09-20
LETTER FROM BOB JOHNSON TO wEsTER,
VIRGINIA REBEL.

LITTER FROM BOB JOHNSON TO WESTERN
VIRGINIA REBEL.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE.
RICHXoSD, VA, Angus; 10th, 1902.
Mr. 4. Woodisy:
DEAR SIR-i was too much engaged yes
terday to talk TO you fully on the subject
then mentioned between Us. Although you
aud your friends. between eighteen and
ihirty-ire years OF age. are ali subject 10
the conscript law, and there is no power in
| the Executive branch Of the Government to
dispense with it, OF 20 forbear the ezecn-
| ton OF its provisions as against you, yet
the Secretary, as / understand, has con-
scented that you may organize companies
/ among yourselves, electing your own Off
GERS, who will be commissioned by the
! President, ifa sufficient number of compa-
| mics, say five, can be organized TO form
I battalion. II you have a battalion of i've
companies YOu eau also elect a Major, &C
cording to the laws of Virginia, that is by
the company officers. Should you have
! six companies 700 eau, in the same way.
| elect Lieutenant Colonel and Major, or
( if there are ten companies, that is q regi
ment. you eau, in the same way, elect a full
/ set of regimeutal officers, i. G.. a Colonel,
Lieut.. Colonel aud Major, who will be com
missioued as aforesaid. The companies
must consist Of
| 1t you do not choose TO organize separ-
ately you will he assigned to such regi-
menis in the ervice, as couscripts, a you
may chooSe-the 25th or 3lst regiments of
Virginia volunteers, which consist mainly
OF Northwestern Yirginians, and are ofii-
cered entirely by men from that part Of the
State of Virginia, OF any other regiment or
regiments of Virginia volunteers.
80.
who are Confederate troops aud entitled TO
all the protection that other troops are en-
titled to; they are acting under the COM
mand Of the officers having charge OF the
department, in which they are, and are
raised under AN act of Congress.
II, Ms understand you is the case, any
of your number have recently taken the
oath of allegiance TO the Government of
the Uniten States, they will still be subject
to the conscript law and liable to do mill
tnry duty to the Confederate States. Our
| Government of course regards the Govern
ment ofthe United States as a foreign Gov
eminent and cannot recognize the right of
the Government of the United States to adj
minister to any citizen of the Confederate
| States, resident therein, any oath which can
protect that citizen from a demand of mill
itary service to his country. 1t matters not
whether the oath was taken voluntarily or
upon compulsion. A citizen of the Con-
federate States who chooses to go out of the
same, and to reside beyond their limits,
would doubtless have a right TO throw off
his allegiance thereto and make himself a
citizen ofauy other country. the laws there
Of admitting him to do so. But after all
that has come and gone in these States,
and particularly in Virginia. residents
therein, citizens thereof, cannot be allowed
to choose their allegiance and be protected
in that choice. This Government has no.
titled the Government of the United States
that it will disregard all such oaths and
protect all prisoners of war, who may have
taken them, with allthe power it possesses.
This of cOurSe is ample, for this purpose,
as painful as the necessity for retaliation
on their prisoners of war in our hands
might be.
think you aud your friends would fare
better, aud do better service for the cause,
and consequently for your section, in the
regular service, say in Jackson's army
The QuArtermaster's. COmmissary and
Medical Departments will be better proVi-
ded and more regularly administered.-
The service will be hard, but perhaps not
harder among the masses Of our army
Then your rights MS prisoners of war,
should. you unfortunately become such,
will be more readily recognized by COM
manders of high position in the army of
the enemy, who are in direct aud frequent
communication With their government