, 1862-07-18
DITCH DIGGING STRATEGY.
What Pro-Slavery Generals
Are Doing. .: ::
Killing our*sotdIerestn the
~. -,~ Trenches. !.


49, .-.--=, ! 49, d.
Correspondence of the n. z. Trlbune.1
sK7E1 PMEst Va, July ., 1861
Out OF respectto the feelings Of uYer-Worked
and unhappy men, I dIsmounted from my
horse and tied Elm ID tbs wood, before I; en-
: tered iRedoubt No. =, where fhe eM Pennssl;
yanta was digging tha way to tha hospital and
the grave for mary Of .itB rank and ILL, -and
with painful lzbor otIy making anuK addition
to the naeenm. Of Yankee military curdosittes
in The York and James River Peninsula TITS
the sole purpose the work viii serve. ~
FENNBYLvANIAEB-T N TEE NrRKHuHAEETs.
I saw thEse very men In the trenches at
/ Lees Mills, other and kindred regiments OF
Pennsyl ylyanians, recruited In the Ea>eyn Of their
noble State, and on It's mountain slopes, and
out fits mines; and recall with what vfgor,
and With what play fu1, Ian sehoolboyish
s5dss o1ndpsty tasy Gsa spaas a1 and dao'sa anoys
+ ions bright; and ont ct their eyes shone, with
| the courage Of their FACE, the strnggling faith
! and impadence Of young soldiers, Ii the high
| est condition, thristing for battle. Precious
! beyond all priee-never to be re:prodQced
| when wasted-the wine Of the young warriors
Lie, and the God-inRplrtd drunkenness Of the
;1nusket-b bearing patriot, we're not yet dasstpar
ted in these regiments. Oh! could they have
been ehot loose upon the foe!
| HOW THE LnH Is WORK OUT OF THE SOLDIER
My poor. pale-faced, listless boy, you dig
arightl You DO, indeed, do right to merely
incline Your slight weight against the top ct
your shovel Just indent this wet and reluc:-
ant clay with the blade. With little pushea
and fainteet pant omifse of ditchtug with the
once muscular foot nov 6hrunken in yonr
shoe take up no more than your tin cupfQu
Of earth, and throw It listlessly up to the slope
| above yo1. Then rest as from great labor,
and 1eok around with alook Of wesriness, and,
through the glazed sight Of ho1nesickness
hunt over the dark eWBmpy wood beside you
tor your blue Al1egheutes; and find you
| mother, It you can, there, and your HELL
brother, ard The eoxs that eeew the cud .1s2 19l
Sigh out sor1oWf1lly as you pull again you
shovel with your right hand mp to the reach 9
your lett, heavy weight fifty to be dragged
! andsrest anew upon 1t before you recommenc
tie pantomime Of the soldier in the trench
Aud euvfously study me all oyer, and throug|
Of my privileges "a ciTilian, and then fl
? up with rage as you see galiop past the untL +
! ihed work in which yUur regiment bur1ea il
hearts while e1cayating the clay, giant negr
+ upon the horse Of = staff officer Of the simpl
! grade Of lieutenant. IT'S with uatura's aetto
9 and Justice that you turn your shovel ove
2 with q quick motion Of the hand, aud regard
Eith contempt from handle to blade, ard tue
8 it back again With q jerk. and wrathfally nes.
| nre2eyey point Of its non-m1litary surtae
. figure and face to heaven silently protes
. almost with tears, against the waste az
degradation. of an army Of invading soldier
= by converting them into dtggers Of ditches
4 4 night ard BY day-when the Heagen-appointee
2 digger Of bitches by hundreds OF thousand
. are ali around, praying for the privilege
70 takipg the toola out Of the bands Of our troop
q and Of casting In thelE labor with our fgh
'a ing, as a common Offering upon the altar
3s the God who gives freedom to enslaVed r
u publica.