The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-04-30
Interesting COrrespOndence.--L
from a Rebel Prison er to his Loyal
UneIe--The UmcLe's Reply

Interesting CorrespOndence.--Le
from a Rebel Prisoner to his Loyal !
Unele--The UncIe's Reply.
MCDowELL's COLLEGE, Feb, 6, 1862.
.1DEAR UNCLE GEORGE 81 suppose you
have heard that I was taken prisoner at
Milford, a short time since. We were
brought to st. Louis and are now confined
in this place. Tomorrow, l understand,
we are to go to Alton. | write you to ask
that you will use your influence to get me
out on my parole of honor, as l am very
anxious to go home and see my family, and
especially my wife, who I have heard, is
very sick. If you will procure my release,
l pledge you my sshonor l will ,religiously
observe and keep my parole until am re-
leased. l know that you and differ
politically upon this. question. l do not
know how it affects you. l have always
entertained the highest respect for you as
friend and relative, and my feelings are
still the same. I do not know how you
feel. see your office is in the Provost
MarshaTs Office. know you have great
inauence.and I will be under lasting obliga-
lions if you will procure my release upon
my parole. am, very respectfully your
friend and relative.
S. D. MARTIN.
BARNUM's HOTEL, st. Louis, Feb. 10.
To Scion D. Martin Alton H.;
DIR. SCION Yours of the 9Th OF Febru-
airy was handed me this evening upon my
arrival here. had heard with deep regret
that you were a prisoner, taken in arms
against the best Government on earth.
l regret to say, after reading your note,
San not see any sig4 t ri yssHReHHts9 e SUR az
mitted is the highest known to the law
The coolest blooded assassination the law
regards as of less turpitude than treason,
and Justly So too. In the one case, only a
single victim suffers, in the other whole
communities, States, and nation is filed
With assassinations, and all the crimes of a
lesser grade. .aao.
Society is destroyed, law disregarded, the
torch of the ineendiary, the knife of the as
sassin, with every other crime, reigns SUI
premely throughout the land Had you
said in your note that you had been duped,
deceived, betrayed into this rebellion, and
that you repented, heartily repented, of the
course you had taken, and that now you
were ready to peril life, fortune, and your
sacred honor in defense of the government
your grandfathers toiled through eight
long and bloody years of privation and
suffering to establish, then l would have
labored for your release and I doubt not
I could have accomplished it. This you
have not done, and it is now too late you
can never have my aid. This, to you, may
seem harsh, crual-be it so. If you were
my son, instead of my nephew, would
never suffer you to darken my door, until
you could do so as patriot and as a loyal
citizen of your government.
Have you ever thought of the conse-
quences of your course upon me? The
party with which you are associated are
my bitter enemies and seek my life. l have
already had to fly from my home, and my
house surrounded by an armed band of cut
throats the night l left. What was my
crime2 Loyalty to my ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
etism, your grandfathers would in their day
have called it. For this you and the party
to which you have joined your fortunes
think men ought to suffer death. What is
the history of the leaders in this rebellion 2
1t is written in one word: Infamy. They
first began by committing perjury-bsse
black hearted perjury--in the sight of God
and man. They have now added to theiI
blackened souls (if, indeed, they can be
blackened) the crime of murder. Think o.
the thirty thousand widows, the cries Of
the orphan for bread. the unaEailing re-
grcts OF more than one hundred thousand
friends and relatives and then tell me il
you are guiltless. Have you not eontribu-
ted SO far as your influence goes, to bring
THIS wall OF woe, LnSt now g Is up from
this whole country? Suppose you could
succeed, and your independence be estab-
lished, who do you suppose would be the
leaders and prominent men of your govern.
nent? Those who now are at the head Of
this rehellion-men who for years were
plotting treason against the very govern
ment they were sworn to support, with
perjury upon their souls l know your
surroundings This to some extent. owing
to your age, may excuse or palliate youI
crime. 80
You have committed crime that for
feits your life; the leaiency of YOUR can
tors, or those in power, may let Won Or
free. This, however, does not change t5s
turpitude of your crime. You win be
spared, if spared at all, because the govern.
ment Is disposed to be merciful and for
giving. I have written, / fear you viii
think, harshly and unfeelingly to you.
doubt not it will appear so. was earl,
taught, by an old revolutionary father t.
love my country. From him learned thu
first lessons of patriotism; from him learn
ed to detest an Arnold and a Hull. H,
was your grandfather. Would that yoI
had inherited more of his teachings-yoI