Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-04-30
We Must Fight.

The crisis, as we have repeatedly said demands
hard, desperate fighting knowledge of tactics,
strategy and good management are all important,
but nothing is so imperiously needed now, as hard
fighting.
As yet We have had but little of it. Most Of the
time since the war began has been spent in inaction
Since the battle at Somerset most of our strength
has been wasted by retreat "Falling back" with
few exceptions, has become the order of the day.
And what have we lost by it? Missouri, Kentucky,
Tennessee Maryland and Virginia are nearly lost to
us by this policy. If it be much longer persisted
in, can any one doubt the result?
Already, in spite of the declarations of the Vir-
gna press to the contrary in spite of the disgrace
and the ruin it must bring we find the idea still
haunts some minds that Virginia is to be abandoned,
and that the army must make successful stand in
the Cotton States. Why so? Is it because the
Cotton States will not rally to the rescue of the
Border States as they ought to do? We hope not.
We will not allow such an idea for moment And
yet it is understood that after all the blood and thun
der talk of the fiery sons of the sunny South, scarce
ly one regiment out of ten of their twelve months
men would re-enst, before the passage of the con-
script act. We hope, for the honor of those who
claim to have brought about the revolution, that it
is not so. Virginia and North Carolina have breast
ed the storm-have poured out their men and money
without stint, and shall they be overrun? Never,
never.
We must fight If we have officers and men in
the field who afraid to risk their lives for the
of the South who will back and back for fear
Of having their shins cracked, let them be sent
home and put others in their places. Let every
man understand that the time has come when all
must fight. Let them build a wall of bayonets
around Richmond and Norfolk, and say to the enc.
my, "thus far shalt thou come, but no farther"
We protest in the name of Southern independence
that our armies shall not give back another inch
Determination, desperate courage, even if our num-
bers are small, will overthrow myriads.
What are we fighting for? Ist to show our own
skill-our prowess-to win glory for our leaders
Ifso, let the war end. But if fighting against
tyranny and despoism-for liberty and independ-
ence-for our rights and our homes, let US fight as
never men fought before.
The war has given US some specimens of good
fighting. We had some of it at Bethel, at Bull
Ran, at Manassas at Leesburg, at Springfield, at
Pea Ridge, at Fort DonelSon and Winchester We
had some for a while at Roanoke Island, and New
BERN We had good fighting at Shiloh and the
other day at South Mills, when Col. Wrights hand
full drove 600 Yankees to their boats. But We
must have more of it, and harder yet, if we drive
the enemy from our borders. The roar of cannon
the sharp crack of the rihe-the cleaning bayonet-
the shreks of the dying, do not make sweet music,
but We must familiarize ourselves with it. we are
a conquered people. We must fght-every man
who can, must fight, and We must do it up as our
men did at Shiloh. participant in that fight says:
ave drove the Federals from hill to hill and from
ravine to rayne all day long. could not conceive,
before witnessing It, the desperate bravery of our
men. We exhausted our cartridges time and again,
and continued on with the bayonet. l never want
to see such sight again it makes my blood run
cold to think about it; the dead were piled up on
every field by the hundreds, with the most ghastly
looking wounds you looked at Most of the
Yankees that l saw dead shot through the
head and their brains had oozed out on the ground,
and the groans of the wounded were awful to hear"