The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1862-11-18
A DISCONTINUED REBEL SOL
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An Unwilling Soldier i'm the Isebe
si1r5 aai ih IN Ranks. 4, t.f,.... ~. n.
The Frederick (Md.) Examiner publishes
ettsr written by a soldier Of the Fitb7Al
bama regiment, on the day before the battle
Of Antictam, which was afterwards picked uE
on the field. The writer says:
.s In CAMP, Sept. l6, 1909.
my Dearest Parents:-I once moro sil
down to drop you few lines this pleasant
morning. am still in the land of the living
thanks to Goa--and in tolerable hesllb.--
| had severe attack of the diarhea from eat
ing green corn on our march, but am now
getting over it. We have had somo very
hard times since l wrote to you last, we have
had some very hard marching and but little
to cat. | often thought Of hons and its co n
forts, and compared them with my present
hardships. But i, is useless to complain; /;
there are no kind hearts here to pity, and no
fathers words of consolation, no mothers look
Of sympathy, no brothers to share our bur-
dens, and no kind sister to console us in our
sorrows. Oh, how / miss the social endear-
ments Of home / never could fully apprcci.
ate all the blessings of good home until L
entered camp. soeg - -,b,o Il, -....r
"lf it were not for the consolation OF rclig-
ion do not know how / should be able to
bear up under il but whenever feel oppres-
scd fly to my bible, and there can always
find consolation. Dear mother, you do not
kuo7 bow much have been comforted from
the dear little Bible you gave me when left
home, and how much l have thought Of your
parting adv ice. THERE'S so much wickedness
in carp; almost every moment you hear some
one taking Gods name in vain. am so sick
Of camp life; wish were out Of it; 7 have
no heart in tbs ,oar How many thousands
Of poor creatures are hurled unprepared into
the presence of their Maker A soldier, of
Of all men, sLoulllive close to God, and yet
It seems TO me they never think of dying, al
though their comrades fall all around them.
We had a severe fight on Sunday; our rcgi
nent was cut up terribly. ] was sick and
was not in the fight. They say it was awful;
our men fell back with great loss; our COM
Dany is nearly all killed or wounded, ths
slaughter was terrible. 1t ia generally tho't
We will have much hard fighting soon, as the
Yankees are close after US. .isf.7 hf. I,aI h.
81 had made many chances 10 desert since
We have been in Maryland. but my pride will
not permit mo. Although was always op-
posed TO this war, ard think it was begun
Without good ciuse. and only to crafty the
inhibition of broken down politicians, yet can
not bear the disgrace Of being called deser
er. Besides l could not como home TO see
nv dear parents and brothers and sisters any
more; 80 l think L will try 10 stick it out,
md trust my life in the hand of my Heaven
y Father, and # it should be His divine will
hat we are never to meet again on earth, we
nave His promise Of a happy meeting beyond
his vale OF tears, where brother will no loog
u war with brother, and death will never
,ome; bat would love to be at home with
vou ali once more.
"When thiuk over il, il seems as though
I cannot be that we are separated. often
lream of home and the loved ones left be-
hind mo =. When came over the noun
aims few days ago stopped and locked
Town on the beautiful fields and the happy
arm houses and cattle grazing, and none OF
he desolating marks of war were hero. !
hen could not restrain tie falling tears as |
compared the happy land before me with the
lesolate appearance Of my own loved native
and and the parts Of Virginia we came
through. You bave no idea Of tho horrors Of
war; language cannot describe il; men seem
% live and die without a thought of God or
siernity--many, with terrible oath of bias
,heny in their mouths, going right into the
presence Of a holy God with horrid curses and
on their tongues. May the Mer-
,iful Lord have pity upon their poor souls aud
ave them from the gnawing ofthe worm that
never dies! m a
"7here is much more Union sentiment
here than we expected to find. IMink our
26lcers are sadly disappointed rith their re-
ception here, although they do not say much.
do not think the people OF Maryland gener
ally wish to cast their destiny in our hands.
There are many who wish us well, whilst but
few will come forward to assist us. think
our leaders have been greatly deceived by
ations as 10 the true sentiment OF
The people here. They arc not with u.s."