Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-07
MORE LETTERS WANTED.

The Cincinnati Gazette publishes the fol-
lowing pithy communication IRON soldier at
Muntordville, Ky. Every one who has a
friend in the army should read it, and act OH
the suggestions it contains
Parents, wives. brothers, sisters, sweet.
hearts, ALL, let me entreat you as a soldier,
and a friend OF soldiers, TO write US more let
ters You have no idea how much good they
do US, nor in how many ways they do good.
Let me instruct you little.
WHY SOLDIERS WANT LETTERS.
We are men, individual, selttorming free
men, The tendency of army lite and dscip.
line is to make us forget this l. merges the
individual in the mass, ii makes US only parts
Of one great living moving whoe we learn
to feel that we belong to our superiors that
we are only governmental targets TO be placed
here and there at convenience, to be shot at.
About all the recognition of our humanity
that we can see III many of our officers, is the
fact that we are given guns to shoot back
with, but even here we are dr led to believe
that we can't ram a cartridge, nor ace a cap,
nor even dodge ball, unless we get a mes
sage along the line from the operators in epau
let's at the different stations above us. But
these letters remind us Of our manhood, of
our birthright, individuality and freedom
What though we may direct simply to John
Smith on the outside, with the names gener-
ais, brigadiers, cOloneIs captains etc. used
as guide-boarls to our obscurty they tell us
that at home at least we are not overlooked,
and we perhaps recolect ourselves as Mr..
Smith, or Smith, Esq, or Rev. Smith, and
the intellect and sensibilites all commence
moving, and the machine becomes a proud
selfcOnscious, God-like work of God.
THE GOOD LETTERS DO US IN THE CAMP.
They make us better soldiers, too. We get
the blues sometimes we feel just like going
to the dogs. Perhaps we are worn out with
duty, or are all wet and muddy, and the fire
wont do anything but smoke, and the wind
changes as often as we do and blows the
smoke right in our eyes. And then the cot
fee is bad and the crackers are WORSE and the
bacon is worst, and all this just when We are
lying sick in The cold, damp hospital, while
druggy nurses haunt us day and night with
their nasty old pewter spoons, as it we were
nothing but troughs to mix up oils and pow
ders in. But the mail boy hands us lett, r
good long one from home, or irom-ah YOU
wont get us to tell her Lame, though il did
come to our teeth so we'll just let ii fly around
and sing awhile within us, and then let it 20
back TIC its cozy nest away down in our warm
hearts. We are not tired now, the fire has
quit smoking, and leaps and dances just like
our spirits. The old musty, rusty crackers
and bacon are decidedly better, and if we shut
our eyes and hold our noses, we can imagine
that the coffee is poured from the bright sun
ny faced old coffee pot at home, enriched with
the richest kind OF cream from the milk old
Brndle gave last night Or if we are in the
hospital the dull eye begins to sparkle, the
head don't ache SO badly, the fever luls, and
In nine cases out OF ten, the doctor coming in
will pronounce us BETTER Just as if his nasty
medicine had done it, and not the precious
little letter covered up in the blankets.
Yes, and they make us better christians,
too. War is atheistic, heathenish, devilish.
Qualify it as you may, with all that civiliza.
tian and christianity can do, it is yet the might,
lest reaping machine in the harvest of hell l
don't say that God has nothing to do with this
machine, but l believe that hid behind the
veil of human wrath, He directs every move.
ment to his own glory. But we who drive, and
pull, and feed the mad instrument are very
apt to get very much like it, Many man
enters the army almost saint, but leaves it
almost devil Many pure minded good
boy, when carried away by it beyond home
influences and restraints, is carried further
away from home character and reputation,
and is ruined forever. But these letters are
the strings of which your hearts are the in.
struments, and you can play just the kind OF
tune you want to on them. That bow who
was drunk and swore so shockngyyes terday,
took good repentlng cry last night under his
blankets. And the reason was, that he got
letter in the afternoon from home, and il re-
minded him OF his church, perhaps of his
church professions and the Sabbath school
and prayer meetings, and it may be that mem
DRY painted the loving picture of the family
alter and he remembers how his fathers
voice troubled, and how they all wept the
last time he knelt there o, how he wishes
he was there to night, and boy again, to be
taught TO pray, and put to bed, and tucked in
by his mother. And he goes to sleep crying,
(soldiers cry, | saw one to-day and praying,
and he awakes in the morning better man.
He reads his testament now, land the one with
his mothers name in it, and goes to the meet
ings, and christians in the regiment whisper it
about that he is converted, and "thank God
and take courage" 0, these home influences
how they do tie themselves about our hearts !
Cut them Off and unless fortified by the stout
est buwarks of grace, we will lose our char
acters as christians, gentlemen and men.
WHAT SORT OF LETTERS TO WRITE.
And now, in conclusion, allow me to give
you few ideas as to how you should write.
Write cheerfully. Do not enter into long dis.
cussons about the miseres of the poor sol.
der" for we know what these miseries are
and are not, far better than you do l would
not check the expression OF propersympathy,
but we are disposed to whine too much any
how, and when you start the tune at home we
are sure to join in iull chorus.
Write long letters, and don't leave any cold
blank spots on the sheet like little patches OF
snow. uterine and crossline it as much as
you please, so that when you get through the
regular course Of the sheet you will have some
nice titbits for dessert.
Write about particular we have enough
generals here Tell US how many kittens
tumble over the floor; how many calves bawl
at the barn; whether Towser's sore foot is