The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-10-08
cam r LINCOLN.

MIR. EDITOR We alternate from yarie-
ty and excitement, to monotony and very
dullness. Camp Life What a scene of
sacrifces and trials, Of hopes and fears, of
privations and privilege The camp is
the arena of new life, where disappoint-
ment and ambition play the game Of for
tune and give over their subjects to OPP
posite destinies-new to the American.
He had given himself to agriculture and
the mechanic arts, or happily to the pro-
fessions. He had courtsd prosperity and
won plenty; he had gathered about him
dear friends. and was wont, when labor
did not call him forth, to give himself to
the inspiration and dalliance of affection.
But all how changed! The stately man
sion, OF the beat and comfortable cottage,
is exchanged for rude barracks. The
kindly loved ones of distant home, are
replaced by strangers, like himself, with
earnest tread upon the march of life
The shnge roof, proof against the storm,
is exchanged for one of mere boards, eas-'
ing at every crack and knot-hoiv i he
clean and comfortable bed once inviting To
repose and pleasant dreams, gives place to
one of boards, with or without blankets,
and the uncovered ground and open heav-
tn. His food--how can ii be otherwise
is rough if not always " ready"
and from the necessity of war served up
10 the rudest style. A nice table over
spread with clean table cloth, and fur
nished with clean dishes and clean food
by the experienced guardian and mistress
Of the Observation-Disclosures what lux
ury, boon of civilization never more to
be undervalued 4he inevitable drill,
guard duty, fatigue duty, roll call, and
parade, all new; shut up to narrow limits,
allowed to move only in certain way at
certain time, and for certain time, and
to certain distance, until the perfection
Of discipline would seem to eliminate in
the abandonment of personal independ-
ence all new and all different from the
freedom and liberty of his former labor
and former life. But it is not all priva-
ton aud sacrifice without privilege. The
army is SCHOOL, great school--one in
which men and not books are to be read J:
and facts more than figures taken to ac-
count. Books must not be undervalued,
but mere book-worm is thing Of folly.
If he would be man, let him take his
place in the army-in the world among
men and essay to act tho man. The SOL
der will hardly return from . stirring
and especially from the field Of
blood, dreaming theorist or transcenden-
tai mystic. Having left the airy regions
of romance and fiction for terra firma, he
will thence forward realize that matter Of
fact hands and feet for defense and labor
are better adapted to this world than
!" wings Of imagination - and thst the,
tread Of industrious feet, more important
in the struggle Of life than flights Of
fancy" He viii zee much of the world
both n to scenery and men, that he could
never have seen, and from An experience,
1t times seemingly hard, he will derive q
clearness Of foresight and strength Of
judgment that could have been acquired
in no other Kar--deselatiny md
disastrous as il always is, has ever been
the harbinger Of progress and means Of
civilization. The wild phrenzy and blind