Newbern weekly progress., 1862-11-22
Soldiers, Dend Letters.

We copy from the Washington correspon-
dent OF the New York Tribune, the following
account Of a system recently adopted by the
Department with a view to secure, if possible,
TIE delivery Of those letters written by our
soldiers, which have for any reason failed to
reach their destination.
thousands Of these letters arc sent back
to the Dead Letter Office at Washington, hav
failed for one cause or another to tiGd the per
sons to whom they were directed. II is worse
than useless to attempt 10 return them like or
dlnary letters from this Office, to the writers =
soldiers in the army, some Of whom have fallen
in battle or died in hospital, and nearly all Of
whom have changed their locality during the
two or three months that must expire between
the date Of the letter and its return to the
Dead Letter Office.
| Up to within short time, letters of thl.
class containing no valuable inclosore, haze
been destroyed Af,er the grea, battl.a a4
year, it came to be observed that many ofthest
stray missves- written uIon the eve or a
the close of bloody contest, some the las
written utterances OF the soldier who dared t.
| wv ioi SouhtIl, anu OtbCto Iit
last words Of fa!en comrades--contained mat.
ters Of profound interest to the friends or rela
tives addressed. The subject having come tt
the notice Of the Third Assistant POSTMASTER
General, to whose bureau the Dead Letter OF
flee belongs, he manifested his usual activ,
sympathy with the cause Of the soldier by di
rec,ing that second effort should, be mad,
TO deliver letters Of this class to the person,
addressed,
The process is now going on as an expert
nent, with the hope that it may prove success
ful. Each day the camp letters, containing nj
valuable pclosurc, when found in the opening
room, are placed in the hands Of clerk, VIII
examines them, and selects all that can be will
propriety resent to the post offices original,
add,es Special pains are taken to saw
those addressed to father, mother, sister
brother, wife or other relatives, and they ar
again sent to the local post ofIices, with des
criptive list to be posted up for one month
containing not only the names of the person
addressed, but of the writers and the place
where the letters were written. The loca
postmasters are also charged to use all dill
gence to secure the delivery Of the letters t
persons authorized to receive them In thi
way it is hoped that some further record vii
bekept of the unnamed heroes that are ever,
day falling in this mighty struggle for a ma
tons life.
1t is proper to add, both for the benefit q
the public and the Department, that it is quit
useless to Send inquiries there respecting sue
letters, as they cannot be answered. No
cord is kept Of them, and those not delivered q
the local offices within month after beip
posted, are returned to the Dead Letter Offic
second time and destroyed Any one watch
ing for such letter should examine tile post
ed list at the Office where it is expected, an
f not found there, II will be useless to look 10
it anywhere else. These lists and letters ar
sent to the smaller offices at the end Of eac)
month, and to the largest city Offices ever
week or fortnight. This is purely labor Q
love on the part Of the Department, there be
ing no charge made for the transportation
posting; or delivery of the letters. 1t is to
hoped that local pcstmasters will cooperate t
carry out the benevolent intentions Of tn
Postmaster General.