Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-04
AIore Lertoru Vgnnted.

friend In the army should read II, ana act on
the suggestions Il contains
Parents, wives, brothers, sisters, sweet
hearts, AL, let me entreat yOu as a soldier, |
an friend Of soldiers, to write Us more let
ten. 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 LErTKRs.
We ere meA; individual, self forming tree-
men. The tendency OF army life and discip-
line is 70 make Us forget this. Il merges
the Individual IN the mess; it makes US only
parts of one great living moving whole; We
learn TO feel that we belong to our superiors;
that we are only governmental targets to be
placed here and there at convenience, 10 be
shot at About all the recognition of our
humanity that We can see in many OF our
officers, Is thefact that We are given guns to
shoot back Wit; but even here we ere drill
ed 70 believe that We can't ram a cartridge,
nor place cap, nor even dsdge ball, unless
we get q message along the line from the
operations in epsulets at the different stations
above us. But these letters remind US Of
our manhood, Of our birthright iLdividuali-
~ and freedom. What though they be di-
rected 10 John Smith on the outside, with
the names Of generals, brigadiers, cOlonels,
captains, etc, used as guide-bosrds to our
obscuFity; they tell US that at home at least
we ara not overlooked, and We perhaps re-
collect ourselves as Mr.. Smith, or Smith,
Esq, or Rev. Smith. and the intellect and
sensibilities all commence moving, and the
machine becomes a proud, self-consciOus,
God.like work Of God.
TIE GOOD LEFTERs DO Us IN TIE CAMPS.
They make Us better soldiers, too. We
get the blues sometimes, we feel Just like
going to the dogs. Perhaps we are wern out
/ with duty, or are all wet and muddy, and
/ the wind changes as often as we do and
blows the smoke right in our eyes. And
then the coffee Is bad and the crackers are
worse, and the bacon is worst and all this
Just when we are as hungry as wolves. Or
1t may be that we arc lying sick in the cold,
damp hospital, while druggy nurees haunt
Us day and night with their nasty old pewter
spoons, as if we were nothing but troughs to
| fx up ellis and powders in. But the mail
boy hands rs a lefter-s good long one from
home, or from-ahl you won't get Us to tell
| her name, though it did come to our teeth;
so ven Just let it fly around and sing
awhile within Us, and then let it 60 back to
/ 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 frcm the bright,
sunny faced old coffee pot at home, enriched
with the rishest kind Of cream from the milk
old Brindls gave Us last night. Or if We
are in the hospital, the dull eye begins to
sparkle, the head don't ache 50 badly, the
fever lulls, and in nine cases out of ten, the
doctor coming in will pronounce Us better,
/ Just as if bis nasty medicines had done it,
and not the precious little letter covered up
In the blankets.
Yes and they make rs better Christians,
too War is stheistic, heathenish, devilish.
QnAlify it as you may, with all that civiliza-
ton and Christianity can do, it is yet the
mightiest reaping machine in the harvest Of
hell. 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 movement to his own glory. But we
who irive, and pull, and feed the mad instru-
| ment, are very apt to get very much like it.
! . AAaL NAO GAAAO1t = bllAnhI
but leaves it almost q devil. Many q pure
minded, good boy, when carried away by it
beyond home influences and restraints, ia
carried further away from. home, character
/ and reputation, and Is ruined forever. But
these letters are the strings of which your
hearts are the instruments, and you can play
just the kind Of tune you want to on them
That boy who was drunk and swore so shock
ingly yesterday, took q good repenting cry
last night under his blankets. And the rea-
son was, that he got letter in the afternoon
from home, and it reminded him of his church,
(perhsps ofhis church professional and the
Sabbath school, and prayer meetings, and it
may be that memory painted the loving pic
ture Of the family altar, and be remembers
how his iatheF's voice trembled, and how they
all Vept the last time be knelt there. o, how
be wishes be were there tonight, and boy
again, to be taught to pray, and put to bed,
and tucked in by his mother. And be gees
70 sleep crying, (soldiers cry, saw one to-
day,) and praying, and he wakes in the
morning better man. BE reads his Testa-
ment now, 1.-THE one with his mothers name
in il and goes to the meetings and Christ
ishs in the regiment whisper it about that
he is converted, and 'tthank God and take
courage" o, these home influences how
they do tie themselves about cur hearts =
Out them of, and unless fortified by the
stoutest bulWsrks Of grace, We will lose our
characters as Christians, gentlemen and men.
WHAT SORT OF LETTERs 10 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
discussions about the miseries of soldering.
We know what the hardshiPs are and are
not far better than you do. would not
chech the expression of proper sympathy,
but we are disposed to whine too much any
how, and when you start the tune at home
we are sure to join In full chorus.
/ Write long letters and don't leave any
cold blank spots on the sheet, like little
patches of snow. Interline and crossline it
as much ss you please, 30 that when you
get through the regular course of the sheet
you win have some nice titbits f1F dessert.
Write about particulars, we have enough
GleTGls here. Tell Us how many kittens
tumble over the floor, bow many calves bswl
at the barn; whether ToWser's sore foot is
well yet or not; what kind ofa dress little
Mary has got who took sister Ann sleigh
| ing last snow, and above al, who goes home
from singing school with -, of course,
we wont mention her name; but you ought
to do 60, just IS if you didn't know any
thing about it. And don't forget to speak of
church and Sabbath school, prayer meetings,
and what you talk about Sabbath evenings,
and what new hymn you sing,
And thus, having furnished the eolOTs, our
imagination takes the brush and goes to