Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1862-10-31

h when at last we came in sight Of Unit,
e States steamer, and beheld the old stars Il,
% stripes waving, our hearts leaped for joy at tn
It first sign of the land of liberty. [Tremeaio,
t, applause We marched on board of til;
h steamer, and for the first time in six and
d half months we had private soldiers to preser
d arms to US. really felt as if were sever
g teen feet high. Of my own accord, ] erie
!, for joy. could not help it, felt so goot
O. We came to Fortress Monroe, and there
n was told by Gen. Dix that had been e,
= changed for over two months, and Gen. Crit
, tendcn also, but my fellow officers were NO
! exchanged. | found that Gen. Pettigrew, 70
: whom / had been exchanged, had been slight
ly wounded. and had gone hoine, and tn
managers of the Southern Confederacy wer
, determined to keep me out of service unit
Pettigrew got well. The truth is, that story
which was in the North about the way II
which was captured had never gone South
They gave me credit down there for being {,
gallant officer, which my friends at home die
not do for month or two.
i And now a word about the determination
of these people. Some Of you talk about end
ing this war without severe fighting. You
are mistaken. You must fight, and fight
hard. We have not a man too many now in
the field. We have not enough, strange as
it may appear to you, for they have too many
friends up here Immense applause, and
cries, That's true."l will prove that to
you by the record tonight These people
have hissed into my ear, time and again, "We
wish this to become war of determination :"
They have a policy in that What it is
cannot tell, unless it is, they think by making
| it war of exterminatiun some foreign power
may interfere in their behalf. Furthermore,
| they told me, S.T, we have more friends in
| Illinois than yon have Union men in the
South" They publish that to their people.
Lest may be misunderstood let me tell you
Republicans, l am no Republican, Demo-
Gratis, am no Democrat. am soldier of
my country. [Prodigious cheering.] hold
in my hand an Augusta paper, one of some
thirty or forty others | have in my possess
sion, with articles similar to this one Cries,
"Read it," read it'll This is the Augusta
Daily Co'sstitution'sts, published in Angus
ia, Ga. 1t is the oldest paper in the Southern
States, the one which has the greatest circu-
lation and is looked upon next to the Rich
mond Enquirer as the organ of the Ccnfed-
eracy 1t is studied effort of their people to
divide us here in the North-to have the
West separate from the East They contin-
ualIy talk about this. They say, awe like
you western men, for you fight better than
them cussed Yankees we know we can't whip
you, but we can whip the Yankees two to
one." This article is headed "The Great
West," and if it hurts al y of you, don't blame
me. for you voted that should read it:
"Th're is, however, evidently in the West,
and particularly in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois,
a''strong opposition to the present war upon
the South. The tone of the press in those
States, the public meetings, and tho Demo-
cratic convensions, all prove this conclusive
ly. This feeling does not display itself as
boldly opposed to the war per 81, but assumes
the form of opposition to abolitionism, coer-
cion and subjugation. Laughter and cheers.
It would not be safe to exhibit it otherwise,
for in that event the individuals giving ex-
preston to it would soon find themselves in
carcerated within the walls of some Yankee
Bastile, and their opposition thus speedily and
effectually crushed out. But by protesting
devotion to the Union, the Constitution and
and the Administration of Abraham Lincoln,
they can organize thoroughly for wo,k, and
thus secure way to triumph in the approach
ing fall elections" Renewed laughter and
cheers.
That article proceeds to the length of a
column in the same strain, alluding-fcr
will mention the names--to Carlisle, of Penn
sylvania, Voorhees,, of Indiana, Richardson,
of Illinois, and Vallandigham, Of Ohio. SEN
sation. Their papers are full of it. They
look upon you tender-footed souls as traitors
to your country. Do you want to help these
s,n,,vdor hrc<hovS Cv,l
Government? If so, in the name of Heaven,
let us know it, and the Shiloh prisoners will
send yon down South, where you belong.
men by the hand who think and feel as we
do, that this rebellion should be crushed
We came home sworn enemies to every man
who sympathizes with rebels or advocates
compromise with the country's enemies.-I
Great enthusiasm Oh! that you could be
sent there to see the spirit of those men and
hear them talk as they feel!
Ladies ! let me say to you, have been pub !
lished in all the Southern States as vaga-
bond who insulted tn, Responsibility of that
country. In all the conversations that
have had with those people have aimed to
be strictly affable. have been very careful
in my con versation with them. Ladies, by
uuVOIcuS, idVo C6licU 10 Soc I1l0 I8Nkoe Ee0- |
eral. Upon every occasion when they sent
me word that people wished to converse with |
me, went t, the gate, if permitted by the
guard, and talkel with them plainly and pa
li'ely, as gentlemen should. Still, l have
been published through those States rs hav
;ng insulted their ladies' and their gentlemen,
and as having been horse whipped for so doing.
Thst news went home to my family.
Here let me mention that whilst at Selma, |
having daughter some thirteen or fourteen
years of age. at home. ! wanted to write o let
ter to my child. sat down and wrote the !
exact condition in which was placed, Low | |
was confined not permitted to go out of doors, !
what my p 'sition was, what privileges had !
allowed me. folded the letter and handed !
it to Col. Kent. He told me: ''This can't be J
sent to your home" "Why nots Is it not
trues" "Wsll it may be-" said he, 81 think |
it is, but there is no use in letting your family
know these things" SSH" said l, ~ am
lighting for my old government. the Stars
and Stripes, and there Is no power on earth |
can make me write lie to my daughter. !
Immense applause[ From that hcu. On,
nave never endcavored to get any word to ny
family, from the fact that other officers could
not write the truth to theirs Col. Geddes
ssnA 80 20 n |