The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-01-17
FEgB UNION AND JOURNAL. A HzEKaa PA

IH& UillN AMD aWUIa
vision of the post Office department on the
ground, yet you cannot 50 much as ouy q
ro.t,,o s,amp without sending to the ely
ms, Office. But "passes" are not very Ire
oueutly granted, 50 that it istreqnen'ly VIII"
some difficulty that a postage stamp can DO
obtained DIR. I. has lately written Se'era'
letters TO the English Premier, and they nave
appearcd in the Kcnnebec Journal.
We have had quite number oil street
marches. reviews and parades, which have
been witnessed by delegations from Bangor
Lewiston, Bath, Portland, coming here at
various times. For one, l expected when
enlisted that long since we should have been
ut the seat of war, learning the military art
which. we 80 much need. The cavalry ser
vice is harder and more dangerous than the
infantry service. But in time OF war cav
airy is absolutely necessary. Its expense,
however, and the necessity Of its being kept
in a high condition, demand that the force
should not DO large.
Quite number Of horses Il should think
upwards of 3O) have died since we came
here. The principal cause is the want OF
care, and exposure to the inclemencies oil a
Maine winter. But the sheds are now board
ell up, 80 that better protection is now al
for,led them. The severest thing which the
cavalry soldier here has to endure, is the ter
rible jaming, twisting, and grinding of legs
which the pressure Of 10 or IL horses on
either side OF him will make. But there is
some danger in the cavalry service even here
in Augusta. One man has had his leg bro
ken by a severe kick from horse. Not I'M
frequently some or moro gets injured by the
fall or kick OF horse, so that he is laid up
for several days. On drill, some horses will
kick nearly Us high as mans head when
he sits on horse.
A wild and picturesque scene grcets the
eye Of the beholder during "water CALI
Down very steep embankment. on the south
ern part of the camp, the horses are led to
drink from the Kennebcc. This now has be-
come almost as slippery as glass. The horses
are not all sharp shod. II requires consider
able ingenuity to get horse down this hill
side without his falling. Then so large a
number going down and coming up the hill
for some distance around, some kicking, some
rearing, some running, and some falling, all
tends to make the scene uncommOnly altrac-
tiIc to the eye.
There are still thousand camp stories
about disbanding the cavalry, &c,, but l
think the Government has had no such tho't
or intention. If your readers could look in
upon a tents company, after the labors oil
the day are over, and hear them earnestly
discussing the probabilities of our discharge,
the English question, the emancipation ques-
ton, the .mas,erly inactivity" of the army
ON the Potomac. and the cause and cure Of
our present national troubles, they would
realize that the common soldierin the pres
ent Federal army has intelligence as we'll as
loyalty.
There can be no doubt that ever since this
pro slavery rebellion broke out, England has
given all the aid and comfort and encourage
ment which she could to the rebels. Her
auti-slavery professions prove to have been
hypocritical, and her policy most inconsist-
ent and selfish. Whatever may be the result
of the Mason and Slidell case, she will not
fail to provoke quarrel IL she can. And
Maine, in any event, ought to atone now for
her singular neglect of defending her coast
and frontier. And God grant that our rulers
may speedily open their eyes to the fact that
this Government is not strong enough to
preserve the present inhuman system OF
Southern bondage and its own existence
And il ought not to be strong enough to do
both. Our present national aiiliction Is the
national punishment which God has sent up
on us for our completely with African slavery
on this continent-and q most awful punish
ment it is. Slavery il the cause of our pres
ent troubles, and though this war was begun
to put down treason and rebellion, let the
prime cause of this treason and rebellion be
forever blotted out from American annals
And it must be before peace can be given to
the country. Maine must look to her own
defence or shc win suffer, should this war be
protrnctcd during another year.
Hiram Kimball. of Hollis, and member
of our company, died at the hospital at W in
thrOp Hall ON Wednesday eve (Jan. s. last.
Mr.. X. was respected, and maintained an
honorable character in the company. His
death cast gloom over the entire company.
God grant that the sudden death Of our fel-
lOw-soldier may cOnducc to remind us of our
own destiny sooner or later. MeCLRr.
Muscular Christianity.