Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-12-26

that feeling, but as pointing to where much
greater good psy yet be done.
Many Of us are strong in our own deter
mination and need no assistance. Others
have not that strength to stay the tide of diff
hculties they must here encounter, and need
your aid and encouragement No one of you
but has some friend or acquaintance in whose
mind you knew to exist nearly life and
death struggle while making up his mind to
enlist. Yet his was but the beginning -
Words OF patriotism and encouragement com
ing perhaps from your own lips,-lps that
could not say "stay"--in connection with the
influence of grand ercitement--co
the fuel that raired his feelings to the enlist
ing heat. He was then surrounded on every
side by friends to cheer him on. He had
never known anything less than the comforts
OF life, and possibly had experienced much
Of its Injuries. All he could see of war,
was parting from friends surely If he were
real man he could make that sacrifice, and
he enlists. The stern incorporating and
unyielding realities of wal are utterly yelled
from his sight.
You have now to trace his thoughts and
his footsteps to the camp The long weary
march through mud and storm, or through
clouds Of dust, under the weight Of the KNAPP
sack: The sometimes poor coffee, hard bread,
and perhaps harder meat his only Diet
The cold, damp ground for bed, a single
blanhlet for cover, soon dampen, or put out
entirely, that patriotic FIRE that so lately burn
ed in his bosom with such resplendency He
now looks around him and finds himself,
without a possible chance of escape, subject
ed to the uncertain chances Of real war. And
does not now as formerly receive the light OF
your cheering countenances in his desponding
moments. Under these circumstances then
what wonder is il that he soon-verv soon
becomes discouraged and disheartened, and,
as true soldier In the cause Of his country
comparatively of little value and that he
sometimes wishes he hadn't come dotgH"
The picture may seem much overdrawn-but
such cases are not without the knowledge
and observation Of every soldier. And such
are the ones that need your strong arm Of
support With that they will do their duty
well and maniully, without it-at times
everything, to them look dark and cheerless
The pleasure and the dear associations Of
home are here equally as free to their thoughts
as the cold and uncheeriul realities that sur
round them, and their minds but too readily
make the contrast Yet the latter being the
on.y choice left them, leaves them but poor
consolation for their reflection. All these
things do Of necessity come forcibly into their
minds, to counterfeit which they need every
encouraging word that can be given them II
seems, perhaps, to many a small matter, but
personal observation has shown me that it is
not so. You should see, for once, the dis
couraged and disheartened look the soldier
wears when the expected letter has not ar
rived and can assure you that much OF
this long lester would then most certainly be
a useless waste Of time and paper Allow
me, then, in behalf Of my iellow-soldiers,
who may at times be Responding, and in be-
half of the cause we are defending, earnestly
to entreat Of you that they may receive all
the support your ever willing hands and hearts
can give them. Let their letters be as many
and as frequent as they wish, and let each one
bid them be Of good cheer, and bid them
ever to look hopefully to the end. resolving
with manly determination, that, with health, /
they will not ask to be released from service
until the last vestige Of rebellion ID swept
from the land,
In making this new appeal to you, we do
not forget the many sacrifices you have already
made for our comfort, and for the cause SO
also we realize that this is prominently war
of sacrifices, in which the least will in the
end suffer none too lightly, and all fully
enough.
Rut for fear shall weary your patience
with what now--iooks more like lecture
tlan a letter. will draw to a close. am
well aware that the letters that most interest
readers are those containing the exciting in
cidents Of the war, but as these incidents are
strangers to the garrison. must of ne
cessity chose some other theme however little
of interest it may contain.
Very X specifically, EL.F.