The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-07-03
KEOKUK- IOWA: THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1862

drudgery, often menial in its nature,
which Is now breaking them down and
carrying them to their graves by the
thousand.
Some Of our commanding Generals in
the field are so very delicate in their SEN
slbilities towards secession sympa,hizers,
and so careful Of the rights OF rebels, as to
induce them 10 impose great hardships on
our troops. ] have been panied to see
our poor soldiers, often really unable for
duty, though reported, as eonvaleseent,
for light duty, standing guard around the
houses and property Of Southern people,
who we're as disloyal to the Union as Jef-
ferson Davis, and far less patriotic in
their impulses, being too cowardly to risk
anything in the rebel cause They profess
Union sentiments to save their prepcrly
and our poor Union soldiers, lalc anil
emaciated BY sickness and hard iare, are
required, on account OF this hollow profes-
sion Of Loyalty, TO stand guard over their
premises, without shelter, sleeping on the
ground or in the wet grass, exposed to
rains, heavy night -dews, and miasmatic
atmosphere, which. in many cases, deyel-
ops malignant fevers, that require them
to be returned to the hospitals, from which
too many of them are never removed, Nm
til the brave, ACCOMPANYING. noble fel-
lows are wrapped in soldiers blanket,
and. without 80 much a. rough coffin,
carried by their comrades to a shallow
trench, which answers the purpose of a
burying place for the defenders of our
liberties aud all We hold dear as nation.
And while our brave troops are thus con-
tracing their death sickness in this loath
some service, and dying by the thousands
without the most common coarse nursing,
the hypocritical rebels are enjoying all
the comforts of home, under the pIotec-
ton of our soldiers, whom they cnrsc aud
spit upon, and betray. aud openly rejoice
At their sickness, suffering and Death
And when loyal negroes escape to our
lines, who would gladly serve in The most
menial capacity for their subsistence alone,
our Generals, under the influence of a
kind of negro insanity, send them back
to their treacherous rebel masters, 10 be
whipped and tortured on account of their
loyal procliyities.
Why should the. dead of the army be
buried without collins? 1t panied me to
the heart TO witness such interments.
The burial Of those killed in battle, in
their blankets alone, where the number is
large and danger is great, may be exns-
able. But cannot excuse it in relation
to those who die in hospital. When ofi-
GERS are asked why some Llnd of ctliia or
box is not made, ia which to bury the re-
mains Of the dead, their reply usually was
the lacF Of transportation for lumber, when
steamers in Government employ, or under
high pay, were lying idle by the week at
the wharf. In one instance, which came
under my personal notice, one Of these
boats, while under the pay of the Govern
ment, was occupied By pleasure party
of curiosity seekers for ten days or two
weeks.
Knowing that the remains of their dead
husbands and sons were subject 70 this
mode of burial, of course occasions great
anxiety to procure them for removal and
at their respective homes. You
may imagine the grief oecasioned by Gen.
Halleck's order, excluding all civilians
from the battle field Of Pittsburg Land
Ing. Hundreds of fathers and mothers,
md wives, and sisters. sons and brothers
we're fastening 10 the terrible scene Of car
mage, with the hope of rescuing their be-
loved ones wounded in that awful battle !:
or, if too late for this, to secure their re-
mains for decent burial. Every boat
was crowded with these messengers of
mercy, when the Generals order met them
4: Cairo. No pen can describe the bitter
anguish this order occasioned
1 will mention one instance, as sample
of the whole. saw young man who
had travelled long distance to Cairo, on
his way 10 the battle field to recover the
remains of dearly beloved and only
brother, who had been killed on the iirst
day of the battle. He had procured his
pass and was aboard one Of the Govern
lnent transports, then about TO start from
Cairo to Pittsburg Landing, in company
with about one hundred others, nearly all
Of whom were on similar business, when
lhe order Of Gen. Halleck was received,
directing the general in command Of the
post to permit no more civilians ia paas--
stating that all the sick and wounded had
been sent below. The faithful general in
command at Cairo was, Of course, COM
PEELED to obey the order, and, although
deeply sympathising with these disappoint-
ID messengers Of mercy to the sick and
wounded, cleared the boat. This young
lnan, learning that would be permitted
TO pass, came to me with tears in his eyes
and begged me TO intercede in his behalf.
He said he had promised his aged and
widowed mother, who had cheerfully Civ
en- her son to the service md vhn hea