Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-11-05
How Three Democratic Soldiers
Talk.
DAVID TOP, Governor.
. F. HOFFMAN, Private Secretary.

BY way OF contrast to the klnu Oh uoc-
trine inculcated by the Butternut Demo
cratic papers of this vicinity, we publish
the following extracts from speeches made
by Generals Prentiss, Col. Lynch and Cap
Gregg, all of whom were taken prisoners
at the battle Shiloh. and were exchanged
a short time since. The speeches were
made at the grand Union rally at Chicago.
Gen. Prentiss gave his sentiments on
political matters as follows:
Lest | NAV be misunderstood let me
tell you, Republicans, | am no Republi-
can. Democrats, | am no Democrat. l
am a soldier of my country. lProdigious
cheerinp.I Iholdin my hand an Augusta
paper, one of some thirty or forty others
/ have in my possession, with articles sim
liar to this one. [Cries: Read it"
read it."l This is the Augusta DAILY
ConstitutonaHSt, published in Augusta, Ga.
1t is the Oldest paper in the Southern
States, the one which has the greatest cir
culation, and is looked upon, next to the
Richmond Enquirer, as the organ OF the
Confederacy. 1t is a studied effort OF
these people to divide us here in the
North, to have the West separate from the
East. They continually talk about this.
They say, I'VE like you Western men,
for YOU fight better than them cussed
YANKEES; we know whe can't whip you,
but we can whip the Yankees two to one
This article is headed The Great West"
and if it hurts any of you don't blame
me. for you voted that | should read it.
There 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 meet
ings. and the Democratic ConreatiOns, all
prove this conclusive. THIS feeling does
not display ITSELF as boldly opposed TO The Uar
per Sc, but assumes The form Of opposition TO d6-
oLtonism, coercion and suIjugatiOn. 1t would
not be safe to exhibit otherwise, for in
THAI event the individuals giving express
ion to it would soon find themselves in
generated within the walls of some Yam
kee Bastile, and their opposition thus
speedily and effectually crushed out
But BIZ processing devOton 10 the Union, the Con-
s~titutiOn, and he ADMINISTRATOR OF ABRAHAM
Lincoln, they can organize thoroughly for 0ork,
and thus secure a t0ay 10 triumph an the dp-
preaching fall elections"
That article proceeds to the length OF a
column in the same strain, alludlng-tor
l will mention the names-to Carlisle OF
Western Virginia, Voorhees, of Indiana,
Richardson of Illinois, and Vallandigham
of Ohio. Sensation. Their papers are
full lof it. They look upon you tender
footed sonls as traitors to your country
Do YOU want to help these men to murder
your brothers and break up this Govern
ment? Is so, in the name of Heaven, let
us know it, and the Shiloh prisoners will
send you down South where you belong.
We came home fully determined to take
all men by the hand who think and feel
as we do, that this rebellion should be
crushed.
We are going to our homes in this State
and we will tell the Government, the
candidates., and the voters, how we
have been treated. 1t may denied be in
some quarters. l care not. We are
determined to tell the truth. Here
around me are many of these men, my
comrades, Republicans, and Democrats,
some of whom went South as apologists
for these men. Some Missourians and
shareholders were with me in prison. We
all came home. Well, call us abolitionists
ifyou please, or anything else. Applause.
| tell you the slaves in the South that we
saw are better posted than the butternut
gentry, Every little act of kindness that
these men received were from slaves
TCheers. We have come home ready to
use every power hat God hath given us,
to put down this rebellion. Cheers. To
take their property, to take their negroes,
to take everything. lGreat and long con-
timed anDlause.l i
Col. Lynch spoke with great earnest
ness.
We give a short extract
hardly need to tell you that | have al
ways been a strong, incorporating DEM
ocrat. / have been an apologist for the
Southern people. / pronounced the stor-
les of their cruelties to be gross fabrica-
tions. | considered the Abolitionists and
Republicans the enemies of the Union
/ giH not say SO notg.
While | was confined in the Madison
prison the officers were allowed but two
rations per day, those rations consisting
of four ounces of pork and a certain guam
tity of corn or -four bread. This bread
was made of meal and water mixed
and roasted. 1t was first roasted IN one
side and then on the other. 1t was very
hard on the outside, (laughter) and very
soft on the inside. We used to pitch
quoits with these cakes. (Renewed
laughter.) They pronounced that gentle
manly treatment! These were the men
| had been defending, the men ] apollo
gized for, the men | treated in a gentle
manly manner at Donelson. never suf-
fered so much however, during my whole
imprisonment as, / did when | arrived at
Washington and found that there were
men in the North sympathizing with the
rebels. The rebels are our open enemies.
We know where TO End them. These
Northern enemies aie Yipers. They sting
US and we cannot find them. Ny only
platform is, Il loYe my country" !, as
You all know, have never been an Adolf
zionist. / have turned negroes who came