The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-30
70 the Twelve Months Volunteers from
Alabama In ,hs Army Of shs Pstemac.

ION Will p1Toon mo Ior ADDRESSING you on
the subject OF re.enltslment when tell you
that am your comrade, that 1 have been
with you since you entered the field, and
that have at home q family OF small chill.
drsn with NO other protector than their
mother.
When we came to the support of our coun-
try, In its struggle Tor existence, we wero
jealous OF our more fortunate comrades, who
were armed and placed At once upon the post
Of danger. We were ciamorOus for acuvs
service. Was this because we had q passion
for war which would cease with the f1rst
rude encounter, and thirst for chsaply-
earned laureaDs Which swoald be satiefied II
We won the applause OF the people on a sin.
gle battle.nsidf Or did we feel the truth of
our condttion-that all the treasures of the
past and the hopes OF the future were to be
saved or lost, a. we might be true to our.
selves and tho country, or false to our homes,
orr families. and to the cause OF true Con.
stitutlonal libertyi
The answer to these questions must deter
mine the course Of such men "a are guided by
principle, and to mono other than these can
the country look for its defence. Let u an
swer them with perfect candor. 1--we rush.
cd to the field for the defence Of our native
land-its soil that has nourished ms it, peo-
pie who are bono OF orr bone" and whose
for our safety and honor Its Government
Constitution, and laws, which furnish tho
only security left Us for the preservation Of
nfe liberty, and property, We must remain
plished. or else. BY our conduct, announce to
the world that these things are not worth
dgnting for, or that We are not the men to
Aght for them. II We took MP arms in a
romantic love OF adventure. and intended to
lay them down when the real trials OF war.
fare should como upon us, we will serve our
country best by leaving the field to men who
VIII endure every hardship which lays in our
In this light our actions will be read BY
our shrswd enemy: Every man who now
recsdes from the field will weaken the army
more than In proportion to his value as
soldier, and add strength to the enemy in a
still gres ter proportion. Ithas been evident,
from the time we first measured arms with
oar oppreesors, and they learned to dread
the valor Of the Southern patriot.soldier,
that the Yankees have bee n employing every
art Of war to avoid further battles, and with
their control Of the seaboard, and their sups-
rior numbers, to keep ~ harassed with vari-
Gus threatening expeditions, in the hope to
annoy, divide, and weaken MS. They have
taken comfort to them selves, while they have
=" calculated" that We would become FESTIVE
gusted with the fatigue duties which the
character OF their movements would necessa-
rily entail upon rs. They have believed that
our patriotism was but q bubble that our
zeal was but = freak Of passion; that our
COURAGE was only q ut Of temper that we
would b impatient Of toll, and frstful under
suffering, and that they could, by superior
pOW0L8 OF eUOUI00Ces WIN q tTlQmpn WQlCQ
they dared not put at stake upon the neld Of
battle. Shall We fulfill all their base hopes
and cold calculations by withdrawing from
the struggle at the moment that our greatest
sacrifice 10 demanded, and when such an act
would expose our country to almost certain
What will canse us to lay down the arms
we 20 eagerly raised one year ago, and to
.osnSo. ,, n. nag n We have watched and fol-
init, will be called home by the honorable
desire to provide for the maintenance and
protection OF their dependent families. Those
tender relations at home, evinced the highest
possible devotion t. their country, and, in
some instances 1t w0uld b wrong for them
to remain In the ssrvics, till they have had
families. But in such time and for ~ such a
cause a. this, every man who can bear arms
shoald count himself q soldier. No man
can, now or hereafter. b. called BY the en-
horne merely because he has more care for
his household than he has for his country
II all the heads Of families remain at home
while the young men do the fighting. our
the expense Of . generation who had but lit
tie voice In thooo grand acts and declarations
which ws have assembled our armies TO de-
fsnd and make good. The older men will
selves Independent q the expense Of the
blood Of men who tight bat do not vote.
know and fs6l . yon do. my comrades,
that such considerations have often arisen In
our minds and touched our hearts, a. We have
watched the border In the lonely vigils Of
the outpost, and have totled In the hot sun
and amidst the cold frosts for our oouEtTy's
eausA Bus armed with tie CONSEQUENCES
that, with al, ~ did no uaors than our duty,
/ and upheld In our hearts BY the senttms1t
| that We had the approval Of the God OF truth
and justice to sustain n. ~ have only de-
sired to meet every danger fairly in the iaes.
and have not inquired who else should have
ben present 70 thare Il with ~. Such vail
stu . oar tesltngs II al that remain at
hems shall continue to content themselves
With eAss, eomfest, and SAFETY, rather than
share With - the tolls Of camp and the dan.
eers Of the Asld, Ne shall - content 70 -.
1Sey aIe unWcgthy to assist In Winning. Let
thaSn enjoy At our hands tho tndaponoaDCo
/ tney have not thu viii 70 win With their oWn.
= tsis opportunity Ass eeea oeere1 e az
49, n xhalP 0Wn 6nIDoQ0, - tnoY ~ N