Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-12
ValIandigham at Home and in the Army
Protest Of True Soldier.
CAN'T CRIPPLE CREFK, TENNESSEE,
NINE 1suEs East OF MURTREEsBoRo'i
4 I 100.

EDITOR LEADER: I was once regular
reader Of your paper, and know that to
disabuse the minds Of the good people Of
Ohio, when they have been imposed upon,
IS one Of yonr pleasaHtest duties. To
come quickly at the reason Of my trying
to write this letter, win state that I re-
eeiEed letter from my parents in Geauga
county few days ago, in which they tell
me that the Plain Dealer, in its issue of
the fourth Of February, I think, had let
ter purporting to be from a soldier in
General Rosecrans army and in thatlet-
ter there are many statements which they
say they cannot believe. Among the most
prominent Of them is one, that .feur.ftths
Of the Army are against the Proclamation
Of fthe President Another, that if Vallan-
digham should visit our camps st present,
he would bv received with shouts of ap-
plause. Another, that if one more such
speech as the Hon. Vallandigham made
The other day in Congress makes its way
into our midst, there will be trouble, &C.,
and that the HPowers that be" will find it
convenient to raise another army, which
he thinks, by-the-way, cannot be done. A
fifth is, that the soldiers are tired and sick
Of the war, and care not upon what terms
il is brought TO a close. A sixth, that If
some Of the Ohio people were to come down
to Nashville, and take q look through the
hospitals there, they would raise muss,
&C., as they did in Indiana. In speaking
Of the battle Of Murfreesboro, he says 81
I,-- = bn
charges made by the rebels. They fight
better since the first Of January, and the
appearance Of that thrice-dsmned pro.
clamstion of Lincoln's" And still an
other-that when this army gets home,
(which will be sOOD, he says, # Old Ben
Wade opens his mouth, it will not be well
for him" Sc Sc. There are other state
ments as ridiculous that he is said to have
made, but the notice Of these Will con-
sumo all my time. In the first place,
will simply state that do not believe
them either. Indeed, knov the most Of
them to be entirely false. Whether shall
succeed in convincing others Of their falls.
ity is another thing.
I am not accustomed to newspaper
writing, but commence this with the inten-
tiOn Of signing my name At the oonolusinn,
for I really hate this way Of writing let
ple in the dark as to its author. 1t looks
as if the writer had said something he did
not want to own. With regard to the
statement that four-ffihs Of the Army are
AGAINST the Proclamation, have only 10
say that the writer Of the letter either has
q terrible mind for making estimates, or is
in a regiment, brigade, or division that
differs very widely from the one l am in.
1 know It is hard to get at correct esti-
mates in this matter but will venture the
assertion that one-fenth will come nearer
expressing the true number Of those Op-
posed to lhe Proclamation, than fOur-hfths.
As a sort Of basis for this conclusion, viii
state what took place in our own regiment
q few days ago:
As has been done in other regiments,
the noble Address ofthe Soldiers Of Ohio in
the Western Army to the People Of Ohio
was read, together with its appended reso- /
luton, and submitted to the regiment for
acceptance or rejection, as our sentiments.
After the affirmative vote had been taken,
our Colonel requested all in the regiment ]
that did not find the spirit Of the Address
and Resolution in accordance with their
own, to make the same known by saying
aEo.n We all listened for the noes. Suf-
fee il 10 cay, MOI a single one was heard. !
Then to make the thing sure, in my own
Company, took a piece Of paper Sat
down and wrote q short statement Of the
occurrence TO the CircleVille Union, say
ing that the sentiments Of the Address /
we're exactly those Of the whole Company
present, and we wished it made known at
home. read what had written to the
boys, and every one Of them signifed his
willingness, if need be- to put his name to
the statement had made. So much have
20 found an opinion upon, as to the portion
Of our soldiers that are as above stated.
With regard to the reception Of the mis-
cradle Vallsndighsm, my conviction is the
very reverse Of his. My opinien is that
were he to come into eur brigade lines, and
make himself known, or intrude upon the
soldiers, he mould not get out GliUe. know
il 70 be 8 common assertion among SOL
diers: " he had better keep himself scarce
around here if he does not want 10 lose
his head" They mean what they say, /
too. Indignation against him is very high |
BE has friends at home, know, but tie |
sifangest thing is that he should have them |
IN the Army. Il seems to be q legitimate |
results Of the too great leniency exercised |
3 by our Government toward such beings. |
Just as long as they are allowed to preach |
and practice treason, they viii have their |
daped followers. Wherever the devil can
gain listening ears, be makes converts so /
with the Northern SecessiOnists
The idea that one more such speech as |
"Val F" delivered in Congress will produce |
mutiny, or anything akin to it, shows the |
limited circumference Of the writer's &C
cuaintanee in the army. He may be for |
aught know man Of some influence in |
his company. Perhaps he has 8 Sibley |
tent full Of men around him that he has
got TO such pitch as to talk about mutiny. |
think it quite likely we have men Of that |
kind here, but they are few. Beyond this
hope his influence does not 90.
The assertion that the soldiers are so
tired Of the war that they care not upon
what terms peace is made with the rebels,
Is simply q notorious Observation-Disclosures |
simply because Of its frequent use and rep
etilion among the traitors, both North and
South. The truth is, the great majority Of
them are willing and anxious TO stay in the |
tented field, and are willing to bleed and |
die, If need be, to sustain our cause, and |
put these Internal traitors where they be-
long. Any one that makes the assertion
TO the contrary IS both S copaTd and q frai- |
for, and hope to God the soldiers will
make him feel that he is such when we get
70 our homes. What q pity that one can
Be found that cares no more for the feel |
ings Of his comrades, OF one st home thst
cares no more for the man that nobly |
stands between his sueaking, skRlking