The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-10-14
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from Florida.

ot"c IHttVf " t"e fftoo+
send you the following extract from let
ter written by a New England mother to her
son, who having registered himself as an en-
emy to the United States, was ordered to leave
New Orleans, thinking that it may be of in
terest as showing woman's devotion to her
country under all her sorrow for an erring
son:
MY DEAR Son: y. You surely can
write without referring to the war. 1t is no
pleasure to me. | see all accounts in the pa
pers. We do not think alike in this respect,
and yet hope you will change. | leave my
country to my God. He knows which is right
and which wrong, and will decide in his own
good time.
You never ask for Henry in your letters.
You surely do not forget your brother; he Of
ten asks for you and yours. How
could you leave your wife and children? |
now firmly believe that you do not know the
state of affairs. You say the papers are pro-
hibited-that you are shut out entirely from
getting any news outside of the city. O, my
dear son, my heart aches for you. | wish you
would take the oath of allegiance, and not
leave the city-but God alone knows what is
best for us; into his hands | commit you. O,
you had only continued firm in your allie
glance!
What if you do think that the men placed
over you by the Government of the United
States vent their spite on the women and
children as you say, and boast of what they
have done in Louisiana? They are but men,
and If they have done wrong God will Judge.
He alone reigns supreme. My dear son, you
know but one side of the question. You don't
know the shameful deeds -ef-tbpsc- ,rfso arc
fighting against the country for which your
father Fought so well. 1t would chill your
very blood to hear of the cruelties which Union
men and wounded soldiers have received at
the hands of your men. You must hear both
sides. Inever thought that | should
have son fighting against son, brother against
brother. l feel as Ii my heart would break. |
beg OF you, my dear good son, do not join the
rebels in arms. You were always obedent.
do not disobey me now. But God will con-
vince you wherein you are wrong. He will
hear mothers prayer. DO you think,
my beloved child, if | thought we were not
right, that would spare Henry and encour-
age him in an unjust cause? Do you think
that would wish him to endure the hardships
of the last two long years-for have not seen
him since first babe him good bye-if did
not think hewas fighting for right and justice?
Do you think of all this and not feel that your
mother is right? Ii / did not believe firmly
that God is with us and for us, should run
the risk Of having my dear son slain on the
battlefield? If l had ten sons | would say to
them all, "Go fight for the same flag and
country your father fought for before" Not
one should be living at his individual ease
while the very life OF his country was in peril
If yoI should join the rebel army.
rs fear yon may, and chance 10 meet Henry.
as brothers have met on the battle field re-
member me and be at peace. Remember your
mother and her anxiety. O,my beloved child,
return to your family. God can and will plan
the way for you."
The above is but one Of the sorrowing
walls that come from Northern homes and
pass through our hands on their way to mis-
guided faithless, men who for the sake of the
great profit of Southern trade would be CON
tent TO sacrifice National honor and principle.
We find men of Northern birth and Southern
principles the most bitter secessionsts of all.
The very energy and strength derived from
the pure air Of our New England mountains
and the purity of our social institutions seems
to add to the malignity Of their hate. met
son of Maine, graduate of one of her col
leges a short time since in New Orleans and
though he has accepted an important trust
from our Government and had been in the
South but two years when the rebellion began.
he is an arrant secessionist, telling me himself
that he detested the Government whose bread
he was eating. 'Tis from lips of such men
as these that many of Southern birth have
received wrong ideas and impressions of
Northern honor and integrity A life of con-
tempt awaits such men OF this class as escape
death at the hands of Freedoms soldiers.
The cause Of the Confederates In these
parts is almost hopeless. The woods of Ala
bama and Florida are filed with deserters from
Bragg, johnson and conscrpt officers. In
Henry Co., Ala, matters have come TO open
hostilltles and the Union men have openly
rescued prisoners from the enrolling cavalry.
The conscrpts are closely hunted and men
have come within our lines who had been fol-
lowed with boodhounds. The scenes of cru
city in East Tennessee have been re-enacted
in Alabama and Florida, but a better day is
dawning. Already the cavalry is afraid TO
follow deserters into some counties Of Ala.
and Union men have been furnished with ali
they asked for "powder and lead" Said one
of them the other day to me, "The rebels have
one OF my sons in their army they have taken
my stock, broken down my fences, destroyed
my crop, insulted my wife and hunted me with
dogs. 1 90 not ask or expect of the U. S.
Government remuneration for losses nor do /
ask support. II they will only furnish ammu
milton to my friends and myself, we will not
only support ourselves, but we will strike
blow after blow for the dear old flag. and that
wheer the enemy least expect it.s
We are exIactng large force to assume
active operations from this point about the
10th of next month and whenever anything
of interest occurs you may hear from me
again. Yours, CANDoR
u. S. GRAND LODGE OF ODD FELLOWS
A 4. Il.l4t L..