The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-06-27

entreat you AS 4 soldier and a fri.nd -,
soldiers, TO write us letters You have ma
idea how much good they do us. and In
many ways they do good. lie, me instrue,
you little.
WHY SoLCIERs Want LETTERS.
We are men-indiyidual self formins .
freemen. The tendency oi army lite and
disciplln is to make us forget this. 1t
merges the individual in the mess, it max es
US only parts Of one great living. moving,
whole. We learn to feel that we belong to
our sGperiors, that we are only governs
mental targets to he placed here and there
at convenience to be shot a.. About all
the recognition Of humanity that we see
in many Of our officers, is the fact that we
are given guns to shoot back with, bat
even here we are drilled to believe that We
can ram cartridge or'place cap, nor
| even dodge ball, unless we get a message
| along the line from operators in epul-is
| at the stations above u.s. But these letters
remind rs of our manhood, of our births
right individuality and freedom What
though they be directed to John Smith
on the out side, with the names Of Gene
rails, Brigadiers, Coonels, Captains, &c,
usede as guild boards 10 our obscurty, they
| tell US that at home, at least we are not
| over looked. and we perhaps recoilect our.
selves as Mister Smith, or Smith Esquire,
or Rev. Smith, and the intellect and sens
sibI!I!ies all commence moving, and the
machine becomes Proud self conscious
god like work flood
The good letters do us in camps, they
make us better soldiers too,we get the blues
sometimes, we feel like going to the Coss,
perhaps more worn out with duty, Or ALI,
wet and muddy. and the wind changes as
often as we do, and blows the smoke right
in our eyes, and then the coffee is bad,
and the crackers are worse. and the bacon
still worse, and all this when we are hum
cry as wolves. or it may he that we ave
lying sick in the cold damp hospital while
druggy nurses haunt US day and night
with their nasty old pewter spoons, as if
we were nothing but troughs, to fix up oils
and powders in. But the mail boy hands
Us letter, good long one from home or
from, oh you wont get lis to tell ner'
name, though it did come to our teeth, so
we will first let it play around and sing
awhile within u, and iter let i.go lack
to its cozy nest way down IN our warm
hearts We are not tired now the fire has
quit smoking and leaps and dances Just
like our spirits. the old musty rusty crack.
ers and and bacon are decidedly better,
and II we shut or eyes and hold our nos.
es, We can imagine that the coffee 10
poured from the bright sunny faced CID
coffee pot at home, enriched with the
richest Kind Of cream from the milk that
Brindle gave Us last night, or if we are iu
the hospital, the dui! eyes begin 10 spar.
kle, the head don't ache % badly, the
fever and chi.ls, and in nine cases out Of
ten. the doctor coming IN will pronounce
Us better Just as if his nasty old mei-'
cine had done ii. ana not the precious lit
tie letter covered up IN the biankets.--yes'
aud they MAKE. Us better christians, too.
Var Is atheist.c heathenish, develish.-
qualify il a. you may, with all that ciyiliz.
alton and christianity can do, it is yet the
niightieI .eapIng machine III the harvest
of hell ! dcu =, say tina; God has nothirc
10 do with this machine, but believe that
lie binds the veil Of human wrath, he di-
reefs every movement to his own glory
but he Who drives and feeds the mad in.
strument, is apt 10 get very much like it.
MANY man enters the aTrsy- almost 4
SalrI, Gnu rcuvc> ~ hIIIGv-t -
In conclusion, wish to instruct you
little about ~hat kind of letters TO write;
Write cheerful.y; 90 not enter into long
discussions about the miseries Of solder.
ing, we know what the hardships are, far
better than you do. would not check
the expression of n proper sympathy; bu.
we are disposed to whine too much any,
how and when you start the tune NJ
home, we are sure to join in full c!icrus-
Wri,e loug letters, and don't ieaye anv
cold blank -pots on the sheet. like little
patches OF Snow. ln.erliue and cross line
as much a you please, so that. when YOU
get through the regular course of the
sheet, you will have some nice tit bits for
deserts. Write about particulars: We
have enough generals here. Tell us how
nlc ny kittens tumble over the floor. how
many calves brawl at the barn, wheather
Towsers sore foot is we'll yet or not, what
kind of dress little Mary has got, rho
took sister Annie sleighing last snow, and
above all who came home from singing
school with h,--o Of course We won't men
ton her name, but you ought to do SO,
Just as if you did not know any thing
about it, and don't forget to speak OF
church and Sabbath school, prayer meet.
ingS, aud what you talk about Sabbath
evenings, and what new hymn YOU sing.
And then having finished the colors our
imagination takes the brush and goes to
painting, and her finishing stroke is ais
ways returning soldier, all covered with
sears and glory, and when she has laid
away her brush. sleep unpins the curtains
and covers up the picture of the Dear Old
Home