The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1863-03-19

'Vi'V" ihS io'hSt tiOli d SOiNAAcI III
the 99d Reg't Q.V.T. to a friendin
this county, for publication:
CAMP NEAR M6RFREEsBoRo',
February 0, 1868.
DEAR SIR: l take the opportuni-
ty to write you a few lines, and
give you a soldiers opinion of the
war. | have seen the rralitisAbpf
war in its greatest degree; l fave
seen m0n'mMrgled= in every form,
having stood, by tlle Union at all
cveh amid tlic din of battle,
when cannona roared and mnsket
balls whistlcd; when many Il brave
fell; I now desire 70 give
my views on The Union DIT The
present time, Ihd.last ApfEga &c.,
establishing fhe''Un' on 'is,aa!mest
vanished. THERE'S but ole way
a foreign mediation. Or interydn-
ton. If France and England would
mediate, proposing tothc Soutlnto
lay down her arms aud come back
into the Union, and the President
to withdraw his Proclamation,
which has caused grfAt'dissalis&,cl
ton among the soldiers here, The
Union to be as it wasRnd the Con,
Stitution as it is, | think it would
be the best thing that could be dsne
for our distracted country. claim,
although a Lincoln man,,that the
President is farther from restoring
the Unlonthan he was intlc start.
The perils Of this nation are at
hand; the shedding Of blood will
have to stop. Look for a moment
vt the blood and treasure that this
government has cXpGtflrl to re.
store pence to the Union and has
accomplished little or nothing; 1t
has brought distress to almost cy-
cry family; scarcely p,,G has ,cs.
capped. Talk Of starvihg,therebols
that will do Tor the people of the
North to believe who never trayclf
ed through the South; having tray
eled ovcr Que thousand miles in
the South, ! know something about
this thing OF starving the rebels.
We ar" now cainpul where Gen.
Bragg a my WA. cNmpel duFing
the tore'part ofthe winter; we fhve
been LIRE four weeks and we lave
forage for all our horses and mules,
which are several thousand, and
have had plenty for them, although
we never went over six or sece;l
miles. So You car tell how soon
we will starvo th6m. fine prcsl
ent'war policy is carried unt,in The
next six months the tlcstrtc, from
the Union army will he ike times
greater than it now ia, ana many
writer's estimate the .desertcrS OF
the Union army at one hundred
thousand men. The causes of do
ssrtion are, first: we ntvcr,gct more
than twolttirls rationS, and most
ofthe time not half. Second: when
a man gets sick he, Is marched "
to thu Surgeon, asksn few
questions, and giving him a hand
Eful'of qtriniHc, tells lin to Tiki it
and then marks him for duty. /
he gets well, all right, and if he
dies, all right. Apma.t cant get {
discharge until he has one foot il
the grave. Third: there arc mel
here who have 6, s, 10 and 1:
, months pay due them, and theil
families depending on their month
" pay for support. Z EouRh: We
have to march through dust, rain
mud andsnow on hall Miions2ant
sometimes none; fght'ha ra baStles
and many timesloSet them. pQfing
battle many arorcompeilod to- ca.
the flesh Of dead horses. ','.r'l .
| have no doubt but that TIER
arc men who came into the service
with honest Intentions, anqg are
honest men, who have deserted
from this very cause; their fanilie,
can't live without support, and thu
man who claims't that he dOn'taow,
his allegiance to- his firmly il
preference to tho Uaion, lis t4aitol
to his God. Look at the..eXptnse
athree hundred million loanya,deb
of one billion of dollars, mid three
hundred thousand men have'bcel
slaughtered ard disabled, tie very
merge and bone Of tlle nation
:, The government has 5pSnt bloc,
and treasGre,enough ITO have con.
onefed the whole world if properly
=. managed. But Still" the soldiers
! are willing to endure all this, i