Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-02-12
ltrum inc cleveland Plaiudcpler Feb. Vth.l
h1rNlM fhN s,ninmiar ArlrnN.

From the Cleveland rlaudcpler Feb. Qh1
ErOIm Snc Potomac Army.
We have been permitted TO conden, c
the following from letter recently recciv.
cd 10y we'll known resident of this city.
from a friend from Camp Nelson Taylor
under date OF January 9th. The writer
is a member of tho Sd Regiment Excel
sior Brigade. lie speaks right out in re-
gard to the various abuses existing in that
army.
"When I enlisted last fall had strong
hopes that the contest would be ended be-
fore the coming spring, but that idea |
have given up entirely, and now the case
looks very doubtful to me Of its ever end
ing to our satisfaction. Horace, you must
not think me tired or sick Of serving the old
flag, because am not, and intend to stick
by it while there is q star left. But since
| enlisted | have had my eyes opened to
their fullest extent by astonishmant in the
way the war is carried on. & am speak
ing of the army of the Potomac) Now
thea, to commence with, here in my own
Regiment, (and 1t is the very best in the
State, we have our Colonel, as brave
and good Colonel as there is in the serv-
ice, put ] can go no farther, for the Lieut.
Colonel or Ma or, either one of them, are
not fit to command hcnroost, and our
line officers are half Of them unworthy the
name of men, to say nothing OF being in
command of men. Every one seems to
care nothing about their country, but
merely to get the most pay for doing the
least service. Tho men as a general thing
have more respect for JEFF. DAVIS and
his bogus Coneleracy than they do for
the Government that they owe so much
10 To- pa,t protection. Thi. fe3ling among
the men friscs from the way they have
been u5edin regard to changing their com
mander so often, and then the way they
are being cheated, by their own officers.
81 am aware that all eyes at the North
are conferred on the army Of the Potomac,
and expect some great achievmcnt, but |
fear they will be sadly disappointed, III
less they are attacked by the enemy, for
You connot depend on them if they are
obliged to march auy distance. At the
battle of fredericksburg the most of the
troops had only to march from to /
miles before crossing, so they had no
chance Of Sinking away, and after they
were fairly engaged they fought we'll
But few days ago Gen. Burnside hal
his plans all laid for crossing and giving
them battle, and we had our orders TO
cross at point some eight milos from
our camp, some of the troops had few
miles farther to march before crossing
Well we started from camp, being the sec
oni Division to cross, but storm arose
before we could cross, rendering it utter
ly Impossible or artillery to be used and
consequently the move was failure. -
Just in the march in one day, the army lost
over 30, 600 men in the way Of straggIers.
Probably the most of them will find their
way back to their regiment as soon as
they find there is no fighting to do, but
it shows conclu,iveIy that the men are iu
a state Of Generalization. A part of my
duties is to keep men in their places, but
IN that march found it very hard to keep
my own place as the mud was some II
inches deep aad our army moved no fas. !
or than horse could walk. We are now
under the command of Gen Jos. Hooker
and hope he will punish strngglers and
desertcrs severely. In our Regiment we
lost 100 out Of 400. say lost, as it
amounted to the same thing, for if we had !
crossed as was the intention, they would |
not have been there to take a part in
Iac engagement. All, we'll every one in |
he army are sick and tired Of the war
and it is just the same thing in the rebel
army. The next day after the battle of
fredericksburg we were holding the
'front.' and one Of our boys and those Of the
'ebcls who were out skirmishing, becom
ng tired of shooting each other, laid |
Town their guns and advanced until they
net and shook hands and talked the mat
er over among themselves They allow
I'd it was only left to the privates of
both armies to adjust they would soon
put an end to ali lighting. This is an
lctnal fact and in less [ han au hour af-
crwards they were firing away at each
,thor again"