The Portland daily press., 1863-05-12
COMMUNICATIONS.
Sergeant Green on the War.

Serge ant Green's regiment and company
are unknown. 1t is impossible even TO ascer-
tain what sovereign State contributes his val
liable aid 10 the Confederate army of Virginia.
He wrote letter last September-an inter-
esting letter in some points of view-which
unfortunately never reached its destination
In fact postal facilities were not altogether
within reach OF Confederate sergeants in
Maryland at that time, and Sergeant Green
happening to be at Antietam some three days
after writing his letter, inadvertently dropped
it. 1t was picked up by soldier of the 10th
Maine regiment, who also happened to be at
Antietam On the same day, and would doubt
less have returned it TO the author, had not
the Sergeant left the field, and in fact the
State, with a certain abruptness, which put
the restoration of his property out of ques-
tion. Such being the case, the finder has
thought proper to publish the letter in the
Press. Its style is forcible rather than elegant.
The terrible swearing in Flanders, as reported
by Sterne's Uncle Toby, was elementary when
compared with the development of the same
vice In the Confederate camp, as illustrated
Wy oSf SC0bt otCCtf. lSul COulltiE W tnt uitt-
ter of the letter-a single question suggests
ITSELF If this document represents the mind
of the Confederate rank and file, how long
will armies thus minded hold together in the
face Of disaster? The leaders will fight with
desperation. How far can they lead their
armies into struggle grown evidently des-
perate? The letter follows, stripped of most
Of its superfuous epithets:
In CAMP, NEAR HAGERsTowN,
Sept. IA, 1862.
DEAR JIM: We arrived here yesterday,
after hard marching. We marched over to
Maryland on last Thursday week. Ever since
we left Gordonsville we have have had hell
of time; first, lighting with old Pope, and
then hard marching after the Yankees, and
living on green corn; then muddy water, hard
fighting, hard fare, and most dannable hard
marching; my feet got SO sore, tI was first
barefooted,) can hardly get along Our boys
are nearly worn out, but still we are dragged
along at the point of the bayonet, by our
officers, who don't care curse for us, so we
do the fighting and they get the honor of whip
ping the Yankees. am dead sick OF this war,
and ii | only had known when l entered the
service that the war would last SO long, and
that we would be led such an eternal dogs
life, would have run away from the whole
Southern Confederacy; for do think that we
have been humbugged by our officers. What
Is the difference to you aud 1, Jim, whether
we live under old Abe or JEFF. Davis? Neither
of them cares for us, only to do their fighting
and voting, and begin TO think we have been
fooled by set of officers, sneakng villains,
who are too lazy to work, and have lost good
fat picking by the election OF Lincoln, and
want us poor white niggers to build their
house for them, while they don't care if it falls
and kills every one of us, if they can keep
their niggers. You may think talk queer for
sergeant in the Confederate army, but will
be damned if l don't believe it's time to stop
this killing of poor white men.
w. /. GREEN.