The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-11-07

-.The CsnfeAeracy LeeksA upen ~
Conquered.
The following letter was found on the
person of dead rebel soldier, who fell
in the battle Of Bristoe Station, Virginia,
fought some days ago. The letter is from
the brother Of unfortunate man whose
death. with thatW so many thousands Of
others, is due to the wicked ambition of
the few bad men who have precipitated
upon the country all the horrors of civil
war To what extent the ravages of war
are felt throughout the South, the follow
ing lettcr, written in confidence. and lr-
tended for the perusal of brother, only
bears mute but eloquent testimony:
THE LETTER.
Wolf Creek, St. Clair Co., Ala.,)
September 20, 1863. {
DEAR BRoTHER: | embrace this op-
partunity of writing you a few lines
to inform you that We are not all we'll
Every one Of my family has had the meas
les; the last one has just got up 90 he
eAn walk about. have done scarcely
any york in FIVE weeks. am very weak,
- le to do days work. l came
hod rom Blount county with the measles
on M, and / have had hard time of it.
hope these few lines may End you in
good health. l received your very kind
letter dated Aug II, which gave us
great satisfaction to hear from you once
more, for your letter was 30 long coming
that We had become uneasy for fear you
had got killed when you went up to Get
tysburg. Times have got very hard here.
do not believe half the people in this
section have any meat to eat. Meat
here is selling at Sc so per pound. and
hardly any in the country to spare and
when it is to spare the people do not
want to take the Confederate money for
it. They look on the Confederacy as about
conquered, and when it is conquered, the
money will be dead. Some people are
offering $40 per bushel for wheat, and
they suppose corn will sell for Sc SO per
bushel ia the heap and some say it will
bring So per bushel soon; and, consider
ing such high prices, how can we expect
the women and children to be fed who are
dependent on their husbands wages to
feed them ? And many of them have
lost their husbands in the war. What
such families are to do can't tell, and
the Confederate money is now worth only
one dollar for ten. The privates get elev-
en- dollars per month, and that IS worth
little over one dollar in specie. Men who
would fight for such Government as this
surely have not got good sense.
The men are deserving and coming
home by scores, and l do not think they
are to blame, although there is about a
company of men to every beat bunting
deserters and robbers; but believe they
come In faster than they take them out.
There have been several men killed by
the deserters, and some of the deserters
have been shot. | am afraid if the war
nolds on our country will be ruined BY
our men st home. Some time ago there
were many of our men came from Vicks-
burg with their paroles. / suppose the
Yankees took about forty thousand of our
men there besides what they took at other
places. And the word came last Satur-
day that they We're exchanged. but the
most OF them do not believe it. Some of
them have gone, and some say they won't
60 without they are taken. do not know
what will be done. l do not believe thcy
are exchanged myself. believe our big
men are fooling them, and if were them
and they fooled me once, and found il
out, | would never do them any more
good if l could keep from it. l do think
there Is enough of our men killed and |
died In this war, and if We can't hip the
Yankees we had better give up, and let
the war step. | think my boys have
made enough to do the family. But cur
Congress has passed law that each one
has to give the tenth of what is made. /
think this is very unjust law, where the
men are In the war and have no one tn
make support but their children. do
not n, think they should pay anything but
their common tax. The poor men have
nearly all the fighting to do, and think
the rich men should support the war. Il
nope the war may end soon. | can't tell
what we will do for salt, and the Govern.
ment is pressing all the cattle, SO tina. We
VIII soon have nothing to eat but bread
l want you to write regular to me. s,
=! remain your affectionate brother until
death.