Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-08-07
PROCLAMATIONS.
TO THE SOLDIERS OF THE CONFEDE-
RATE STATES.

After more than two years Of warfare
scarcely equalled in the number, magnitude
and fearful carnage of its battles g warfare
in which your courage and fortitude have il
Illustrated your country and attracted not only
gratitude at home, but admiration abroad,
your enemies continue struggle in which
our final triumph must be inevitable. Unduly
elatcd with their recent successes, they mag
inc that temporary reverscs can quell your
spirit Or shake your determination, and they
are now gathering heavy masses for a general
invasion, in the vain hope that by desperate
| effort success may ut length be reached.
You know too well, my countrymen, what
they mean by success. Their malignant rage
aims at nothing less than the determination
of yourselves, your wives and children. They
seek to destroy what they cannot plunder.-
They propose as the spoils Of victory that
your homes shall be partitoned among the
wretches whose atrocious cruclties have
stamped infamy on their government. They
design to incite servile instruction and light
the fires Of incendiarism whenever they can
reach your homes, and they debauch the inte
rior race hitherto docile and contented, by
promising indulgence of the vilcst passions ms
the price of treacbery. Conscious OF their in
ability to prevail by legitimate warfare, not
daring To make peace lest they should be
! hurled from their seats Of power, the men
who now rule in Washington refuse even to
confer on the subject Of putting an end TO
out-agcs which disgrace our age, or to listen
to q suggestion for conducting the war accord
| ing to the usaSes of civilization.
En1t oil =. IoS+
but victory, or subjusation slavery and the
utter ruin of yourselves, your families and
your country. The victory is within Your
reach. You need but stretch forth your hands
to grasp it. For this and all that is necessary
is that those who are called to the field br ey-
cry motive that can move the human heart,
shtuia promptly repair to the post of duty,
should stand by their comrades now in front
of the Toe and thus so strengthen the armies
o. the Contederacy as to ensure success. The
men no" absent from their posts would if pres
cut III the field suffice tn create numerical
equality between our force and that of
tie invaicrs-and when with any ap-
proaciI IL such equality have we failed to be
victorious? believe that but lew Of those
assent are actuatcl by unwillngncss to serve
their country but that many have found
1t difficult 10 resist the temptation of vsi, to
their homes and the loved ones from whom
they have been so long separated; that others
| have left FOR temporary attention to their az
| fairs with tho intention of returning, and then
have shrunk from the consequences Of their
! violation Of duty; that others again have left
their posts from mere rcstlessness and desire
Of change, each quoting the upbraidngs Of
his conscience, by persuadng himself that his
individual services could have no influence on
the general result.
These and other causes (although far less
digraceful than the desire to avoid danger, or
to escape from the sacrifices required by patri-
otism, are, nevertheless, grievous faults, and
place the cause of our beloved country. and of
everything we hold dear, in imminent peril.
| repeat that the men who now Owe duty to their
country, who have been called OUT and have
net yet reported for duty, Or who have aisent-
! cyl themselves from their POSTS, are sufficient in
number to secure us victory in the struggle
now impending.
call On you, then, my countrymen, to hasten
| to your camps, in obedience 10 tho dictates Of
honor and o! duly, and summon those who have
absentei themselves without leave, who have
remained absent beyond the period allowed by
their furloughs, to repair without delay to
their respective commands. and | do hereby
declare that | grant general pardon and
amnesty To all officers and men within the
Confedcracy, now absent without leave, who
SHALL with the least possible delay return to
their proper posts of duty. hut no excuse will
be received for any delay beyond twenty days
after the first publication of this proclamation
in the State in which the absentee may he at
the date of the publication. This amnesty
and pardon shall extend to all who have been
accused, or who have been convicted and are
undergoing sentence for absence without
leave or dcsertion, excepting only those who
have been twice convicted of desertion.
Finally, conjure my cOuntrywomen-the
wives. mothers, sisters and daughters of the
Confedcracy-to use their all-powerful innu-
ence in aid of this call, to add one browning
sacrifice to those which their patriotism has so
freely and constantly afforded on their coun-
try's altar, and to take care that none who
owe service in the fields shall be sheltered at
home from the disgrace of having deserted
their duty to their families, to their country,
and to their God,
~ Given under my hand and the Seal
| ! Of the Confederate States, ut Rich
| '"'''' mond, this lst day Of August. in the
49, year of our Lord one thousand eight
hund red ard sixty-tbrcc.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
| By the President:
}. P. BENJAMIN.
Secretary Of State.
| Augusta
ss0~Thc papers throughout the Confederate
States are requested to copy this proclama-
ton NJ The earliest moment and for twenty
lavs thereafter. and send their bills TO the
! r.l,