Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-09-02
DeSerterS.


We have believed all along that there were fewer
deserters from the North Carolina troops than from
those of other States but it is fashionable in GER
tain quarters to attribute every thing that happens
of disreputable character to our good old State,
and hence the stigma in this respect that rests upon
her From the day Roanoke Island fell to the
present, she has been made scapesoat for the sins
of others TWAS asserted then, by person very
high in place, on the strength Of mere street ru-
NOR, that Der troops behaved badly in the battle
on that Island and from that day to this, though
the valor of her sons have time and again saved
that person from the fate Of a refugee and wander
er, yet Justice has been denied her. and systemat.
&c effort has been made to produce the impression
and to place that impression in history, that she,
above all other States, is harbor for deserters.-
1t seems, FROM the following extract from the army
correspondence of the Salisbury Watehman that
this effort has become so notorious that even the
soldiers Of other States who DESERT claim to be
from North Carolina The correspondent says:
Yesterday an old member Of Co. G, arrived in
camp, who mad been detailed as a scout to arrest
deserters. He was assigned to duty in the neigh
borhood of Farmville Va, where, by keeping a Wig
liant look out be soon succeeded in capturing sew
eral fellows who belonged to the Woods Rooster
Battalion" He asked them where they were from,
| their reply was, North Carolina. Others made like
inquiries and received the same reply; but when
they were brought before the proper authorities,
and the truth forced out, the very officers exanin
ing them were astounded to learn that they were
I.Vlrginians and belonged to the 23d Va regiment.
few days later squad Of more North CaroLnians
were arrested, but the end turned out to be
hut
were taken up, who invariably reported themselves
from North Carolina at first but afterwards, proved
to be from some other State few, perhaps one
fifth, my friend says, were indeed from the old
North State, but by far the larger proportion we're
from Virginia These facts can be proven beyond
doubt. do not make these statements at ran.
dom, simply to tarnish the fair of our sister
States, but do it to vindicate our own honor. I
am sorry that single soul has ever deserted from
the Confederate army; but since men will CO. it is
not right that they should travel for hundreds of
miles under assumed names and on North Carolina
credit 1t makes our blood boil to hear North Car
DINA denounced har5or for deserters and trait
ors, when, in fact there are fully as many in other
States"
We admit with regre: that there are many de-
serters in this State, and we fear that the party
feeling in the army, gotten up by few officers
with the sanction of the administration at Rich
mond, will lead to more assertions. But we be-
leve there are two deserte-s from other States to
one from North Carolina. Mississippi, the Presi-
dents own State, has more deserters and more men
out of the service than she has in ii. But Mssis-
sppi belongs to the chosen circle, and so nothing
is said about Mississippi Mississippi retained her
conscripts to defend her own SOIL and yet she was
overrun, and the newspapers gave US no informa.
ton as to the deeds of proves of these retained
conscripts H.. .s"- 81.