, 1863-03-25
FROM OUR BOYS IN TIE FIELD.
Their Impressions Of Northern
Traitors.
TREASONABLE LETTERS FROM
lLLINOIS COPPERHEaDS.


17Tn REGIMENT ILLINOIS INFANTRY,
HEADQUARTERS 11TH Ill 1kFAsrRT.
LAKE PROVIDENCE, L., March 1sth 1e63.
At meeting Of the officers of the 18th
regiment Illinois infantry, on the 18th day Of
March, 1868, the subject Of discipline being
under consideration, numerous letters writ
by persons In the North to relatives aud
friends in the regiment were read, and their
influence upon our discipline and effectiveness
as a regiment, canyassed, -whereupon 1t was
determined to mike public through the press
Of the North, our opinions as to the best
method Of preventing this bane Of the army.
Acommittec appointed for the purpose offer
cd the following preamble and resolutions,
which, with the exceptions Of the 18th and 9Th,
were unanimously adopted, the exceptions
passing by majority Of the officers present.
The resolutions were afterwards read to the
regiment ut dress parade On the same evening,
and . vote taken upon them separately, which
resulted in their unanimous adoption.
The following preamble and resolutions
were adopted By the officers Of the 17th Hi
nois infantry, March 18th, 1865:
PREAMBLE.
W1EnEAe, Certain citizens of Illinois have taken
It upon themselves interfere with the discipline
OF our regiment by writing letters TO their sons and
1eaeoFins 1sn,eair Se to pFodnee aiscontent; and,
WuEREAs, some Of these letters ORG from men
holding prominent positions in the State Of llli.
uois thus giving their advice more effect than 1t
otherwise would hare; and.
WuEnBAs, These letters contain evidence Of
active disloyaty to the United States, and direct
i themselves our foemen, aud joining the ranks
which we. as soldiers, la'e pledged ourselves 10
pReselied. That Nc regard the man who counsels
soldier 10 desert the causc he has sworn TO de.
fcud, as traitor to his country equally guilty
with the armed minioas Of tue rebel chief JEFF Ds
yie and alike answcEablc for his crimes at tho tri-
brnal to which the soldier appenls.
Restlted, That We deem II our duty to expose, in
tits kind, that it may meet with mcrited rebuke
from law abiding and Union loving men every
where.
interfering with or engaging in the discussion Of
matters purely political, we warn the people Of llll-
nois that aiding rebels by word Or deed, negosia.
resEosaton I "a f Of the Unon and conatiton WITHHOLD
ing proper support aud encouragement from the
arlnes iow in The field, placing obstacles in the
M Sase = pien II lie defense Of thsir County are
questions which We do not regard ss rightfuly be-
longing to the catalogue Of political differences be
te lish1, Us We hare The Will, to speak; and which
none Tut corrupt and dieloya men would advocate.
Rexoleed, That we endorte lallandigha peace
proposition where he says that the y Northwest
ard South caunot be separated" but denouncc his
idca Of leaving New England out in the ro}a rs
| baeer than JEFF Davis rebellion. than which hell
| itself shows no example Of ''monster Of such
hidtouB Micn."
.Ke.o!red, That, Tor the sake Of God and hum.n.
liz, in place Of suspending the habeas corpus, NC
| would suspend the corpus OF every hend in human
| n n GESTURE.
thize with any internal traitor North Or South
| Freemen acti Act no" and trust In God:
of The North TINT VI, still hare firm faith in the
xbilsy Of our Government to re-establish its right
fnl authority in all the States and a.e determined
| ncver to give up the contest until the rebellion
| shall have been crushed.
MsIrfa, That q copy Of these resolutions bt
tsaasmtted to the St Louis jFfcxieaa @ caisae; .;
together with the following extracts from letter:
sous in tit l7ti Illinois infantry R5:xr r pr.rz.
u. c, SrocKpA1E, Licut. and 4. Adjt. Secretary
JUDGE LEWIS WANTS lis DEAR son TO "MEE1
ALL PERSONS FRIENDLY AND GESTEEL."
LEWISTON, ILL.,, Feb. 8, 1868.
4. Il. LEw1s-Dear Son once more write
few lines to inform you that We are an a.
well rs usual, and are in hopes that these few
lines will find you alive and well, well allbn1
l
| you was dated Nov. q, 1862.
Nc hare often heard from you since; ont
| report was that you Ind gone to Vick6buIg
an other that you aud others had deserted
&C., DC. But on yesterday AfcCuulber goi
home and told me that you we're on duty al
it gave me great anxiety, When heard that
yon had to 60 to Vicksburg, and hope yor
will not 60 there If you eau any way avoid it.
There will be terrible battle there if the par
to remain at Memphis If you can possibly dc
go and remember that the more prudent you
arc tie safer you will.be. Avoid I'll drunker
rows and the hapnts Of rough and Ill disposed
persons: Meet aQ persons friendly and gen
tcel, and by SO doing yon will axoid difficult,
trouble and anxiety that have about you ant
hope that you will realize tho fact that an
older than ynn and If my advice does you nc
, | good it will do you no harm. We hope Il
give new shape to things soon. Our Legis
, lature and other Legislatures are going tt
appoint Commissioners to call a Nati0na
Convention to try and settle the matter. Hov
the thing will work we cannot say until vi
try. But there is great change going Of
among the people, tile officers and regula
negro equality Republicans call us traitors
aud treasure Of tic Niger I want you t
write me Long Letter and tell how the Boy
, | generally feel about the matter. How man
! Of them that think that they arc lighting 10
for the Union dc &c Sc. understand tha
,, | see lin and give mr. respects to him: woul
| like to know if Hc is there, there is 4 grea
! | many Of the boys coming Home On some kin
Of Furloughs understand that Furlough
sell we'll In some parts Of the army, write ul
Immediately and waite fully and I will writ
: again in Il few days, Sarah is well and the
!. aie coming back on the farm Us soon as thci
School is ont. Direct to your mother.
$ Yours afiectio1ate1y,
: 2. S.-H you want to get out OF the army,
think can get ,youa ,parol, perhaps, Writ
mt about it. do not want you to run an
risk. Do not 60 down the river unless 50
are compelled to do %. Destroy this note.
don't want you do anything that will disgra.
= you Neither do I want you to fight long
:, for the negro and d-d Abolitionists.
: IF TOT CAN'T CONE HONE WITHOUT DEsER
!. ING, DESERT.
lE1tract from Mr. Goodman's letter to his sons
February Is. 1868.
DEAR SoN.-I want you to come home
, soon as you can, and # you can't come Wit
: ont deserving, desert, and come home, and Il
this damned Abolitionist war 60 to hell n
bedamned; but you come home, and then yl
arc all eafe. Come, come, come home. +
"LooK OUT FOB FIRE AND DR1AsroSE." !"
Editors chicago Tribune:
send you q true copy Of u letter sent
one Of our soldiers In the 115th regiment Il
nois volunteers, company 6, which he is
slrous that you would publish in your extc
sire paper, which is as follows:
E. L. HALL.
WnUAAss1l1E, H., Feb. II, 1863
DEAR CorsN.-It is with feelings Of pic
sure that I seat myself this evening in ord
that maY pen you few lines In answer
your kind letter Of Jan. eth, which We I
ceiTcd, and read with pleasure few daysag
Nc were glad to hear that you we're We
THIS leaves ourselves and papys folks all Fl.
so fur as I know Of, you say the south is q ha
place. Well, men are Bound to differ in
things, d / doubt whether yon know q,
! more about the south now than you did |
fore you went away. And 1lcaro let me t.
you that have Travelled through the sou
and therefore have the benefits of KNOWN
something Of that mutch abused country fro
- my own observation and John let me tell II
j. hear that also know something about Il
11Ith Regiment no wonder the south Is su
. hard place. When it hrs been orcrrun
such g1aceless thieves and Blaelllegs as maj
= up the 114th. l hare heard Of you stealth
~ Robbing, & burning, and what Is more ! ha
,c Of Doors & taking the last morscl Of the
II food d crammiog it down your own raveno
~ throats & then burning. the houses down
&c yetlier with what you did not want d 1eavil
lc tho woman and children to crying
nothing to cat hut there tears.
p. sir l have heard all Of this bcfo