Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-08-20
Consequences of Absenteeism in the Army.


If the public were fully informed of the terrible con-
sequences which aSsenteeism struggling and desertiOn
have brought upon US they would work with Sleepess
energy to arrest these evils Many thousand valuable
lives have been sacrificed by these infamous practices
and it is owing alone to the bravery Of the gallant
who stood by their coor that army has not been
BY this time utterly Annihated. Our reduced forces
have frequently breast the deadly storm of Yankee
bullets When if reinforced the number on the
my roll the tide Of battle would have been promptly turn
ed against the enemy asd the evils of protracted resist
ance which involved the sacrifice ofthouSGnd Of yRli
able lives, have tesn arrested.
Let our readers reflect upon the following facts and
learn from them how awful have been the
entaed upon in the past by their guilty cOunivance
at the cA6ses which wrought them We are satisfied of
their entire accuracy:
At the battles arouad Richmond last June twelve
months the number Of soldiers on Gen. Lees roll was
one hundred and twenty thousand. The largest num-
Der present at these battles fOryeght thousand!
At the battle of ShArrsburg, the number the Gene
rails roll was hundred and forty thousand. The
number actually present and in the fight, was only
thir.y-6Ve thousand Can any one contemplate this
state Of things without feelings Of bOror not uumi1ed
with thankfulness that Providence in his mercy saved
our little army from utter humiliation? Who can es
innate at its proper value the genius and ntrepdty of
the gallant leader Who in the face of such immense
odds ard such fearful peril bore the terrible shock -
And who can fahOu the sorroWul emotions of his oul
a. he contemplated the splendid opportunities lost to
him by the AheSs deserou from the posts OF duty of
so many thousands? The opinion of one Of the most
distinguished in this COnfederacy, both as a mill
tary man and statesman ia, that Wsuld have con.
quered peace twelve months ago, if our army could
have been maintained at anything like the strength
which its roll exhibited We have no estimate of the
number engaged on side At Gettysburg, nor what
the Absenteeism amounted But take it that the
ratio stopped not very far short OF that exhibited at the
battles of Richmond and Sharpsburg.
is useless to conceal the fact any longer our cause
will ere long become hopeless, il the evil OF absentee
ism is not arrested Men who would be ready to sacri
zee all they are worth for the success Of our cause
strangely connive in not few instances at this evil
They refuse from mistaken sympathy and sort ofmAud
lin sensitVeness which only DEGREES death to many a
gallant hero in the hed expose desertes and render
them AmenAbs to the penalties Of their awful offence
The patriotism and selfsIcri6cing spct of our people,
no matter what eHrSmes may carried avail moth
ing long the evlof deseron continues To arrest
that should be the imperative duty Of every mAu The
man who connives at deSertion, fails to use Proper
efforts have the deser;er sent to his command IL ac-
Oessory to the murder of those who remain at the post
of duty aud unconscously traitor TO the Cause of
Southern Independence.
We must devise efsctual means to put a step to
desertions cause is we'll nigh lost If we shall
prove inadequate TO this ASK there but little hope for
US Half or At most three fourths of the men now alb
sent from the army would, if Their posts. conquer
peace within 90 days, aud secure our independence
We can provide a remedy for ths terrible evil, and
We must at ouce apply ourselves the task. 1t is ter
riDle in its consequences, but by means dificult
to be troa.ed, if pcoper remedies are applied. The
great game stake jus:ihes and demands far Wig
orous efforts than have b,en employed, aud Ghsre
should be no delay in making them. lie: every State
BY it, Legislature dscres the penalty of ou.LWry
against every Of its ciliz,ns who is adudgsd de-
ssrter Let him be made subject every civil disab
ty-e. him be deprived OF the right to hold property,
to vO:e, to sue in any court of justice into
the mar age contract in shor OF every right that
attach to a ciliIea Of q Commonwealth. Aud it
would not be going far to inAict modified penalties
of this character upOn persons found guilty of hArbOr
ing deserters or couniVing st :hsir escape.
But, what is more important sti-et the Confederate
when the present Auues expires enforce
the death penalty vigorously and msrcilessly till the
evil Is cured Severity TO these offenders is humanity
10 the rest Of the army aud to the country Death to
them is life 10 the cause It is most mistaken clemency
that prompts any other of action We hope the
President will it be understood from this time
'Orth throughout the country tina. the pensty of de-
ertOn is death, ana that that penalty will be enforced
With unsparing determination.