Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-09-02
For The standard
- For the StaI
Z WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

" Holden, Esg F2-
DEAR SK:-I have been travelling about good
q q recently and in almost every town and village
stoP At see stout able bodied men with stripes
on their trowsers, gold lace on their sleeves stars
and oars on their collars and any quantity Of brass
buttons on their coats Some are booted and spur
red, others have plumes in their beavers, apdall
are tat, sleek and hearty looking Some ares golo-
neis, some Majors, some Captains some Lieuten-
anus with here and there Quartermsster or
nearly ALL original secessionists or the sons and
nepbews Of the original panel l have several
times asked "What does it mean that so many Of
ne =. are absent from the armyY The reply 10,
:. tney are at home on sick furlough." But why Is
mat SO many officers are SICK and some of them
80 oitenF Every few months the same officers are
W oe seen at home and while here they are well
enough to dash shout over the country, on their
III. nolses and in their buggies dance attendance
o 'e ladles lounge about the streets of the Wills
se, smoke hne cigars and drink their full share Of
oa,a lsce and new apple jack, and curse and swear
poor private if they chance to see one at home,
a a Soy tnat ne ought to be punished for being alb
se' IRON MS post If the reader of this will go to
t''r. " Inc sn'onable watering places will VEN
lure 70 predict that he will find considerable por-
uoa Of the visitors to be gentlemen in uniform
anu VI eegant leisure" Go with me, if you please,
.o que OF our country villages-take your seat in
ee OF the hotel OF on the counter of the post
once, or In front of the Bank SSlook about you
wnom 90 you see? There goes a fine looking off,
.er WIN porty mein, cooked hat savage NOUS
.aeue ana staggering air, dscoursing fuently on
.ne oeauties OF secession and the treason of Con-
servatlves He is Gen. A., of the Western army,
and is at home on sick furlouph. There goes an.
otner hale, hearty looking officer, the same one
saw mere three or four months ago; his step is.
e,asuc' ana his color fresh and rosy he has stars
vi h's collar and gold lace all over his coat have
Seen him every day since have been in town-he
LOOKS, and walks and talks as well as any body; he
Is Col b., at home on sick furlough, and belongs
" tne army of the East There, too, goes Major
y, capt ID, Quartermaster E, Surgeon F, &C., &C.,
a'l' all at home on sick furough, and some of them
have been at home two or three times within the
iast hve or six months 1t really looks like this
business OF being an officer is a very sckly trade
anu aithough am no doctor, will venture to ad-
wise THESE gentlemen who are so much and so often
aiicteo with chronic diarrhoea and ncurable rheu-
matlsm, to THROW up their commissions, leave their
slckiy situations and enter the ranks as privates,
IL Will De good for their stomachs sake to do so
IL Will prevent their coming home so often, keep
lnem from making themselves sicker by eating
nlck-nacks and feastng on the fat of the land, and
In iact will regulate their bowels generally.
Reader, ask you in all seriousness, to look about
you and seq if have oyer-drawn the picture. How
many army officers are there now in your county,
How many of them have been at home two or three
times in as many months2 How long do they re-
main when they Gomez Ten or fifteen days like
the privates or for five or six weeks longer if they
choose! What are they doing while at home
riding about and taking their pleasure or lounging
about the streets drinking bad whiskey, smoking
segars, and talking politics? Or are they bond.fd
taking care Of themselves and endeavorng to recruit
The writer of this was most bitterly opposed to
the commencement, of this war; he thought it un-
necessary, uncalled for, inhuman. 1t was inaugu-
rated by the politicians and not by the people, but
it now too late for to inquire into the
which produced it; we are in and must get out the
best way we can We desire peace if it can be had
on honorable terms to the South. The best way
to secure such peace is for every soldier to be at
his post ready to battle for his country. Let then,
every deserter forthwith return to duty and let the
officers set them the example, and while they are
thus ready, with their armor on, to fight for peace,
let our civilians be consulting together and trying
to devise ways and means to secure to our suffering
country an honorable adjustment of the pending
struggle, which will bless the whole nation and ter
inmate this awful carnage which is fast despoiling
America of Der beautiful proportions, and will, in
the end, make her too contemplate to be allowed
aplace among the recognized nations of the earth.
Yours truly, CIV&.--
August 26th, 1863