The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, 1863-05-02


to get reading ma ter. A newspaper will be read
all through by the same individual, three or four
times over, advertisements and all. The army Of
the Potomac is in state of awful destitutiOn of
all religious reading, notwithstanding all that has
Ueen done. The Pennsylvania regiments are the
best supplied Of any regiments in that army, and
yet their supplies are very meagre. The litera-
ture that is given us is never or very rarely des-
troyed-ucver to nay knowledge. But it is actu-
ally worn out."-Le!ter from the Arnny Of the Po-
tonsGc.
81 am met by men throughout the camp and
hospital with the expression, 'haye you anything
for US to read P"-From the Gulf.
While it is gratefully conceded that the friends
of the soldier in the North have done much to fur
,ish the army with good reading no one at all f.
niliar with the wants of the soldier will deny that
the demand far exceeds the supply. Suffering the
ennui of camp life, the soldier stands in need Of
hooks. He demands food for the mind as well as
for the body, aud surely an army such as ours,
composed of men who have left the comforts and
luxures of home at tn ,ir country's call, and have
thus placed themselves beyond the rea;h of daily
,eadiag to which from childhood they have been
accustomed, have right to demand that their
wants IN this respect at least, shall he supplied.
The temptations of camp life are proverbial-
and no INTEL gent obser can be ignorant OF their
origin. Liquor has been ono caus' but that has
been inter .icted to privates. Gambling, another
cause is carried on to an alarming extent through
out the army, Notwithstanding the Article OF war
sorbddng it, while profanity, The great sin OF the
American Army is fcarfully prevalent, although
the order of the President makes it penal otense,
and Article OF the Articles Of War, prescibes the
,,r,,ty. But there is yet another cause which has
been sadly overlooked, viz: neglect to provide a
healthy stimulus for the minds Of the troops, de-
priyed of which, restless men such ~ compose Sh
army, will provide themselves diversions OF another
hind There are few who would not he glad To
read-but having no opportunity Of doing 80 they
betake themselves to games Of chance 'to Kill
,ime.n Who that has witnessed the excitement oi
The card table can wonder that the tongue should
hecome ungoyerned, and dthat the profanc oath and
indecent lest, should be upon every tongue3 When
men. to kill time, deliberately take step down to
the low level of forbidden pleasure, Is not the de-
cent easy to total loss of moral character
The importance, the necessity ior large supply
of iud ciously selected reading matter for the
army is thus apparent. Who will see that it is
proyided7 1t is the uniform testimony Of all who
are acquainted with camp life, that no boon is so
eagerly coveted BY the soldier as tie gift OF some
thing good to read, shall that boon be denied
The friends of the soldier at home, are, by
means of various organizations partially supplying
this want Let the loyal men Of the North see
to it that they are enabled to do more in the future
than they have done in the past. Let the wives,
the mothers the sisters the friends OF the individ-
nal soldier see that his wants in this respect are
suppled-frst of all by means Of frequent, long,
and cheering letters, breathing loyalty to the gov
eminent, and rebuking the treason Of those who
would purchase 'peacs at any price, Next to