The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-06-30

VIII repay repeated persual. His description OF
lite In camp is graphic and places it before in
light far different from the one usually reflected
by our own ignorent imaginings. We would es-
pecialy commend to the people at home, ,he re-
monstrance of the DIR. against the practice of
writing gloomy and complaining letters to the
soldiers In the army. Much evil has resulted from
this course to the country, and the mind of the
soldier has been burdened with cares at time
when he needs all his mental vigor to render eff
cient service to his eolors and to protect himself
Dr. Deems gives glowing account of the NOR
| al status of the army:
am not going to fatigue you with an itinerary
nor tell you where we halted and which way We
had gone each day. | rode and walked and ate
and slept with officers and men, always ready to
rise in the morning, always ready to eat, always
ready to sleep, and always ready to sing or pray,
or read Holy Scriptures aloud, or preach. The
tent In which l stayed the last to be taken
down, but it sometimes went from over me at one
O'Clock; and two hours after was reused to see
the stars On the lofty ceiling of my chamber, to
find my horse paving and champing and anxious
to oVerake his companions 1t was fine to mount
him and dash away over the hills aud take the
| fresh kisses of the incense breathing morn.
Two things [ learned hereabou;s, namely, how
to make ones self miserable aud how to make
ones self happy and gay. For the benefit of your
self and your readers, if you choose to print this
scrawl, L give you the receipts. To be miserable,
go nome, take all the newspapers published, read
them carefully believe them all, and understand
! as much OF them you You'll be strange
man if you do not come to the conclusion that all
things are in an inextricable tangle, starvation is
imminent, the soldiers are wretched, the people
| tororn, the government fool and nine-enths Of
the people at home scoundrels. To be happy, 60
into camp and mingle with the troops, and you
will have enough to eat, forget speculators put
| your trust in God the Government and the Gen
! erals, meet your old acquaintances, hear more
Jokes, (the good delicious and the poor tole-
rable) see more cuntentment, hear more singing,
and behold more knceng the ground praying
for salvation, and see more men marching right
out before their regiments to join the Church,
than you will witness at home in six months.
1t is refreshing to witness the gaiety of tho
men. Mid scorchng suns, sufocating dusts, and
drenehing rains, the glee of theif spirit grows
| more exuberant Every who passes by re-
| ceives his vQlley, Generals, Chapains visitors,
negroes dogs and rabbits. Some shots are sting
ingly sharp, but aone poisonous, and all are re-
ceived pleasantly. The sight of woman brings
cheer upon cheer. [ have seen very bomey
girl receive the shouts of ten thousand men. What
belle in your cities received such homage in
one day? You may see a major general, briga-
dier, couple of majors and plenty of captains
| in as excited condition about the destination of
| boauet in the hands of some rustic beauty, as if
they were all running for the Presidency of the
| Confcderacy. at seems to me, General, that ar
my life has demoralized your appreciation Of rea-
| tive beauty" ooh Doctor, have been mere
long that any decent woman looks sweet, and it is
! not in human nature to restrain when you see
| clean white pocket handkerchief.'
Sometimes after ten hours in the saddle have
gone strolling the camps to see how the men, who
had marched, stood it,, There was very little
skulkiness little despopdency, but very much life
and spirit One day when had been much con-
cerned for the men, as we had marched far and
forded river no matter which, walked up to
the camp of my sons company, and found that the
men had divided themselves into two bands and
were waging mock BATTLE the enjoyment of
which seemed to me to require much rested mus
Gle. There were hardly any signs Of fatigue, but
great hilarity prevailed among participants and
Spectators II wish all our people at home could
see this" said one of the soldiers. $50 do l."
was nv reply. :sTo-night the mothers and wives
of many will be signing through the midnight
about you while you are sleeping soundly, aud In
this twilight they sighing, thinking of you as
in suffering condition.
Let our people at home Danish their groundless
anxieties. Let them continue to do all they can
to make our soldiers happy, let the papers exclude
=
doleful character, and our will keep up
brave hearts enough Few places at home are as
cheerful as the camp.
Allow me to say some earnest words to mothers
aud wives and daughters and sweethearts L know
that nature prompts a woman to unbosom he1seit
to the one most dearly loved But If you really
love these men, why do you add to the necessary
privatons and troubles of camp hte! Gan your
husband help you? Can he come back! Will he
be happier if you tell him Of every aliment, that
the pet child is not WE'LL that the oil Is low in the
cruise and the -four is scant in the barreE Come
here with me madam. There sits your husband,
resting after march. He is tired now. In an
hour he viii have his supper, smoke his pipe, hear
prayers, be rested and sleep ssatetiy on his hard
bed But the mail comes with complaining let
ter from YOU. The distance, the compulson of
duty which keeps him, and his fatigue, exaggerate
the evil. and he goes off from bis companions be-
comes moody, lies down to dream bad dreams and
rises unrefreshed, to commence another days
march Why will you injure one you love SO?
His comrades wife is in no better condition thai
yours, but she has carefully concealed the little
disagreeables, hunted up every little pleasant bit
of neighborhood news, reported every kind word
said to her, and dwelt at length upon every kind
ness shown her. What pillow she has made for
her husbands head! NeUer sorite a letter to one
in the army aohich 1T acould not be schotesome for
hin, to read just before falling INTO !tne cf bat
tie. Your letter may be the last he reads. Let it
be full of tenderness, cheerfulness, and faith.
"But our husbands write us such gloomy let