Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-03-19
lror the Rutland Herald.)

Mn Ep1ToR IL send you for publication
IN extract from letter written by a Lieuten-
mt in the 9th Vermont Regiment at Chicago,
illinois. His description of the rebel prison.
prs, together with his ideas concerning traitors,
eopnerheads. hunkers, the proclamation, &C.,
Ire interesting. His strong EXPIRE ssons OF 10y
ltv and patriotism give the lie to the on re-
heated expressions of the copperheaos Una. Inc
$ouserDatiue officers and soldiers from the north
n Ire getting tired of the war, ana are hos VII
Enc 10 fobt under the Proclamation OF Free
/ dom. ,.;s;
..od = epeedy removal to more exciting scenes
~ 20. and bloodshed; and in fact were order
q 70 Fortress Monroe. Then came four thou
"a nd rebel prlsoners-our orders were counter.
handed. and all our anticipations of removal
2h lasted and we destined to remain and guard
$tbe " Southern Butternuts." ! wish had
oanius 10 describe rebel. | can assure you
that no newspaper correspondent ever present
#ed an overweight picture of them. | have
a seen double the number Of confederate soldiers
that have Union soldiers, and ! never saw
one decently. clad or decently clean. They are
a lousy, filthy, ragged emaciated set OF beings,
nossessing not the remotest idea of cleanliness.
al look worn out, tired, hungry, lank and
#sicklv. They die here at the rate OF from fif-
teen to twenty per day, Notwithstanding they
4 fare sumptuously. We treat them kindly, and
4 allow them full rations and clothing. We
treat them much better | presume, than we
should if we had never been prisoners and re-
#ceived kind treatment from them. Occasion
hlly one attempts to escape, but he generally
1hats to find himself discharged from the ser
8yice, with several bullet holes through him. /
8am getting to be pretty thorough abolition
Hist. ! am tired Of this lenient, careful way OF
handling traitors but wish to see them sum
: marily dealt with, both north and south. The
copperheads in the West are getting to be
pretty strong q fire in the-rear party" and
they do more to encourage the rebels than
many victories. / feel more determined than
ever to fight to the end ). no sacrifice is too
great to save this country and as | believe
the Negro is the prop that sustains the South
in this war, say take away the prop and let
the house fall. / know that l. love my coun-
try much better than slavery, and am more
willing than ever to fight under the Proclama-
ton of Freedom; and if my life can do any
thing towards sustaining our nationality, with
every star preserved, | willingly yield it to my
n country. | never knew what it was to love
my country until came into the army. Those
i old conservative notions | used to have will
never do; we are for or against our country;
and am for it unto the end. will pray for
it, fight for it, and if need be, die for it. do
not stay in the army because | have to, but
because | feel it to be my impt rative duty,
and, God approving, wherever my duty calls
me hereafter mean to 90, lei what will come p
/ suppose it is for entertaining such 'senti-
ments of loyalty as the above that the copper
heads are so anxious to have New England
left out in the cold. N. W.