Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-08-27

WnaC remains IN the held VIII soon De
overtaken and captured. The following
statement will show the immense loss
the rebels have sustained since the 1st
of July:
Captured from Lees army in
Pennsylvania and Maryland $4,000
Surrendered of Pembertons
/ army at Vicksburg, 81, ,277
Surrendered of Gardner's ar
my at Port Hudson, 1000
Captured in South Tennessee, 1000
:" at Donaldsville, La, 600
Helena, Ark, r 1900
Deserters from Bragg's army, $500
Captured from Morgan's ma
rauders, 1920
Captured from Lees army in
Virginia, 1000
Total, 92,777
How long can the rebels stand such
a draft as this upon their resources,
when they have conscripted their last
white man fit for duty and the negroes
all fight on the side Of liberty.
1t is surprising to hear. the Southern
Chiyalry talk of reconstruction" Why,
they were wont to die in the "last ditch =
They have advertised it far and wide
that they would never submit to the
Government Of the United States, and
that if Yankees should have the good
fortune to gain possession Of any Of the
seeding States, they would only find
the ruins Of cities burned to the ground,
and would be obliged to pass over their
bodies as.they lay in the |Elast ditch. F."
This being their firm resolution then,
why trouble their minds about recon
struction now? Why not burn the cit
les that the Yankees areabout to takepos
session of and continue to bury them
selves in the last ditch.
There may be scme very wise indi-
viduals in the Northern States who talk
of reconstruction, but men of better
judgment do not harbor thought of re-
construction. The fact is, we do not
admit that there has been any reyolu-
ton, SO far as the United States Of
America is concerned, and until we have
a revolution, it is idle to talk of recon
struction from the fact that minority
Of the people of the Southern States
choose to turn traitors, and excite re
bellion, is simply nonsensical and will
not admit Of an argument. You may
ask what we purpose to do with the ter
ritory which the army takes possession
Of 1t may be discreet in dealing with
this question, to judge of the future by
the past. What has been the practice
Of this Government since the Constitu-
ton was formed? Tn 1904, the United
States purchased the territory border
ing on the Mississippi; subsequently
the people of Louisiana formed a con-
stitution, and applied for admission into
the Union as a sovereign State. Was
this reconstruction 2" The admission
of Texas involved US in war with
Mexico, yet there was no ''reeonstruc-
ton" The union of States remain the
same. Still later, the Ssate of Virginia
seeded from the Union, so far as she
had the power The United States army
captured and held possession Of the
| Western part of the State The people
! residing in the western counties formed
a constitution, and applied to Congress
in the usual form to be admitted as
sovereign State, and was so admitted !;
and her people enjoy all the privileges
| of citizens of the United States. Yet
the question Of reconstruction did not
arise. .r.r
And it would be safe to presume, that
what has been done in regard to West
ern Virginia may be done with any por-
tion Of the territory in the seeding
States.
By correspondence lately published
in some of the New Orleans papers, /
am led to believe that the most promi-
nent men in Louisiana are now taking
into consideration the forming of state
constitution, preparatory to be admitted
into the Union, but they do not propose
| the reconstruction of the United States.
Whenever the loyal people of Louis
!
lana come smoking at the door" with
a constitution which admits the fact; that
| all men are created equal, and endowed
bvtheir Creator uith certain unalienoble
rights, that among these are life, iBcrtys
and the pursuits Of Happiness, they will
be admitted.
Sixth-You advise me to look upon
the map and see how much progress
we have made toward gaining posses
sion of the Southern States. AsI lave
been studying the map Of the Southern
/ States for the past two years, and have
got my lesson pretty well, | will now
give You a short rehearsal. In Janu-
ary, 1862, the rebels held possession
of Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louis
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