Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-03-18
tier from Genera Rosecrans to
the Indiana Legislature.

the Indiana Legislature.
In response to resolutions of thank.
from the Indiana Legislature, General
Rosecrans has written the following letter
HEADQUARTERS DEP'r OF CUMBERLAND,
MURFREEBORo, TENNESSEE,
February Is, 1868.
! GESTLEMEN.-In the name of the Off
GERS and soldiers of the army OF the Cum
berland, thank you for the resolutions
of congratulation, appro, al and condo
| lence you have sent us on account of the
Battle of Stone River.
! At the call of constitutional liberty, the
brave and true men of the West laid
aside peaceful pursuits, left their homes,
and sought to qualify themselves to fight
! for a Government that had cost the blood
and treasure of two great wars and eighty
years of time to establish.
For twenty weary months, this army
has stood guard to keep the Confederate
wolf from our doors. They know what
hunger, cold, weary marches, and painful
watchings 1t has cost to preserve our
homes from invasion, and our friends and
neighbOrs from conscription; it is, there
fore. doubly a pleasure TO hear these free
and cheering words now from home.
The unscrupulous despots in our front
call US Lincoln hirelings," and we hear
that this calumny has lately been repeat
ed at home by some of the men whose
property and person have been kept safe,
by our toll and blood, from the ruthless
hands of Kirby Smith, Bragg and Morgan
Presuming on our absence, these men
talk as if we were not citizens, and speak
mockingly of our patriotism. They stab
in the back the most generous, true-heart-
ed men of the country, while standing
guard in front of their doors, and they
prolong the war by encouraging the reb-
els to hope for divided counsels at our
homes.
| speak the conviction of the officers
and men of this army, when | say that
we fight to secure equal rights to all, un-
der the Constitution and the laws-we
fight in defense of our homes and hesrts,
sure to be invaded, if the rebel despots,
who began the war, can get the power
But we long for peace-we pray for peace;
and we fight for peace-not for a diShon-
orable peace-not for hollow truce. We
have once been deceived by the cry of
mo coercion, and Of State rights"
and have seen how the rebel leaders prac
tice, in East Tennessee, Missouri. West
ern Virginia and Kentucky. We have
met the masses of the South, and are wit
nesses of the falsehood, calumny and per-
tidy by which they have been led to wage
war against Us. We have seen flags of
truce violated hospitals. ambulances and
boats bearing flags, fired upon; and
our sick and wounded stripped OF their
blankets and robbed of their food and
we have been approached in
battle by rebels wearing our uniforms and
carrying our colors.
Alter witnessing the wholesale SANDER
of us, their perfdy and treachery toward
the masses of their own people, and the
unfair and dishonorable means to which
they, resort to gain an advantage. we have
been forced to the imufovuble but sad
that the LEADERS of this rebel
lion are psrfdto,ts, heacheTous, assrrUpuiOus
and cruel-their leaders never will nor
can be peaceatle, or true friends and
and that, as Mr.. Davis has
said, they only want the power. not the
will. TO invade and subjugate us.
We should rejoice to see the power of
these leaders fall by the hand of then
own people, whom they oppress that
people for whose rights we fight. in COM
mon with our own; but unless it does
thus fall, we must destroy it, or it viii de-
stroy our nation, and our children will
pass under the yoke of military despot-
sm raised on the sable foundation of ne
gro slavery, and the more degrading serv-
tude of the power of whites" such as
now overshadows the South. l say ''our
children will pass under the yoke" for
that could only happen after the brave
md true men of the country-her citizen
have perished or, desert
I'd by the wretches whose homes they
nave hitherto protected, heartbroken and
shall quit the field, and give
10 slavery and to its domination all those
Who love money more than honor, and
1sacs more than freedom.
The issue is plain one. If we who .
,attle for national existence are not to be /
by our own friends at home, the /
ooner we know it the better. We do |
lot wish to be deceived as to our position,
Tor fall victims to the treachery, coward |
ce or selfshness of those whom we have |
owed and trusted.
W. S. ROSECRANS, Major General.
To the Honorable the Legislative As 4
emily of the State of Indiana
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