The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-10-21
AnmY connEsPoNpRNCE.
Fro.aA tAe 4sd o. VI.
BnAsHEAR Cry, La, Sept. Is, 1868.


Il has been sometime since we have seen
anything IA the Democrat directly nom this
part Of the Army, and thinking that sonae Of
;enrs Portage friends might be pleased to know
that ohr "thoughts are Still at home" as
much as ever I have ventured to write.
The AID after many and devious wander
ings. at length finds itself enjoying short
rest in Southern. Louisiana on the shores of
Berwick Bay. Since entering the service, we
have twice marched through the State of Ken
tucly, and have traversed the beautiful Ohio
from Point Pleasant to its mouth, and the
grand old Mississippi from Cairo to New Or
leans, having had the honor of assisting Gen.
Grant N his victorious effort to open the pas
sage as we Games. Our ranks have been great
y thinned by disease and bullets, but those of
us who are left are in good health, and spirits,
and just as ready to fight Dick Taylor in the
third year of ourservice, as we were to tight
Humphrev Marshall in the first.
While We were at Vicksburg, before we
were transferred to the Department of the
Gulf the sick were mostly furloughed and
sent home, also 5 per cent of the whole ar
my received furloughs of thirty days. These
men are now coming back, and being fresh
from home they bring the spirit of the pres
ent political campaign with them, so that the
issue of the fer,hcoming election in Ohio is
the principal topic of conversation in all Ohio
regiments. The general expression is, that
of unbounded satisfaction that the Copper
head convict candidate is on the other side of
the Canada line, and adisposition to keep him
there if we can only have fair chance at the
ballot box.
Our company spent the first night of its
service in one of the halls of our splendid
State House. Weiiked the place, and don't
want it polluted BY the tread of an official
traitor. That Vallandigham IS traitor, who
from some cause or other--no matter what
desires success on the part of ths rebels, and
the independence Of the so-callso Confedera-
cy, we candidly believe. He erie, alsud for
the. supremacy of the Constitution, and at the
same time denies that it guarantees meas
ures, necessary to save the nation. In other
words, he hugs the old "Constitution as it
was'' as the only safety of the nation in this,
its hour of peril, while he denies its power to
save !! Who but an enemy to his country
would make such an argument as this
We are grieved to learn that some, whom
we had supposed firm, staunch friends of the
Union, have enlisted in this craven cause of
Peace. They say that we in the army can
not see both sides of the question. This is
not SO. Both parties send democrats to the
army, and we read them and here are what
We make out to bo the tsoo sides. One is for
the vigorous prosecution of the war until the
rebellion is completely crushed. For the
maintenance of our national strength, our ma
tional integrity, our national honor, and
higher than all, for the perpetuation of hu-
man liberty; fully believing that the Gonsti-
tuition guarantees every measure necessary to
accomplish these objects. The other is for
carrying out its version of the Constitution
to the very letter, though the nation goes by
the board. For the immediate withdrawal of
our invading arrnies,' as it calls them !;
which means, Of course, the yielding up of
all the territory we have gained in the con-
test thus far the counting of the bloodshed
and the treasure expended as nothing the
.rending Of the nation in two; reducing us
from commanding position among the
strongest to a beggarly one among the weak
est; humbling us in the dust before the
world. and yielding our beloved country a
sprsy to foreign nations For England has
her old liking for the pine forests OF Maine,
and Napoleon has long ere this, had his
greedy eyes upon the rich plantations of Lou
isana, the rich pastures of Texas, and the rich
mines of California None but cringing cow
ards or traitors need ask which side to take.
Valiandigham and ugh applaud the gallant
ryof the soldiers and praise them nightly
for their heroic deeds, and for the victories
they have won, and then boast in the same
breath that they never voted or paid single
dollar sto feed and cloth them! Hard tack
and bacon isn't very palatable, but it is more
substantial, and viii go further with soldiers,
than Gopperhead fattery. We are not to be
fooled by their shallow pretensions The
clash of arms makes men quick to distin-
gaish friends from foes We want chance
to vote, and we will endeavor to show the
Gopperhead leader that though he may sit in
his Canadian retreat, with Niagara thunder
ing in his ears, and write treason to his appre-
clating, peace-loving followers. though ne