Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-06-03
MAI, goth

Mar, goth.
Just niue months this orning since
bid my family and friends farewell and
started for the tented field, | shall long
remember the parting so affecting Us all,
Yet Row Insignificant the separation OF a
few friends compared wEh tho destiny Of
nations. l am sitting here this pleasant
day beneath the thick foliage of q large
poplar tree on the banks of the Rappahan~
mock. The rebel picket is walking his
beat on the other shore, while we are doo
ing duty on this side. We are watching
each other as though we we're members of
one family. The river here is only about
hundred yards wide, and if we we're per-
mit;ed we could easily hold converse With
the enemy. They are very friendly to us
and have often expressed a willingness To
settle the questions if they had the power.
But our pill Of utter subiugatiou Is more
than they can swallow. On laat Sunday
! | was in swimming in tho river G,t above
here, and the rebs were in on tho other
side, some Of Us crossed over oul traded
coffee for tobacco. sc. They wer, not al
| lowed to come to our side hut they would
| put their things on boards ana stars them
aver and call for US to con.e for them. We
would swim out and get them, and take
! back ours in turn. TIE captains Ia charge
Of the two posts exchanged oiviities bv
letter, they we're Of the 18th Georgia reei-
ment ours the 4th New Jersey regiment.
, The rebel captain wished the war was oy.
, er; he called it q cruel aud unnatural
war; still he claimed that he was fight
ing for the rights Of The States, as we'll as
for the rights of the people : he argued
that the future destiny Of our country de-
pended upon the success Of their arms
that they we're the real supporters of The
principles Of republicanism, DC. must
confess | was affected by the earnest and
unassuTning style ef his letter, it seeped to
betoken the honost devotion he felt for
his cause from that moment felt that
we was fighting people determined 10 be
free. Maybe am wrongn my conclusion
but feel that no mean oowa' dice has
driven me 10 it, feel, dear Father, that
this war canno The settled by fighting.
The spirit Of amity and peace is as much
/ in the hearts Of the people as ii ever can
= be- and the sooner we avail ourselves Of
. its influence by declaring an armis!ice
aud appointing convention TO take tie
J state Of the country into consideration
l the sooner we will see peace spreed her
DalmY wings er lne Ianu,
5 EVENING Since writing this far have
. enjoyed a mental feast. / have been sur>
rounded BY rebel soldiers. George Loire
2 and slipped off from the relief station
. and went to the river to catch some fish,
e and when we went down the bank two
rebs came up and asked US how they bit
e well, We s1id they didn't bite at all. They
" wanted TO exchange papers with u.s. but
0 we had none TO trade; we struck up
, conversation with them for about an hour.
e but we got afraid our o&cers might hear
. ua, so proposed TO go over if they would
C let me come back again, they said they
; would, and so | stripped off my dads and
e pouted in. 1t was pretty hard swim,
4 but still | made it. When the rebel pick
1 cts saw me coming they ran down to the
0 river, and by the lime got over there
: was about thirty Of them who had came
dOwn to the bank TO meet me. George
said he thought was gone up then, sure.
= But walked out on The shore and sat
I: down on log right among them, they
t were oil anxious to ask questions and get
% answers, and they kept me busy for
+, while you had better believe: well ye
j talked on until the time for Georges rOlief
= made it necessary to break up the intar>
. Wow " = tNihfu duuub Nut ldlG IDnt. atlQ
. about politics and al! such matters. and
= they we're as friendly as friends can be-
/. whether that's caused by the natural afiu.
q ity between the rattlesnake and ooupert
0 head, don't know but do know Il is
e hard to be compelled to fight and kill such
Y good hearted fellows. They say they can't
b come back to the Union that they wall
, fight until every man is dead before they
| 4 l..V
q laud; But, isaiG suppose we had McS
|, Clellan Tor president, and such men as
{ Vallandigham and Seymour OF the head OF
s our Government, You wouldn't be such
y bitter enemies of us, would YOU? Mo-
4 they said tn " would not. l told them
/, that this ultra abolition party was losing
u ground, and would not rule the country
VI much longer. But, said l. what do YOU
!, say about an armistico and letting con.
!, vention settle questions between US. Thoy
said that wac their hand, exactly = then
y said they. let us make the Chancell1rsvine
G battle be the last : they said that they
.t we're tired Of HChtiaG, and thought that we
e ough. TO know 10y this time that 40 GOULD
q not whip them > aud that it was only
t., murder for us to continue tie war when
- all can be compromise now that can be
y tDBUl
= what would be the conditions Of n neace
IS which they would be willing TO accent =
II rhey said free trade and Southern rights.
r, | said what about the Unianf Cans 20
s, that But, said /, will you accept y tres-
j. ty of offence and defence against other
d nations 2 oh yes, we will do that
le They asked where Mcclellan was2 |
, told them. and said we had some hope OF
il getting him hack soon.' They replied they
10 hoped we would not, for be wasn't so ca
II silly whipped as the other generals Said
. /. You don't fight so hard against MIN,
;. maybe : well there might be something
# in that they answered.
l. Let US make dialogue Of IL.
i Rebel Did YOU hear OF sckson' : dea th
y. Yankse--Yes, long ago.
Reb-I reckon you was glad to hear The
!, rewsl
| NL-N0