The Portland daily press., 1863-09-26
Letter from a Soldier.
Extract from a letter from soldier of one
Of the Maine Regiments:

ASAh houi q iCblSi 1iol q otiuiCi Vi OuC
Of the Maine Regiments:
SHIP ISLAND, Miss, Aug. 9th.
Our regiment and the oath Conn. embarked
on board the steamer Crescent City the 9th
and arrived here the 7th. The reason OF our
coming here remains to us and to the officers
profound mystery The troops in this de-
partment seem to be moving in every direc-
tion. learn by persons from New Orleans
that the 9th army corps is arriving there from
Vicksburg; and some deserters who arrived
here the other day from Mobile say that Gen.
Grant was then landing troops at Pascagoula,
which is 2J miles from Mobile Every thing
seems TO indicate that our stay here will be
short. We have not been connected with the
post and do no duty except our own regimen
tai guard duty. Although we may stay here
for months yet think we shall leave here be-
fore three weeks.
The weather here Is extremely hot, much
more SO than it is on the main land. We have
got new tents and are enjoying quite rest.
1t is very different from what it was where we
were before. We can now get most any thing
we want. Three officers and six enlisted men
from our regiment left this morning for Port
land to bring out the conscripts for our regi-
ment. j heard ii said that 1t would take 800
to fill it up. There seems to be but little do
ing in the various departments at the present
time. And don't think there will be much
done until the troops under the last call are in
the field. But il seems that there is a certain
class in the North who are trying to do all
they can TO block the wheels OF the Govern
ment.
In my opinion, If we fail now it viii be
Northern copperheads who are to blame, and
no one else. / see that the copperhead papers
are having great time because the President
wouldn't consent to proposition of the people
of La. happen TO know the facts in that
case, and l will state them as plainly as can,
that you may see how things are misrepresen-
ted in the North. A certain portion of the
citizens of Louisiana met in convention in
New Orleans, and sent request to the Presi-
dent to be admitted into the Union under her
old constitution as she was before the rebellion.
Only lew days after another convention met
in the same city, composed also of citizens of
Louisiana, and requested the President not to
admit them until they had the privilege OF
electing representatives to State Convention
to be held this fall to form a new constitution
TO suit the wishes OF the people under the new
state of things. A vote was then taken in
that vast assembly to see how many of them
were in favor of a free State. There was not
dissenting voice-and this, too, in city
three years ago noted for its slave pens! Now
was there more than one honorable course for
Mr.. Lincoln to pursue? | think there was
not. Aud that was TO let the people decide
for themselves. That is the same principle
which some Of these copperheads and every
Douglas democrat contended for in 1850, and
now some OF them denounce it, There will be
reckoning with them when the war is over.
care not how many OF them are drafted, and
i wish there was no way for them to get rid
of coming.
But, thank God! brighter day is dawning
upon our country. After months of darkness
caused by defeat after defeat in Virginia. and
repulse after repulse at Vicksburg, and charge
after charge made by that little band at Port
Hudson, without success, a bright day sud
denly dawns upon us. The great battle for
the Mississippi has been fought and the victory
is ours, and not only the victory, but the en-
emy too. Only those who were actors in that
bloody drama know how happy we were when
the great result was achieved. At the com
mencement of our campaign last March, Gen
Banks had an army of $1,000 effective men
and 1t Is now said by those who ought to know
tlat at the close of that campaign he had lost
COCO OF them, or nearly one in every four.
wish every Northern citizen felt as some of us