Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-11-16
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE JOURNAL.
Letter from Petersburg. Va.
HEADQUARTERS 203d PV., Birney' s. S.
Near Richmond, Va, Nov s, 1864, J

Near RIchmond, a., Nov. ., 1861. }
DEAR Journal The voters of the sew
eral Regiments, Bngades, Divisions and
Corps are, to-day, busily and quietly decid-
ing the important question, whether the
great Government for which our noble Sires
fought 50 bravely, and sacrificed 50 much to
establish, shall be sustained aud protected
against the poisonous arrows Of treason, and
shall still be respected and honored THAT
government for which our revered mothers,
ia their youthful days, labored with swollen
heart and tear-bedimmed eve to construct
the course garment intended to warm the
shivering form of the loved one whom she
had sent, with her blessing, to the bloody
field, him from whom she had parted per-
1 hGTs for the last time. And as the little
ones climbed upon her knee or gathered a
round to listen to the contents Of the atfec-
tiOnate eplstle Just received from the scene
Of peril and strife, how many little fists were
shaken with a VOW TO sustain, when a man,
that government for which the father was
sacrificing and fighting? How many, to-day,
have proved recreant to such VOW?
We are this day deciding whether that
blood-bought government shall be honorably
sustained, or whether the ruthless hand OF
treason shall be permitted to tear out its
corner stone and raze the beautiful edlice
to the very ground-Whether the thousands
Of brave fathers and brothers that have no.
bly, lain down their precious lives within the
last four years the fountains OF bitter tears
that have never ceased to flow and the
millions Of treasure expended, are all in vain
and whether our beloved and once happy
and world-envied country is TO become land
Of despotism where honest labor is degrad-
ing. compared with which crime IS virtue
This is what Is being decided by Americans.
To-day the blood Of our slaughtered COM
rades, fathers and brothe's, calls upon us
for justice and the salvation Of our loved
country, and bids us reyer leave the held
until we have rethroned that for which they
have dared 10 die. Never have Americans
been called upon to exercise the right OF sut-
frage upon so momentous question. Yet
how few there are who realize the lmpor-
tance Ci, at this time, setting aside party
prejudice, and acting from reason vote for
principle.
Notwithstanding the great copperhead
puffS which came up from Harrisburg, about
unfair field elections. and the assurance Civ
en- us last winter, 10y our copper Represen-
tatiycs. that the sacred rights Of the ballot
box could not, or would not be properly pro-
| tected in the field, can say that at all the
| polls that have been open to-day in this im-
mediate vicinity (and there are more than
one hundred | have heard Of bat one piece
OF rascality being practiced. 1t was that of
a Captain in my regiment ordering the polls
Of his con pany to be closed before six o.
clock-knowing that he had seven piclsets
out, six of whom would vote for the Union,
and that they would be in before seven o.
clock But as a general rule, the election
has passed off quietly and in good order !;
and | have come to the conclusion that there
is as strict an adherence to good order in the
army as among civilians and I'll bet, at
this moment there is more than one chap in
your streets with 4 brick IN his hat, while |
have not seen u tiDsy individual this day.
I send YOU TIE vote Of our regiment the
202d p Y, Birney's Sharp-Shooters. The
men are mostly from Centre, Lycomlng, l4u-
zerne. Chester, Lancaster and Philadelphia
counties. The vote is as follows;