The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-06-22
Letter from Chattanooga.

perusal OF letter from her father who is a
resident of Kenosha, but who is now, by
direction of Gov. LEWIS Of Wisconsin, en-.
gagged in looking after the Sanitary inter-
ests Of Wisconsin troops in that portion Of
the army commanded by Gen. Sherman.
As allusion is made to one of the editors of
this paper, and as permission is given to
priut . portion of the letter, We put it in
type'because Of its general interest. In
the Endorsement of tho 'Proclamation" and
the statement that this war might not have
been settled by adherence to the principles
Of the Crittenden resolution Mr.. Nichols
and ourselves would differ widely, but the
past is beyond our reach and it is quite
useless to argue points that we cannot now
correct. We credit our friend with SINGER
ity and we know he is equally kind to-
ward us. We extract:
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, June 7, 1884.
DEAR ELLA = = =.
have many things that would like to
say, and if possible convey to you some
idea of the vastness Of army operations at
this place, but in looking over the town and
viewing the great number of warehouses
already built and being built for the stor.
>sgc Of commissary and ordnance stores, the
immense quantity Of stores on hand and
constantly arriving the mind fails to grasp
the magnitude Of the effort on the part Of
the Government to crush this ungody re-
bellion. There are acres and acres OF ground
here covered with warehouses and a great
number more in process of erection. One
would suppose that the Government ex-
pected that this war was to continue in
definitely, from the preparations they are
making here. This, however, is considered
. strong strategic point and will undoubt-
eddy become, and In fact already is, the
principal base of operations for large ex-
tent Of country. Our army is now in close
proximity to Atlanta, il not in fact already
there, at all events will be, confidently
believe, before this reaches you. People at
the North would, imagine, be greatly sur
prised to hear the exact number of General
Sherman's army, at ell events was, for it
exceeds by mahy thousands what had
Agurposed. 1t was told ME confidentally
with the animation that the information
was contraband and I shall therefore not
give you the figures. You may, however,
rest assured that it is large enough to move
right forward and crush in its march every
thing in the power of the rebels to bring
against it, and will move just as fast as it
is possible to move the forage and prcvis-
ions for such an army.
l have not been able to obtain the exact
number Of killed and wounded in the series
al battles from Dalton to the point at which
the army has now reached, but from the
best information ! can get at present
have no doubt that the number killed will
reach three thousand, and Of the wounlcd
ten thousand. All the hospitals here land
they cover acres of ground) are filled to re.
pfetion and large numbers of the more
slightly wounded have been forwarded to
Nashville and places further north, while
the most severely wounded are still at
Resaca, Kingston, &c.
On arriving within about mile Of town
the train which was on was delayed for
an hour or more by hospital train upon
the track just arrived from the front, from
which they were removing the wounded
from the cars to the hospital, some in
ambulances and others upon stretchers aud
beds upon the shoulders of men, the most
melancholy sight ever witnessed. The
thought forced itself upon me, is it worth
the sacrifice, but when reflect upon the
immense sacrifice that was made by our
fOrefathers for the establishment Of flee
government, the sacrifice Of thousands Of
the purest men that ever lived under heaven,
and the untold sufferings Of those who sur
vived that ever memorable struggle, all this
in connection with the free. est and best gov.
eminent upon the face of the earth, am
cQMpelled to answer, yes and more too,
If necessary. Indeed, I hold that We
should be degenerated sons Of noble sires
~and recreant to the trust bequeathcd to us
did we fail in putting forth every effort
and freely making any sacrifice in sustain
ing the government in crushing out this
rebellion and its cause, SldUery. did not
used toithink so, and when the President
issued his emancipation proclamation
thought it Of doubtful cXpedency and
would have been willing even then that the
South, upon laying down their arms,
should again take their positions as States
in the Union with all their original rights,
but after three years of bloody struggle,
and after every effort in the power OF the
government at reconciliation has been
treated with contempt and spurn, d by the
South, | am at last fully persuaded that no
other alternative exists Tor the permanent
settlement of this mighty struggle but the
sword, and if the South looses the idol for
which they have risked ali, he it upon their
own heads. Slavery will have been slain
in the house Of its friends. | am aware that
many think even at the North that all this
mighty sacrifice Of life and treasure, this
terrible war might have been avoided by
compromises honorable to the North by
the adoption of the Crittenden resolutions
or something of that sort. am of a differ.
ent opinion; I do not believe that anything
save and except the election ola pro-slavery
Southern man could for day have stayed
the rlbsllion. The election Of Stephen A.
Douglas would not have done it; that is
evident to my mind from the manner he
was treated by his party in the Charleston
and Baltimore Convention. They were de-
termined that ~ should not be nominated,
for were he nominated they would be rob
bed Of any excuse for secession, and having
got everything ready under the imbecile
administration of old Buchanan, stolen the
arms from Northern arsenals and trans.
frred them South, scattered the navy to
the four winds of heaven, robbed the treas
ury Of every dollar that they could lay their
= hands, upon. they were all ready for scces-
sion and the time could not be longer de-
ferred. The election of Southern man
pledged to their interests would undoubt-
edl7 tave delayed it for tour years longer;
those four years would have been spent in
secretly accommodating arms and munitions
Of war, the better to be prepared to strike
when the four years were gone.
Well I did not intend to write YOU a