The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1864-02-09

leaping rivers and mountains, deserts ant
oceans and bringing true hearts in clos
communion. And often, as soldier boy
turns sorrowfully away, time after time
without a word from home, / have won
dered that the few lines which are sucl
boon TO him, and which require so lit
exertion to pen, are yet so long withheld
until they seem grudgingly given.
Thank heaven that there are excep.
tional cases. and the brown leather bags
have never been 80 stuffed with mai
matter, as since the breaking out Of the
rebellion. AS for the balance OF the
company, to attempt to describe the pc
culiarities, the oddities, the beauties oil
each individual, would require a vol
ume, and 10 you, who have no previous
acquaintance. would not prove very in
teresting. We are little world among
ourselves, loyal to the back bone, with a
few exceptions, even more radical than
Ben. Butler (like him. many of us con-
verted) and always making it point to
swear by Co., c, of the 10th Minneso.
ia.
Not State in the loyal North, where
some of us cannot claim birth place I;
hardly country in old Europe, but can
find representative, if we except France
and Spain, and the former we hate so
heartily that | believe if another three
years service were offered us, to help
chase the Gallo rooster from the Halls
of Montezumas, every cap would be
flung up with hurrah and shout Of ac-
ceptance.
The vine clad hills of Germany, the
bleak wastes Of Sweden and Norway,
sweet Ireland, " the gem of the sea-"
sturdy Wales and obstinate England. all
are here with one Blue nose" and two
Canadians, to give spice TO the ingredi.
ents. The pine forests of Maine, gives
two the granite hills of New Hamp.
shire four ; the old Bay State, the same
number; the land of wooden nutmegs,
one ; Vermont six, while the Empire
State makes good her sovereignty, by
claiming seventeen of her sons in the
cause of freedom. Every western State
is represented, except the three younger
sisters of the Republic-and twenty
years from now, they will not be one
whit behind, when again the nation
springs TO arms.
1t is an old saying, that oil and water
will not mingle; but how absurd the
idea. Drop little potash into the mix
ture and how strong the afilliation,
nought but destruction can separate
them. This war is the great alkali that
binds races and tongues and national-
ties into one homogeneous mass. Fight
ing shoulder to shoulder in the front of
battle. exulting in the triumph of vic.
tory, enduring cold and hunger and fa-
tigue and sickness in fellowship with
each other. there is bond of affection
springs up, which only death can sever.
And when this cruel war is over, Irish
and England. Teuton and Anglo Saxon,
native and foreign, can never forget that
on a hundred battle fields, the blood Of
all has been freely shed in one common
cause and for one common country
And the time may yet come, when the
North and South united. shall battle
against one common enemy and in their
hearts best blood. cancel all the wrongs
aud woe and desolaliou, which we are
striving with so much desperation to in.
hict.
But enough : l have only space to
add, that while you are probably shiver-
ing over fires and going muifled in furs.
we have been enjoying foretaste of tie
coming spring The river is clear Of
ice. and as l write by the open window,
the rain descends and thunders rattle
like July shower.
J. NJ. B.