Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-09-28
A Letter TO my FcllOw.SOldicrs.

SotdieN qt Tie dimyo Of Tie Upioai
A ono Of your own number soldier in tn,
ranks, come to You with words of friendly greet
ing No "star or eagle" glitter, on my shoulder
no straps give me the right TO command your at
tention. ! can only come to you rs n brother sol
der and ask favor that you will read attontiycy
aud weigh calmly whit have to say to You in thi,
paper. For more than two years past my life has
been your life, With many OF you | have endured
the fatigue of the long and wcarisome march have
been glad TO sleep on the same damp sod beneath
the same calm or stormy sky; have gathered and
talked around the same bvouac fires have known
the luxury of full mtions, and, at times, like
many of you, have been glad Of my allowance of
parchcd corn. In those two years ] trust that
h"vo dome my duty seldiol 20, a. log Ia, ,"y
power, ] claim no credit for this, | owed il to
my country to rank myself among her defenders,
and have spoken Of myself only that | might APP
proach you freely and from proper standpoint
You will see ut that my interests arc identical
with yours-that there is peculiar bond of SYM
pathy connecting US that does not exist between
you and those who have taken no part in this strug-
gle. We have taken our lives in our hands and
gone forth to battle for the integrity of the Union
We have gathered around the altar Of n common
country, and sworn to defend ii against all its enc
mics. Already you have won for American Prov
an immortality of fame that shall be forgotten
only when the stars go out in everlasting night. To
do this great work, you have passed through bap-
tism of blood and come forth sanctifcd in the eyes
of all true men and women, Many Of you have
been cathed and Scared by the fires of fierce con-
hict but in coming years those scars shall be q more
glorious decoration than jcwellod tokens bestowed
by kingly hands on him who fights for wrong
And when old age comes upon you, free people
shall crown you with blessings, and your proudest
boast shall be, a. too, soldier in the army of
the Union
That this is IA cruel war all must admit. |
seek not to paliate its errors by CLOSING them over
with smooth phrases of speech Yes, this is cruel
war. A nation of thirty millions of people divided
into opposing parties, massed in bloody conflict,
using their immense appliances of wealth and tai
ent in pcrlecting means to crush each other raw
aging cities and laying waste the fruitage of the
land, destroying, in brief campaign, the accumu-
lated wealth of years stealing away unnumbered
lives to I'LL the greedy NAV of death, and making
the earth populous with graves-all this among
those whom heaven seems to have designed ms
brothers, goes to make up most cruel war. But,
fcllow-soders you are not TO blame for this mighty
calamity No Southern rebel can point his bloody
finger at you and say, "You did this" But unholy
and ambitious men, in dark hour struck at the
life of the republic, and you went forth to defend
it, Home, kindred friends, the sray-haircd father
the revcrcd and worshipped mother the wife loved
and loving, the bright-eyed maid, the sisters
brothers all these you left behind to battle noby
for the land that God gave unto our sires
Among the names forever TO be linked with the
history of this war there are two that have assumed
Il prominence that will, for time, make them CEN
tres of attraction to both the loyal and dsloyal of
the land. ! refer to Abraham Lincoln and George
b. Mcclellan. | annex titles to their names, for
they are only outward decorations that make the
bad more conspicuous and add nothing TO the dig
nifty of true manhood. ! simply regard them as
men, and have no fulsome praise to
bestow on either Much les. have | any vials of
abuse to pour on their heads. They are now before
the people as candidates for what we Americans
conceive to be the proudest position in the gift of
any nation. As such, we may legitimately discuss
in spirit of candor and with impartiolity, their
anteccdents and their political associations, and,
generally, their respective qualifications for the Of
flee to which they aspire.
And, at the very outset, wish TO impress the
minds of my fellow-solders with the Importance Of
not allowing ourselves TO mnGe in or partake of the
mere political excitement that many in civil life .
and for their own selfish purposes will strive to stir
up in our midst. He who in this dark hour of our
countrys adversely, will permit himself to be con-
trolled by past political prcjudiccs allow hsfre
thought and act TO be trammclled by party ties is
unworthy the honor of being the humbcst soldier
in the ranks and he who makes passionate appeals
TO our party feelings, is deserving only our scorn
and contempt You, soldiers, have been tried in .
the crucibc of war, and from that fiery ordeal ygu
have come forth men, capable of doing your own .
acting and thinking, without seeking the selfish .
guidance of party hacks and stay-athome aspirants
for office To rise above our rrciudccs to stand
lloof from party, to study calmly and dispassOnate
y the condition of our country, to weigh its inter-
ests in the scales of and common sense, and
10 act in accordance with our judgment when thus .
made up-this isa part worthy of an honorable man
hood worthy of u true and tried soldier. Were /
10 consult my own past political connections
SHOULD avowedy espouso the election of George B.
But as one who loves my country with .
full heart, as one who would wish to do my whole
luty by the land of my fathers and, above all, as
soldier, must give my humble support to Abraham .
Lincoln. Some of my reasons therefor propose to .
lay briefly before you asking for them soldery
reception, and trusting that you will regard me not
IS one who would dictate to, but as who would
,dvisc with his feow-soldiers. / have never been
politician in the common acceptaton of the term.
Now am not one in any acceptation. | never
nave been candidate for any office, and never
hall be. trust that, in addressing you, am act
ng from honest and unsclfsh motives-from the
impulses Of heart that glows with pride at the
,attle record you have written in patriot blood from
In tho Culf nf Mpxinn