The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-10-14

] ltUal tnt lIAtbAt hiNN tlbb NphiRh ntii,
and said it was Characteristic of her !;
but j will not weary you by turning
aside to relate the various incidents
of giving up the last son to the cause
of our country known to me. Wher-
ever we go we find the hearts and
hands of our noble women enlisted.
They are seen wherever the eye may
fall or the step turn. They have one
duty to perform; to buoy up the hearts
of our people. know the deep dis
grace felt by Georgia at our army fall
ing back from Dalton to the interior
of the State. But l was not Of those
who considered Atlanta lost when our
army crossed the Chattahoochec. /
resolved that it should not, and I then
put man in command who l knew
would strike a manly blow for the city,
and many Yankees blood was made
to nourish the soil before the prize
was won. 1t does not become us to
revert to disaster. Let the dead bury
the dead Let us, with one arm and
one effort endeavor to crush sherman
| am going to the army to confer with
our generals. The end must be the
defeat OF our enemy. 1t has been said
that l abandoned Georgia to her fate
Shame upon such falsehood. Where
could the author have been when Walk
er. when Polk, and when Gen. Ste
phen ID. Lee was sent TO her assistance
Miserable man. The man who uttered
this was a scoundrel He was not
man to save our country. If l knew
that General did not possess the
right qualities 10 command would |
not be wrong if he was not removed
Why, when our army was falling back
from Northern Georgia, / even heard
that had sent Bragg with pontoons
to cross it to Cuba But we must be
charitable The man who can specu-
late ought to be made to take up his
musket.
When the war is over and our indie
pendence won-and we will establish
our independence who will be our ari-
stocracy l hope the limping soldier
To the young ladies / would say that
when choosing between an empty
sleeve and the man who had remained
at home and grown rich, always take
the empty sleeve. Let the old men
remain at home and make bread But
should they know of any young man
keeping away from the service, who
cannot be made to go any other way,
let them write to the Executive. /
read all letters sent me from the peo-
pie, but have not the time to reply
to them. You haze not many men be-
tWeen eighteen and foyty.fue lefL The
boys, God bless the boys, are, as rap
idly as they become old enough, going
to the field The city of Macon is
filled with stores, sick and wounded
it must not be abandoned when
threatened but when the enemy come,
instead Of calling upon Hoods army
for defense, the old men must fgM, and
when the enemy is driven beyond
Chattanooga, they too can join in the
general rejoicing Your prisoners are
kept as sort of Yankee capital. |
have heard that one of their Generals
said that their exchange wonld defeat
sherman. Ihave tried every means,
conceded everything to effect All ex-
change, but to no purpose. Butler
the beast. with whom no Commissioner
of Exchange would hold intercourse,
had published IN the newspapers that
, If we would consent TO the exchange
of negroes, all difficulties might be re-
moved. This is reported as an effort
of his to get himself whitewashed by
holding intercourse with gentlemen
If an exchange could be effected, l
don't know but that l might be in
dnced to recognize Butler. But il the
future every effort will be given, as far
as possible, to effect the end. Ne rant
or soldiers IL the FIELD, and we want
the sick and wounded to return home.
1t is not proper for me to speak of the
number of men in the field, but this |
will say, that tlco-thirds Of oar men are
absent, some suck, some ROUNDED, but
most Of them absent ,oithom leace The
man who repents and goes back to his
commander voluntarily, appeals strong
" TO executive clemency. But suppose
he stays away until the war is over
and his comrades return home, and
when every mans history will be told,
where will he shield himself? 1t is
upon these reflections that | rely to
make men return to their duty, but
after comforting with our Generals at
headquarters S, if there be any other
remedy, it shall be applied. Hove my
friends, and / forgive my enemies. l
have been asked to send reinforce
ments from Virginia to Georgia. In
Virginia the disparity tn numbers is Just
as great as Il is in Georgia. Then | have
been asked why the army sent to the
Shenandoah Valley was not sent here
1t was because an army of the enemy
had penetrated that valley to the very
gates of Lynchburg, and Gen. Early
was sent to drive them back. This he
not only successfully did, but, cross
ing the Potomac, came well nigh cap
turing Washington itself, and forced
Grant to send two crops of his army
to protect it. This the enemy de
nominated raid. If so, Sherman's
march into Georgia is raid. What
,could precent them no,o, If Early wds
,oithdra,cn, from taking Lyachburg, and
putting a complete Gordon Of men around