Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-02-12
H0UT IN THE FIELD,
.Januarv DB 1894.

january 26, 1864.
"DEAR Pa: We take our Pen in Hand to
write You letter. We have got something to
say to You. 1t is Bad News, and we are sorry
to say it, But it is the Fact. Aud we hope you
won't get Very Madd with US for telling 1t, for
1t is the Real Truth, and we don't mean to Hert
your Feelings by telling 1t. Because, if we could
help telling 1t, we wouldn't Tell 1t. Dear Pa, the
Truth is this. Us Boys that you sent into the
Field to Fight the Yankees are getting Mighty
Hungry, and the Reason of it All is that we
don't get Enough TO Eat.
"Now You Know that Boys that don't get a
Plenty to Eat can't Fight. They can Fight some
But they can't Fight Good. Because 1t cakes
Strength to Fight, and No Man s Strong that
Don't get Enough to Eat. We All are willing
not to Eat as Much as You All at Home, and we
All Don't Never get as Good Vittes as You All
do but we Enjoy what we do Get more than You
All do, just Because we are so Pleg taxed Hun
CRY All the Time, but We have Got to Fight, and
Fitting is Hard Work, and them that have to Fite
are obliged TO Eat If they don't they Can't Fite
Hard.
awe know that You Love us as Much as any
Pa ever loved any Boys. And we know it Herts
You to Hear that we are Suffering. We would
knot soy Anything about it, but we have kept il
Back until We Can't keep it Back any longer
If We Did we would soon get so Poor and Lean
that The Yankees would Run Over US like Big
Fat Horse running over Tmmid little Qearls
unl Dog on 'em they shan't Do it if we eau HelI
it, which we can if you will give us Enough td
Eat. Because if the Yankees run Over US, what
will will Be come of You and the Balance of the
Foxes at Hoam? This is Important Question
don't You think so, Pa?
"Dear Pa, Please don't get Fretted with us fol
telling you the Reason we don't get Enough tC
Eat. You have got Great Deal more Wisdom
than we all Have, but then You have not Got &
| Bad Pane in Your stummack because it is Emp
ty, and Consequently Your Mind aint turned tt
the Subject All the tine like Ours is. You havt
got so Many things to attend to that You can
be Expected to Think on this Subject as Otter
as we do. this is the Reason we make Bold to tel
you something which perhaps you Don't Know
and we Beg yon TO pardon and Forgive us fo
Writing you letter about it. Indeed, indeed
we don't mean any Harm by it, or to Go out o
our Place by Doing it,
s'Dear Pa, the Cause why We don't get Enougl
to Eat is that old man, Mr.. Northup. They SO,
He Aint Got Good sense. We don't say it, bu
Everybody says it, You told him to Feed u
Well, and we Amt Well Fed, that is certain. II
is to blame for it. Now if you was to get Ancthe
Mau and tell him to Feed us Well, may be H
would Do ii. If he. did not Do it, then nobod
can Blame You for keeping Man in office tina
has not Got Good sense. We feel sorry for tina
Old Man, and wish he had his Right Mind an
Enough sense to do the Business you told him I
do. But we cant wait any longer, the Pane i
our Stummack is so bad and we are getting 5
Weak in our Joynts.
awe know that the Fellows in old Mr.. North
ups office says the People is to Blame. Bu
that is the way all fellows do that Neglect thei
, Bisness. They try to throw the Blame on somt
. body Else, Because if they did not throw th
! Blame on somebody Else, tb0y would have to
4 Punished for their Faults and at the same tim
4 to confess that their Punishment was Just BIZ
= this Goes Against the Grain, especially of ii
/ Fellows that Does Wrong. Either old Mr.. No
thup and his fellows aint got the sense to Manal
their bisness or else they have neglected it. Al
. way, they Ought to Quit and Make room for
!. New Sett II they don't US Boys will Starve, Il
Yankees will whip US, and then You all Hoa
1 Foxes will Ketch the Very Devil.
o "Hoping dearest Pa, that you will Attend
It this Right Away, we aigu our names, with 1
10 love and Duty.
N "Your affectionafe sons
,e "To Bob Lee
q "Mr. Def JAWS Esq Gus BOwrygard
10 "Richmond, Joe Jonsng
" "Virgnia."