American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-11-30
Army Correspondence.
ENcAMPED IN THE FIELD, IN Front OF RoHMONn, V
10Th RECT. P. Y, Nov. 18th, 1861.

ENoAMPED Il the FIELD, IN FRpNT OF RoHNoSD, VA,
199rH RECT. P. Y, Nov. 10Th, 1851
MEssRs. EDITORS Please publish
these few lines scribbled by soldier of
the Army of the James.
Gentlemen Of Butler Co,u,y:-In for
mer days you have had my opinion Of
this Rebellion before you. | advocated
in my opinion then, to be an unyielding,
an unfinching and unconditional Union
man. | hold the same principle still.
You and I, gentlemen, have long looked
to see the day when this Rebellion will
be crushed. Thank God, that time is
near at hand We have been defending
the flag of the free with bayonet and bull
let. We have, few days ago, been call
ed uponsto ballot down this bloody Re-
bellion which has torn us from our homes
and entailed upon the whole country war
and desolation 1t will, no doubt, re-
oice your hearts, to see the returns from
the October, as we'll as the November
election, that the whole army, with but
few exceptions, vote as they fight. We
cannot understand how any man who has
to face rebel bullets, can vote for party
which proposes to let the rebels go, and
divide the country, and thus, instead of
peace, have perpetual border war. You
at home want peace, and we in the field
want to return to our loving wives, dar-
ling children and happy homes; but
want and will have the peace of victory,
the peace which crushes Rebellion; the
peace that declares the Stars and Stripes
shall wave over all the land, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Canada
to the Gulf The flag represents all. We
understand this Constitution, laws, Gov
ernment, liberty, country-all these-and
our wives, friends, iiresides and homes,
are symbolized by the starry banner of
the Union. This flag of Washington, rich
with the treasured memories of all that we
hold dear, has been for four years openly
and defantly insulted, torn and trampled
upon, by traitor hands in arms against
right, justice and freedom this is enough;
we take no more. For this the woes of
desolation and retribution will visit them
with the unrevealed agonies of eternal
shame. Push all other questions aside,
the honor and glory of the flag is the one
only question; it covers ALL Traitors
hands tore down our Siar-Spangled ban
ner from Sumter's walls, and from then
till now, black-hearted and hell-deserv-
ing traitors have vauntingly swore
THAT the havoc Of war and the battles confusion,
home and country would leave more;n
but their blood shall wash out their trai-
tor footsteps pollution. No refuge at home
or abroad, can save the rebel horde from
the terror of fight and the eternal gloom
of despair. But to the soldiers of the
Union flag, belongs honor and eyerlast-
ing fame. We shall stand enshrined in
Liberty's sacred temple, as our beloved
Washington stands peerless in the first.
The record, the example, the spirit of
Washington, whispers in eyeEy true SCI
dier's heart in all the armies of the Union
to-day as of old, osteady men, forward
from amid rebel ruins on old Virginia soil,
around Monticello" comes up the clas-
sic voice of Jefferson. Eternal yigi-
lance Is the price Of liberty" Blest be
your vigilance which guards the flag,