Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-03-10
den command, "Haltr' Looking in the di-


rection whence the command proceeded,
they discovered the dark forms of dozen
cavalrymen drawn up in line of battle, who
seemed to have risen from the ground
Neither knew whether they were friends or
foes. His heart sunk in his breast, as in
the shadows of the night he saw the gray
confederate uniform, while sickening Wis
ions of Libby prison, and despairing thoughts
of another exile from home and still worse
durance vile than he had yet endured passed
over his brain. "Who are you p was the
next question, "Citizens p they answered.
Col. Hobart thought he could see distinctly
that their uniforms were gray. He had
gray" on the brain about that time
Oaughter.) They were Immediately sur
rounded. One of the fugitives then ven
tured to inquire" Are you Union troops?"
SWELL we are Y was the reply. The answer,
the tone, the dialect of the reply, told them
at once that they were in the hands of their
friends. Col. H. said the gray uniforms
turned to blue in a moment Gaughter.)
He and his comrades, without stopping to
make explanations, lifted their hats and gave
one long, exultant shout of joy, which at
once assured the soldiers who they were.
The party proved to belong to the 18th
Pennsylvania, and they were but twelve
miles from Williamsburg Here their suf
ferings and perils ended. .a4f a.5o ii.
Col Hobart went on to say he believed
that the rebels would move heaven and
earth in order to achieve success during the
present year. They were massing as fan. as
possible, all their military force. t
The Col. thinks their is strong Union
sentiment even in Richmond, and through
out the rank and file Of the rebel army, but
not among the leaders. They were deter
mined and desperate. He had seized every
opportunity while in the South to ascertain
what the real sentiment of the people was.
At Atlanta, Augusta, Raleigh & Richmond,
he had conversed with both officers and
privates in the rebel army, and certainly if
it were possible to settle the difficulties be-
tween the two sections of country without
the further efusion of blood, he should
be most certainly in favor Of that method
But it was his deliberate conviction that
there could be no restoration of the Union,
andno peace, until we had whipped their
armies. Nothing but hard blows will shake
their purpose When their armies are
whipped, it was his impression, that the
southern people would act like other people
do under like circumstances they would
yield. Nothing but a vigorous prosecution
Of the war could ever reconstruct the Union
He said it with sorrow, knowing what war
was knowing that it meant suffering, sorrow
and death to thousands. -
The. subject Of slavery was a foregone
thing. The Southern people understood
WELL that if we succeeded there would be
no slavery. They are prepared to accept
this result in the event of their defeat. They
know it involves an entire change in their
system of labor, for the philosophic clement
that under laid this whole struggle, was the
antagonism between the labor systems Of
the North and South This was a death
grapple between free and slave labor.
lie wished to say that for nearly three
years past he had been by the camp fire,
and among the soldiers, and he declared
| from his own knowledge that if there was
any zeal for liberty in this country it could
be found tonight about the camp fires of
our army. When it ceased to exist there
would be no liberty for the North. But if
we defeated their armies, would not the
South remain in sentiment as hostile as
ever. No. AS the army advances into
the South it effects great changes. The
population there was changing. Their
country was becoming filled with Yankees
The soldiers were marrying Southern wo-
men. We were peopling the country as
we went along. Great laughter,) inter
rupting the Speaker for some time.
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