Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-03-17
Correspondence to the Chronicle.
Army Sketches. No. 4.
"PEEp BEHIND THE SCENES"

stretching out their limbs upon the
"gory bed where contending forces
meet; but how little is known of tn,
temptations, the inward conflicts, the re
peated struggles, and final surrender O.
many, who enter the army with gooc
characters, moral, and perhaps religion:
dispositions, but are wiled away by the
tempter, and make shipwreck Of every
good principle, and fall away, perhaps
irrevocably.
In order to show the usual process
by which the moral ruin of many is
achieved, / will relate few sketches
emitting the names of those persons
who figure in connection with them, so
as not to offend the living or appear to
show disrespect to the dead:
A young man from the 'Pine Tree
State aged % years, tall and well
formed above his fellows, member of
the Congregational Church at 49,, in
Wis, left very agreeable wife and
lovely child to take up arms in his coun-
try's defence. He joined the til Wis.
Vols, was appointed Corporal, and, on
account of his fine commanding figure,
and good conduct, soon transferred to
the "Color Guard" Here he found as
sociates, who, by example and precept,
encouraged him to drink strong liquors,
use tobacco, play cards, and swear, SO
that within the past three months he
has been drunk number Of times, and
now spends most of his times playing
'Poker," and is fast becoming gam
bier. No doubt his wife thinks he is
the same sober, religious, honest, hand
some fellow, he was, when he left her
side two short years ago; how will she
grieve when she finds her idol married
and ruined, and fast bound in the meshes
of the evil ones net, set for the feet Of
the unwary youth, who walks not in the
strength of God.
A young man from our own state,
enlisted in the til Wis. Infy, and,
like many others, took offence at the
manner Of the enforcement of the Con-
scription law, in the country where his
regiment was ordered, and, forgetting
the teachings of his old mother, resolved
to take the matter into his own hands,
and take from the rebels what he
choose.
With two companions, he began ope
rations at Columbus, Ky, and continued
with varying success, until they were all
arrested at Natchez Miss, for a highly
aggravated burglary, and they will pro-
badly be punished very severely-con-
fnemcnt, with hard work on fortifca
tons for three years, and loss of all pay
and bounties-most richly deserved.
Another one was a man, who, In his
youth, had been rather hard case, but
had married and joined the NJ. E. Church
at -, enlisted and gradually re-
lopsed. He became the subject Of a
"private disease" consequent upon i'm
proper intimacy with abandoned women,
which became very malignant in its
character, he became an hdbttuat of hos
pitfalls and convalescent.. camps, medical
skill falling him. Finally he became
discouraged, and rashly raised his hand
against his life, and died, victim to
bad habits and strong temptations.
OF youths who have become drunk
ards, gamblers, and practical amalgama-
tionists, since entering the armyI could
mention many, who have come under my
own observation, while the records
show that the cases treated Of "private
diseases, consequent upon sinful init
macy with frail ones, are fearfully on
the increase. Young men, almost raised
as it were in the Sabbath Schools are
here developing into men who must in
evitably become bad citizens, if spared
to reach home. "Jayhawking," another
name for robbery, is practiced to an in
creditable extent, and large share of
the business done by the Express com
panies and Post Office department is
connected with the forwarding of prop
erty plundered from citizens, many of
whom are and always have been loyal
and true to the Union and the country.
A man of the st Ills. Infy has Gay
hawked' AZ gold watches, most of which
he has sent to his friends at home to be
sold; others that [ have had pointed
I