The Portland daily press., 1864-04-26

An Appeal for Sympathetic Attentions.
DRAFT REApEzvoUs," April 25, 1864.
To the Patriotic Citizens Of Portland;
Kind Friends: Your deep devotion and
your willingness to aid those who wear their
country's uniform, has induced us to write to
you.
Separated from your city only by a narrow
channel of water, surrounded on all sides by
a board fence, within hearing of your Sab
bath bells, and almost under the eyes of all
of you, stands camp formerly called for one
of our own Maine heroes, but lately rejoicing
in the appellation Of the Draft Rendez-
vous."
Scattered among its different wards and
barracks are many OF us who, a short time
since, left our different regiments aud batteries
for the purpose of recruiting our thinned
ranks, and adding to the decimated numbers
OF our several commands All Of us are
Maine boys; all OF US have endeavored TO sus-
tain the honor Of our loved State on the field
OF battle, in the deadly skirmish or on the
lonely picket. Enough confidence was placed
in us by our commanders to send us home on
this detached service, thus giving us many
chances to leave the service, or, TO use hard
word, desert, had we been OF a mind to do so.
But did we do it? The records of the sew
eral Offices OF the Provost Marshals will
show Relieved from the duty Of recruiting
we were ordered to report to this place.
Promptly to the time we came. Our several
duties-yery light duties indeed-were as
signed to us, aud we have performed them to
the best OF our ability and soldierly knowl-
edge. The duty has been light, our rations as
general thing have been very good, every
thing has gone well except in one instance
we have no liberty to leave the camp, or at
least that liberty in so small that it is hardly
available.
Many of as live within the limits of your
city, and when your church bells call the wor-
shippers together, or when the hour-hand OF
the clock in the lofty steeple points to the
hour Of noon, we know our parents and
friends are called 10 the sanctuary or meet
around the family board, and we sigh to think
that cruel fate debars us from meeting with
them. When, perchance, the duty of being
with the water-squad' permits us to leave
the confines of the camp, and to gaze, with
eyes unclouded by the rising fence, upon the
house-tops and the steeples of your city, we
look with longing eyes, and feast upon the
sight as Moses feasted on the unclouded vision
of the land that was to be the inheritance of
those whom he had led, and with almost tear
full eyes we turn away and hope that soon
some Joshua will arise to give us the privilege
of visiting that promised land.
Aud now, kind friends, we have told you
our story, viii you now do us favor? As
we cannot leave the confines of this camp to
visit you, will you visit us? VIII you, ladies,
visit us? Visit us in our lonely habitation
with your smiling faces, your gentle smiles
and words of comfort. Come and smile upon
us, and mayhap while the jest and ready re-
turn Of wit and humor passes between US, we
shall forget our loneliness and sorrow.
Gentlemen-men Of business--wil you Wis
ituss Come and talk to us of politics, re-
ligion, literature, science, anything; tell US q
the rise and fall Of stocks and bonds, or o.
the traffic In gold; tell us how quickly the
last English steamer performed her passage
whether all the goods saved from the Bohe-
mian have been sol dto good advantage; or il
you believe in keeping two-iorty horse
Tell US all you can, and though the tear Of
sorrow may be shed at parting, yet you will
have served 20 comfort poor, lonely mortals
who feel three times more lonely and wretch
ed than when they charged at Fredericksburg
rode with Fitzpatrick on a raid or stood by
their guns at Gettysburg.
Children, win you come? You who bear
the motto, Tall oaks from little acorns grow, y
will you come? Come and tell us how much
money you are saving for Fourth of July
how many sticks of candy you masiicated
:. last Sabbath daring the second prayer; OIL
whether you have got the new wagon father
promised you as soon as the snow was gone
Come and tell US all your sorrows, and may
be during the recital of your trials we shal
forget our own troubles.
Children in arms, come 1t will delight u.
to hear your squalling and cries; to see you
kick with the plump little legs, or strike out
from the shoulder" with those fat little arms.
Everybody, man, woman or child, then, car
comel Come to Camp Berry to visit US in oui
loneliness; and should you not heed our in
vitaiion, may be one of these days we shal
shrek in your ears the dismal words" tca,
in prison and ye risited me not" TRIO.