The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-22
THEY VOTE As TREY FIGHT, AND
THEY FIGHT NOBLY.

from ne Tribune.
All honor to the soldiers in the trenches-end-
less bouOrs, uncea ing respect to the brave rank
and file that hug ri 'hmond in their de4th.grip!
They vote as they fight and they fight like gods.
This is October, aud the rains of auumn have
flled the rifle pits The alternate of the tin
cup to hail water and hold coffee, has abated tho
food N the house Of the soldier on picket aud in
tho trenches Bu. the mud remains with him,
and he stands in it, aud he sits in il, aud he leans
on it, and he kneel, in it. A new creation of
man cut of cay--ths soldier Is mud from his
boots 10 his cap, his face is mud, his hands are
mud. ali but his muskot is mud-all save his
musket and the hehIt and brain Of him.
'Tis cold in the ride-pi.s, and in the trenches,
and in the shelter.tC The earth is wet the
wind Is in the North the sky is gray-ani the
improSidCnce imposed by forced marches in a
summer campaign in hot climate, has left upon
the bloody trail Ot Our conquered advance into
Virginia the oyercoAts and flannel dra Rers aud
shirts of an army. The third foe cold, attacks
our dear brother In front ot Richmond bat does
not abate his port, does not bend his spirit. He
scrspes the mud off him with stick, from a
Saxon and soldierly instiart, takes furtiyely
into his bosom, as an unlawful nesting, the
passing thought Of the tireside at home, and
wife, mother, children, and wUrshipful sisters,
sighs as he dlsmisscs lt, ard locks his laws with
=
with face cut out OF determined bronze.
You idenlists who rummage the Mediterranean
lumber-rUOms OF ART FOR the bust of Hannibal rs
the type of the soldier, go 70 the Army Of the
Potomac and see one hundTGi thousand greater
than he. Every one OF hem is volun,eer
They sleep in the mud, they eat in the mud, they
watch in the mud they fight in the mud not
from the necessity which rAkcs into the ranks
the armies Of Europe, but from the divine impulse
which dCvotes man 70 duty. They shiyer in this
northern autumnal wind, counting the days to
the coming Of the paymaster and measuring their
separation from better and warmer clothing but
never counting the cost of their service of their
country, and never measuring their distance from
DEATH
They contracted, three years ago, two years ago,
one year ago. 70 die for freedom, and they stand in
front of Richmond, ready 70 tuil the demi-gOdlike
agreement, Of their own free wills, and without
duTess. And all along fhehind them to the Rlpi-
dan is q line OF mounds covering men just like
them, who fought through a gauntlet Of death
thatwould nave licked up the armies OF Napoleon
as fast as he could have raised them, and would
have prevented History 70 the cOnQuerors and the
conquered OF Waterloo
Demigod-l ke, indeed, they are-these soldiers
in the ranks of our armies. They tight and they
vote. They handle the bullet with the right
hand-wiEh the lett the ballot. They make war
in the same moment they make government.
They fire into the breasts of a soldiery employed
20 destroy their country; before biting the car
tridges for the next loading OF their pieces they,
with the sovereign power which is theirs, turn
and appoint civil administration for the United
States of America for period OF four years. Oh
how in measure and compare with one OF those
muddy, clay.smutched, water-soaked men,
smelling of powder, and leaning on his musket,
and declaring with imperial tone TO the COmmis-
sioner of Election, rs ne draws his ballot out OF
his cartridge-bOX, 81 vote for Abraham Lincoln,
and the continuance Ofthis warl"-how, in mea-
sure with him, do the Frederieks the Great be-