The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-09-27
BURG


they were of age, or had paid tax within
wears. But was asked if | was not ashamed
10 press such matters these men were SOL
diers, and was | opposed to leulng soldiers
voie had 10 submit AT Camp Parole,
where we had about 900 parolej prison.
ers, the same process was carried on, alo
the men were shifted from Que point 10 an
other. Alter we had closed the polls. ser
geant brought in squad OF about 80 men,
v hose votes were admitted for tear they
/ had not been taken elsewhere We then
commenced countng off, but the Judge de-
clared il was late, he was tired. aud we
would adjourn until the next day where
upon he put the ballots Into his coat tail
pocket, and did not see him any more that
day. kept the taliy-lisl, however, and
have il al home now. We met the next
! day, but he had more ballots in his pocket
! than had names on the tally-lisi; by some
bogus process they had increased. Here was
| a quaudary but il was soon settled. They
remarked the thing was very simple the
! Democratic Ballots, save mine, had been
cast BY mistake, and !hey would take ou'
! enough of them TO make The ballots aud tai
! iy>lst correspond. then entered formal
protest against the whole proceedings, and
refused 10 make up the necessary returns.-
! That afternoon received eiegraphic de-
! sralch from the Secretary of War, ordering
me 10 report at once al Crooks Island, ILL.,
| O course had 10 60 al once, aud without
making up the election returns. | went 10
| Chicago, thinking that Crooks Island might
/ be in The lake, bnl could fnd ont nothing a.
/ 10 the place. Alter some iruIIess searching
| corcIuded 10 stop al Rock leland City, II
being pleasant locality OIL the Mississippi,
! and re port my whereabouts TO :he Adiutaut
! General. As there was nothing for me 10
/ do in the shape Of military duty, spent
] few weeks in hunting, fishing, and killing
/ time generally al Uncle Sans expense. Al
/ this Time, in view oil the approaching Pres
/ identiaI election, the Republicans made a
\ grand parade, IN rching some colored soldiers
in front OF PenDsy lvania regiment, IN spite
of their protests Al The same time, Geuer
al Hooker, commanding the department,
Gen Logan and other military gentleman,
were making speeches through The Stale IN
behalf of the Republican party. Following
the example thus set me, acted as Mar
shal in Democratic procession, and also
ma. speech. short time after receiv-
ed another despatch stating hat was "hon
orably mustered oulby reason Of expiration
oil lerm OF service," though that had occur
red seven months before, al the time OF the
/ discharges OF the Pennsylvania Reserves.
Bat. fellow .ciiizens, must enter a spec
iaI protest against the doctrines of negro
equality On lhis question the soldier feels
/ the most sensitive, and is the most earnest
( in repudlating it. Although Wendell Phil
/ lips ard his Republican coadjoiors maintain
that in all the desperate deeds OF the war
she negro bears the palm" we resent The
insult, and boldly declare that moro cow
ardIy crew were never drawn up ia line OF
battle Ii is our boast ihs; not a regiment
of them ever belonged to the old Army OF
the Potomac. At the opening of the cam
paign of 1861, Burnside brought one dIEis-
lou OF them into The army under Gen. FeFre-
70, French dancing master who. curing
.
hid Ia a bomb-proo:. During hat terrible
contest in The Wilderness, when hancock's
gallant corps had advanced beyond It's sup
port, aud was being oui6anked on the left,
this division, instead of advancing 10 the
rescue, was wIIhdrawn towards the Rapi-
dan Gen. Grant when informed oi II BY an
aid. said. 'tef Gen Burnside If he cannot
fight his corps, 20 turn il over 10 Gen. Han
cock, who can" Again during that terrible
fight al Spottsylvania, when our gallant men
were falling by thousands, l6 600 having
fallen on the I2th of May, these govern
ment pets were kept well TO the rear, ready
10 run al the first signal. And. SO i. was al
the North Anna, Tolopo,amy and Cold Har-
bor Bady Smiths corps-ihe Eighteenth
by taking transports reached Petersburg
the dav before US. II was garrlsoued by
about 500 citizens and inv Aids, who held
line ol works about six miles long. On ar
irving the batteries were placed in position,
aud the corps, consisting OF Two white aud
one colored division about eighteen ihou-
sand men, charged, OF course The main
line was taken with scarcely any loss, and
this assault against almost empty works
was heral1ed TO The world as victory gain
ed by the negroes. They were careful not
10 advance into the city, though had they
done so il would have savsd The long and
bloody siege which followed. You remem-
Der the Petersburg mine explosion, where
Burnside determined TO show the world how
much braver the blacks were than the
whites. You all know the Tesull-how they
broke under the first fire and threw the
white troops behind into confusion. And,
soldiers, do you rot remember how you