The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-07
nou our Horoes como Home.

One of the greatest evils of war usually
follows She close of hostilities. 1t is found
in the d~isbanding of the c%Ontending armies
in the letting loose upon society q hcen-
tlous soldiery trained in q school of rapine,
PHTag5 anu PTuHUUEi
idleness and dissipation Of camp, and too
frequently. prone to drunkenness, violence
and brutality. Something of this sort was
dreaded by many as an unavoidable result
of the d~isbanding of our vast army OF citi-
z~sn-soldiers. Nervous people were con
stantly disgusting themselves with sppre-
tensions of carousaIs and riotings, tumults
and sffrays, whenever Johnny should
come marching home. Wild and indefn-
lie notions about Sherman's "bummers'
and their desolatlng march across South
Carolina, came floating across the minds Of
old ladies of both sexes, and they were
agitsted with fears lest the scenes of Col
lumbis and Charleston should be~re-enscted
IN Cleveland.
We only refer 10 these apPrehensiOns in
order to remind our readers how speedily
and how entirely they have been dispeIled
by the noble conduct of. our soldiery.
During the last month there has hardly
bean a day on which soldiers have not
passed through Cleveland by regiments,
on their way TO their homes. During that
time q dozen regiments, four batteries and
countless detachmen ant from different OF.
glnizstions, in all numbering six or seven
thousand men, have marched up Superior
street, shared the hospitality of the city,
moved with cleaning bayonets and serried
ranks over TO Camp Cleveland, received
discharges and pay, and have come back,
with their pockets full of money and with
lie restraint of army discipline lifted off
their shoulders, through the city to their
homes. If these men are demoralized and
dissipsted we have had ample opportunity
for discovering it and suffering from it,
But the ususl peace and security of the
city hiss not bsen in the least msrred by
The accession of so large a floating populA-
tion. The docket of the police court is no
more crowded than usual, and the magnif-
icent leisure of our city police is still IS IN
disturbed IS ever. No class of u citizens
are more orderly, quiet and law abiding
thsn these returning veterans. There are,
70 be sure, some drunksIds and brswlers
among them, but their number is proper
tiousselv very small. As a rule, u boys
are coming home as heroes shOuld-soberly,
quietly, respecting law, and glad 70 return
again and do their duty in civil life as they
have done it in the field
The secret Of all this lies in the fact that
u srmyis made up-not of recruits enlist
elm drunken frenzy, or held to service
by the desire of psyI-but of ci~tizsn-sOl-
diers. Before they enlisted they were
freemen and citizens. They went forth at
She country's call, 70 do their part as patri
ots and soldiers. They have borne 8
veighty responsibility and have discharged
their duty like heroes. Their experience
aud observation have instructed, their suf-
fsring and sacrifice have ennobled and ele-
vAte5, their minds. And SO they come
back to us better citizens for having been
good soldiers. Having restored law and
order in the South, they appreciate more
fully its necessity at home. Having felt the
evil results of anarchy, they will be the
last 70 encourage it This is the reason
that, contrary to sl precedent and expee-
talon, u soldiers come back better citi-
zsns and better men than when they left
their homes. = LsAE