Semi-weekly news., 1865-04-06
Address Of Gen. N. B. Forrest
to his Troops.

SOLDIERS The old campaign is
ended, and your Commanding Cen
eral deems this an appropriate occa-
sion to speak of the steadiness, self
denial and patriotism with which you
have borne the hardships of the past
year. The marches and 1abors you
have performed during that period
will find no parallel in the history of
this war.
On the oath day ofDecember there
We're three thousand Of you, unor-
ganized and undisciplined, at Jack
son, Tennessee, only four hundred of
whom were armed. You We're sur
rounded by fifteen thousand of the
enemy, who We're congratulating
themselves on your certain capture.
You started out with your artillery,
wagon trains, and large number of
cattle, which you succeeded in bring
ing through, since which time you
have fought and won the following
battles-battles which will enshrine
your names in the hearts of your
countrymen, and live in history, an
imperishable'm monument to your Prov
css Jacks Greek, Estinaula, Sum
merville, Okalona, Union City, Pa
ducah, Fort Pillow, Bolivar, Tisho-
mingo Creek, Harrisburg, Hurricane
Creek, Memphis, Athens, Sulphur
Creek, Pulaski, Carter's Greek, Co
lumbia and jacksonville are the fields
upon which you have won fadeless
Immortality. For twenty-six days,
from the time you left Florence, on
2lst of November, to the 26th of De-
cember, you We're constantly engaged
with the enemy, and endured the
hunger, cold and labor incident to
| that arduous campaign without n
,nurmur. To sum up, i'll brief, your
triumphs during the past year, you
have fought fifty battles; killed and
captured sixteen thousand of the enc
my, captured two thousand horses
and mules, sixty-sevcn pieces of ar
ttillery, four gunboats, fourteen trans
ports, twenty barges, three hundred
wagons, fifty ambulances, ten thous-
and stand of small arms, forty block
houses, destroyed thirty-sixty rail
road bridges, two hundred miles Of
railroad, six engines, one hundred
cars, and fifteen millions dollars worth
of property.
In the accomplishment of this great
work. you We're occasionally sustain
ed by other troops, who Joined } on in
the fight, but your regular number
never exceeded five Thousand, two
g l., .,l
or wounded, while in prisoners you
have lost about two hundred.
If your course has been marked by
the graves of the patriotic heroes,
who have fallen by your side, it has,
at the same time, been more plainly
marked by the blood of the invader.
While you simpathize with the
friends of the fallen, your sorrows
should be appeased by the knowl
edge that they fell as brave men, bat
tling for all that makes life worth
living for.
Soldiers you now rest for a short
time from your labors. During the
respite prepare for future action
Your commanding General is ready
~ y Ou ~ 1hO oOiOhSC VI
the common cause, and he appeals to
you by a remembrance of the glories
of your past career; your desolate
homes your insulted women and
suffering children and above all, by
the memory of your dead comrades
to yield ready obedience to dis
cipline, and to buckle OH your armor
anew for the fight. Bring with you
the soldiers safest armor-a deter.
mination to fight while the enemy
pollutes your soil---to fight until in.
dependence shall have been achieved
to fight for home, children, liberty
: and all you hold dear.
Show TO the world the superhumar
and sublime spirit with which peo
, Pile may be inspired when fighting
for the inestimable boon of liberty
BE not allured by the syren song o
, peace, for there can be no peace say,
: upon our separate independent ma
, tionality. You can never again unit
{ with those who have murdered you