Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-01-04
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE JOURNAL.
Letter FROM Philipsburg, Pa.
PHILIPSBuRG. "a. Jan. 2d lS

! \. ID. 1864, are there on record The past
year has been one OF glorious achievements
for the Union cause, from the commence
ment TO Its close, 1t was a series OF victories
| Tor our gallant army aud navy, and the Stars
and Stripes T1oat over many places now, where
! the rebel rag did the year preceding. But
the year 1864, we shall know no more. save
when in the future, it will be referred to by
! posterlty, rs one among the most c-Fenttul
! of the Great Rebellion.
| We now turn new leaf and commence
| the year a. ID. 1865, and If the rebellion
| receives few more such blows, as it has in
! the past few weeks there will not be much
| TO record, concerning 1t, one year hence.
! The end Is nigh, when the Richmond news
| papers acknowledge that their armies are
hard and sorely pressed, that the enemy is
campaigning on a larger scale than at any
/ time since the war commenced and they
might with truth have added, seem deter
mined TO prosecute it vigorously God
| speed the hour, when the blessings of peace
and happiness, may reign supreme through
out the length and breadth Of our country
I-when'the glorious Stars and Stripes may
| float III all their pristine purity, over every
! inch OF land from tie Atlantic TO the Paci-
| hc, and from the Lakes TO the Gulf OF Mex
! Ico-and most clncerely do | hope, and con-
| hdentiy think, this will be the case ere the
! close OF 1863
Since my last letter to you, our town has
| been the stage of action of many and
thrilling incidents To chronicle them all
would take a ton of foolscap, and score of
knights OF the quill to perform. | shall,
! therefore, only give you a select few "a
| phrase by the way lately introduced into
| this The loyeliest village of the plain.
\ few weeks ago, our citizens were taken
hut g
panies Of the 10th Regt. Vet Vols. under
the command Of Major Goebel They were
| temporarily quartered in the NJ f. Church,
and from that time hence, the old town as
sumed quite Il dignitied and martial appear
ance. Uncle Sam : sky-bue Kersey met
one at every turn, and garruious old women
nervous old maids (who ever saw one that
was not nervous and blatant coppcrheads
predicted that all the evils possible, would
be enacted by the ''bould soier boy that
nothing would escape their fingers, that was
nos too hot or too heavy-in short. putting
them down Us a set of consummate Williams.
Accordingly, many a sigh escaped from
those who were ignorant enough 70 believe
such tales. Many guide wife, Ton the
evening Of the first day, and few subse-
quent days after the arrival Of the boys, -
s0rrowfuliy called her iock Of fowls and
gave them their supper, confident, that she
would never look on their like again that
before tomorrow : sun / ad set that old dom
mick hen, that was so good to hatch, and
that spreckeled pullet, so good to lay, weuld
ldy IN the gastric regions of them awful
soldiers. But if ever people We're dsap
pointed, 1t was these same garrulous Old wo-
men, nervous old maids, and blatant copper
heads-the two former, agreeably the lat
tel, sadly. For lo and behold, next morn
I'M 7 ba DcL .lt ipaa
their rations, intact-not a feather missing.
No men could conduct themselves more
gentlemanly, quietly aud respectfully, than
have the officers. and privates, Of the 10th
Vet Vols. since they arrived in Philips
burg. | have yet to hear Of the first word
Of complaint, against them, for any act un-
becoming or unlawful, TO any of our citizens,
or their property.
The arrival Of soldiers in our town, has
had beneficial effect in banishing from the
minds of those who repOse as much conf
dence in the copperhead papers as they do
in their bibles, the slanderous and villifring
epithets against the soldiers OF the Union
army, published from time 20 time in the
copperhead papers. They now see, that
the whole foundation for such assertions are
based on lies OF the deepest dye. The spIr
1t of loyalty to the Union, suddenly emma
ted from the lips Of men and women, that
only on the day Of the soldiers first appear
ance in our midst, uttered very disioyal
sentiments, and condemned the authorities
for sending volunteers out into these copper
head wilds, to involve the good Union-lov-
ing non-reporting drafted men into a war.
But all are Union now yes verily,a change
has come over the spirit Of the dreams of
the most venomous snakes Of the copper
head species They uncoiled at the pres
ence Of the soldiers as readily aS a black
sDaik on pile Of stones in summers sun
and are as meek, mild and calm as an ali
gator, on the banks of the Nile, catching
flies.
The number of non-reporting drafted
men, deserters and (last but By no means
leastl aiderS and abetters of disloyalty,
brought in by the soldiers, are legion. Ev-
cry two or three days, an invoice of the
medley crew, is sent riding on a rail =
some to Waterford, Others to Williamsport,
and Harrisburg Since the battle up in
Knox township, Clearfield County, the
drafted men who failed to report at the
proper time, seeing, that Uncle Sam was
getting In earnest, come in from their hi
ding places, and give themselves up to the
Provost Marshal They certainly take the
wisest plan, for if there is any leniency, it
will much sooner be extended to a man who
sees his error and promptly takes the steps
to correct it than to one who still presists
in what e knows to be wrong and resiSts
the enforcement Of the law to bring him TO
Justice Where oh where! are the chief
tans of other days who held the sturdy
| cops of Clearfeld county. rivited to the
spot, while they delivered to them. in tones
of Snaiky thunder, the grand Union loving
sentiments Of mot another man nor ano-