The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-03-28
a WARMING.
From the Raleigh Confederate.

From the Raleigh Confederate.
The following letter is from an officer OF high
rank and speaks of matters which fell within his
! observation Read it. Hand it around, and let
the misguided mother and sister and wives, who
urge desertion, take warning There are sad dere-
Lotions that we are obliged to publish, but the
country demands the publication
MILITARY Court Sd CORPS A. N. ",
March Is, 1865
M Dear Colonel Il write for the purpose of
invoking your aid and that Of the other gentlemen
of the Press, in State, in warning the people
and especially those who are wives and parents,
against the fatal tendency of the letters they too
/ frequently write to the soldiers in our army
Knowing you as well as l do, have no hesitation
10 asking your assistance in imporng these i'll ad
vised people to stop practice which causes the
dsgraceful death of their friends, and must entail
upon themselves life time of mysery and remorse.
From my observation as an officer Of the line, 1
had become satisfied that the chief cause of deser
ton was the advice and entreaies our soldiers
received from home; and having recently been
temporarily on duty with the Military Court of
our corps, have had official confirmation OF that
opinion.
| Within the last few days Sergeant Thomas
Perrett, Co. G., Goth Regiment N. G. Troops
| Governor Vance's old Regiment,) a soldier from
Carney Greek, Chatham County, North Carolina,
has been on trial for deserton. / give his resi-
6ence and name in full because deem this an un-
fit time for false delicacy.
1t appears that Sergeant Perrett was, on the 22d
| February, last, in command of his company, that
on that night, he with seventeen others of his
company deserted, some with and some without
arms-that they were arrested, by cavalry,
posted for that purpose, at or near one of the
crossings of the Roanoke river, and brought back
to camp under snard. Tee or fifteen others, from
other companies, one belonging 20 the same Reg
ment, deserted at the same time; some of these
also were brought back.
| In his defence, Sergeant Perrett proved that he
volunteered On the 10th January, 1861; and has
been good soldier since nj camp and battle;
that he has always discouraged men from leaving
| their command without proper authorty-that
when the command would, for their greater pro-
lection, be ordered to lie down and fight, he would
always stand up and fght-that he never laid
down in action, but always stood up and fought
His Captain test:fes further, that 10 his opinion
there has never been better soldier in the Con.
federate service than Sergeant Perrett, and said
most emphatically that he had often wished he
was as brave man the Sergeant; that he was
conspicuous in the Regiment for gallantry He
was wounded at Gettysburg, and at the Wilder
ness, on the 5th May last He has been advised
by his parents since he entered the service to
desert and return home. Witness had seen letters
from chem, advising this, and letter, especially
from the mother of accused, stating that he would
ruin himself as we'll as them : by remaining The
accused also submitted for the consideration of the
| court, letter from his mother, Mary Perrett, in
which the following sentence occur: ave have
plenty to do us if you and Daniel was at home
You know you ought not to stay there; every one
that goes to the Yankees does some good towards
stopping the war; guess you will be killed or
wounded before long; If you are killed, it will be
trouble to me as long as | live, and no pleasure
to you; ifyou would leave there it would be heap
better for you and great deal of pleasure for
This is substantially the record in the case
The accused is quite young man, and when I
looked upon him and saw him, as it were, stand
i ing up alone and fighting undaunted by the dan
ger around him, disdaining to seek shelter with
his comrades, although they too were brave men,
were under cover, and then thought how soon he
must die the feon's death, tied to a stake, with
his head bound with the shame and ignomny of
his position, sbuddered with horror. From him
to whom much is given much is required, and
therefore, officers, aud especially commanding -oAi-
GERS, while they may direct their command to lie
down, we unfrequently feel it incumben, on our
selves to remain standing This however is neither
desired required of those in the ranks, but il
is useless tor NE to enlarge to you upon the cour-
age of the man in the ranks ,cho never lies dozen,
acho olacoys stomds up and fights. You know
| there is not one in hundred thousand who will
| do it. Judging from the evidence, (and great
deal of it's effect is lost by the "substance only
being committed to writing,) l have never known
a drawer or better soldier, and yet, this man,
who for three years and half as resisted the en-
treaties of his parents, has at last in weak
ment yielded to them, and 10 doing so, has COM
mitted crime, and under such circumstances as
to render it impossible, SO far human foresight
can discover for him to escape the forfeit of bis
life. His mother spoke prophetic words, as his
death will, indeed, be trouble to her as long as
she lives, and we'll will it be for her if it be a
trouble FOR this life only. --
The experience Of all armies of all nations has
declared that dcsertion be punished with death
in time of war, and unfortunately at this very time
the necessity of our service imperatively demands
stern and unAinching execution of this rule of
Military Law. How then a man who is 10
command of his company, and who not only de-
serts himself, but carries seventeen of his men
with him with arms in their hands, be pardoned
IF he and bis comrades in guilt be spared, will it
not teach the lesson that to desert il body is "a
sure way to secure immunity from punishment
My mpathies have never been So strongly en-
listed in behalf of any one, as they have been in
behalf of the wretched young man, who in miti-
CATION Of his crime, obliged to plead the Grim
inal entreaties of bis own mother. / nave never
seen man so overwhelmed with the disgrace of
his situationso perfectly crushed with the weight
of shame. I could not think the big tears that
! coursed> their wav dawn his chaokS vora capsoa