, 1865-07-18

TIE VI u AfM EURP3,
IN DIVISION, 4TH Anxx Cora.
ChA1hErrE, NIAn NEW ORLEANS, juty G. 1865

GuA1HErfE, NIAN NEW ORLEANS, juty g. 1865 (
Editors Chicago TrtbuIe:
Why the 4th corps was transferred frou
1he department Of the Cumberland to the
military division OF the Southwest why
turned over from region where their own
valor had rendered tho presence OF troops
unnecessary, to ore where 1t seems their
presence Is certainly thought to DO necessary
By the Government. Is q quss. lon thst I think
needs little airing. If It were certain TIM.
tue order for our movement from Nashyil,e
down the Mississippi came from the War Dr..
paEtment unin1uenced By any representations
On the part Of our officers, this letter would
not be written. We should feel none tho less
a9gr3eTcd, but We would at least keep s1lenca.
we are the soldiers Of Stone River and
Gtieksmanga: We eaw our brothers die al
hcnesaw. We are neither disloya1 or mutt
1ona, Aot al the abuse under heaven can
lame. But we are agg1eved- W, stnod ~
the country In her dark days, ana uvw WbiI.
Sue breathes The serene atmosphere OF bro:
tonnd peace, We find ourselves reduced IRON
veteEsn volunteers, accustomed to ths enc
my, to the position Of regulars, lylcg around
IDLY and lazilS IN camp and garrison. and
abhlnst the treatDt Ut We receive we enter
our respectful but solemn pl otest.
We entered the servict dn time Of g rrest
emergency, and only because OF that Ereat
emergency. We could not have been induced
to eEtcr the selylce in time of pca=o to do
TIC duly Of regulars, at any p.1ce whatever.
We enlisted for three yeaIs, Or during The
-wnF," never dreaming that VT should 1e re-
dnced 10 tue condition Of regulars when the
war was a. IN end. We hare done our duty,
ssd we think VIC are poorly rewarded for il,
We fear net to compare records With auy
corps In The service. or any that haa bee1
mustered MT. We inscslbe en- our banners
NV Msari6, nptonyil!e, Pennington, Coz
lnth. stcne River, Chickamarga, Mission
Ridge, LocEout Aoun:ain Knoxville, Rocky
Face, Retcca, Dallas. kenesaw. Peach Free
Nashville.
We claim that our Department was the
fiiet one clear Of the enemy. The war was
eEded IN The Department OF the Cumberland
on The 10Th day Of December, 1854. and We
have not seen The face Of focinnu nor heard
the sound OF . hostile shot from that
day to tLis- We have lain lilly In camp
for over six months past.
--"Like spord latd by
To cat into Itself and fnst lugloHousfJ.'
Six months aimee We raw the last face Of
foeman! and no hope Of our emancipation
yet! What other corps has betn re- ained
at camp ard garrison duty, si1 months after
fighting their last battle, and then
Transferred from one department. to another
to lay round in eou!,rus'ing inactivity for
raised to "put down the .cbel]iun' and for n,
other purpose Whatsoever. The rebellioa fs
"put down" and If Justice were done US We
would be mustered out. But no, ne m mast be
d.spged TO the eonthwe to brave the hot
and unhealthy months Of July and August.
River or that Of AldersonTille prison. But
let none OF our kind friends be frightened,
what there 10 left Of the 4th corps il not Of
ttrdeT growth, and By and By We shall mar
y all tt us return to our homes. But it is
ehame that our 80 diers should be 80 treated
as TO leave the service aggEieTed, and remsm-
ber It only With hate. They have been too
coed to their country, and too terrible to
their enemies. But enough.
We are demorallzed. are We? Yes, ve are,
even so. But we can tell you there Was
time when We were not aemoralize1-wh=u
there was an enemy tn the field. When the
enemy had possession in Tennessee, Ken
tucky and Missouri. AID the war waves ruled
over even into Pcnnsy1yaoia-we were not
dcDora1fZed then. We were under Ere In the
Atlanta campaign one hundred DAYS, every
dzy, but We we're not demoralized then. At
Chattanooga. when surrounded BY the enemy
On every hand, and ali communications cut
We dug up corn the mules had stamped under
their feet, washed the mud and manure from
1t, roasted it, and did cat thereoE-Wa we're
not .detnoralized then. But there comes a
time when mans burdens are greater than
be can boar, and ne succomb. We laid at
Camp Hatker, Nashville. ffty-one days, cost
the Government over halt million OF dol
lars, and id not do one Penny's worth Of
service. All that the soldiers did was to dis
cuts the probabilities Of .helr being mustered
ont. It Is reported and believed That certain
officers Of ou7 corps made representations to
the War Department that they were willing
to 1emaiR IN the service, and that their COM
usnds were also. know not wh-thar It Is
ae.. But the charge is made, now let them
II they made such representations, they
we're not only false, but diattl Zeal, and they
knew, them to be SO. There are men in the
4th corps from whose homes comes the wall
Of sickness and distsese-men whose homes
ard every worldly interest, neglected for |
four long years, call for his immediate atten-
tion. Under such circumstances, any officer
that would use hts in1nenee to prolong mems
say IN the army Is scoundtel for whom |
big pay and little service, compiled with
''rarJ" bullet, shot nor shell, are very H.
ductire, and unless their command conld
be dragged along with them, t'Othello's oc-
cul alton were gone" Some of our Officers
b. d the dignity and decenry to resign. Not
tbs least among these WAS our own gallant |
-, otce commander Of the "Chlcago Le-
eiop," and af erwhrd commander Of The Sd |
brfgade-an officer whom the rebels declared |
too brave to be shot.
hope before our return home we shall al |
b. dlsa1med Of our III feelings, and see that !
the Texan demons ration was both Necessary |
AID Just, but ] fear not.
I have spoken very boldly. but 7 speak for
the 4th corps. H10H Private.
TIE ORDER or THE wa1Ts ARROW.
E. 1opv