Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-06-09
OF the Cedar Falls Gazette.
Letter from the Thirty.First Iowa.
CIsKysAh SPRINGS, u. C., MAY %,

Letter from the Thirty.First Iowa.
pig CIsHysAh SPRINGS, u. C., May 90, Bs.
MESsRs. EDTToRs Some time ago
having seen IN the various papers of tbs
State of Iowa several large headers and
leaders like the following: "Our State
out of the Draft!!' and, "Who Saved
the State from the Draft!!" and the
like, l wish to say a few words about
that Saving from the Draft; and also
show up how grdtJ,dthe people of the
State, through their Executive, are to
the men who have in reality saved the
State from the draft. | speak more par
ticularly Of ourown regiment, although
there ore several other regiments SINH
larly circumstanced. We enlisted and
organized our companies, varying in
date, from the 1lth to the Goth of Au-
gust, 1862. The then Colonel of the reg
iment, who was appointed through 7oo-
Httcal notices, received his commission
ON the 10th of September, but did not
appear for muster until about the 10th
of October. Now, after having fought
our way from Arkansas Post to Bcn-
louisville, and marched from Helena
Arkansas to the sea at Savannah, and
from there to Washington, we are re,y
coolly told that because our Colonel was
attending to political matters, and thus
delayed our muster nearly one month,
we must stay in the service until Octo-
Der 18th, 1865, as it was no fault of the
Government. ........ .... s..
Again, we have some sixteen MEM
bers of our regiment who ore to be i'm
mediately mustered out, sinlr's because
their time expires before the lst of De-
tober, 1865 Having enlisted, or were
drafted, for one year. Let us see the
Justice of this matter, and l take one of
our own company as sample He en-
listed sometime in September, 1864; has
! been with the regiment and CARRIED "A
muskct SO days; has never seen an
armed rebel, and yet he pockets $3.50
bounty from the County, which the old
members who pay taxes there help to
pay; gets also, as | understand $500
from the town of Cedar Falls, 500
bounty from the Government, and to-
morrow receives SIPS pay proper, beside
4 clothing for eight months service, to
last year Gas the boys say when they
draw one days ration to last fivc), ma
king in the aggregate, i'm cash, S77S for
his service. Now the other side of the
question: We get i'm bountics from the
town of Cedar Falls $l5 from the coun-
ty I'll say S50, though it is well known
by You that more than half never were
!, paid, and believe only those who had
families were entitled to even that and
know OF some who never could get
any part of it for their families, ,-$lpC
from the Government, and for eighteen
and onc-haif months service at $l3 pei
month, $40 so; thirteen months at sic
per month, S20s. Aggregate, SGl3 sc
for thirty-one months service and p
: battles, and have yet to serve four ant
one-half months. More than doubl,
the time said soldier has carried hi'
muskct; yet he is to be discharged, ant
we are to remain. Is il fair? is it jus
ticc? If so we Must not complain, bu
it seems to me that somebody here il
the field Kept Iowa ont Of the Dg'df
J and we think we can see land fceD tn,
keep. But | cannot see the justice o.
abusing regiment of men irecause ol
contracted TO serve three years or during
the war. We have served as well as we
knew how have fought, bled, and zen.
hungry, and ] understand now that the
war is ended. What we poor com,
mon soldiers want to know is, why in
, the name of common justice our Gov.
ernor is not here to look after the inter.
ests of us poor Iowa soldiers as other
Governors arc to look after their soldiers
While l think of it, If any one man
,, claims to have kept Iowa out of the
draft, don't for the sake OF truth, so fa,
as our regiment is concerned, allow il to
any one but ex-Col. William Smyth, OF
Marion. The 25th, 2Gth and 30th rcgi-
ments go out, as they were mustered
! before the lst of October, 'G2. But we
E console ourselves with the thought that
the best Of the feast is reserved for the
last.
= The boys are all well, and feel as well
as could be expected after receiving
such cogt bath. Captain Williams
says we Will be out in a few days. Lieu
!; tenant Tom pretends to be very indig,
nant but he has horse to ride, gets
big pay, and don't care uss,--that is,
we think so. Dan, Elias, Spence, Klay,
Berry, Eyestone, Shuckcr, Reed, and
all the rest, are as mad as 0ear; and
think some Of them would do little in
that line, but it costs lG3 cents swear
now, and us we have not been paid in
nine months we amt nary a red to pay
with. j. o. Mills returned to US yes
terday, and is look ing much better than
when he left us. He came very near
I being numbered with those who were
tut are not, having been sick for nearly y
IA year. Boys all glad to see him once
more with Us. Linkensale was here to
see us to-day. He'5the sameas evcr-full
of fun and u jolly goof fellow. Long
may he wave. 1t is understood that we
start soon for Louisville, Ky, and if
find anything interesting on the way
I'll jotit down for the aGENERAL.n-
Until then enough, for am mad.
RAIDER.
Georgia TBeatIiGais.
TREMENDOUS HIT (oR MISS.
1.astappearance in Georgia of Mr.. Jef,
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