Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-02-02

fe auF hisrfyflaFtsfa, fhd .ys viii dance ysg sEar
The graves End drown the dylag groans Of your "a;
Tiers brothers, betrothed and friends, aye, and
husbands too TO your hearts content. AnRI I'M
derstand they have gone so far as to organize
regular ssdancing club" have constituted some half
dozen Commuters, TO have regular weekly 'shin-
digs Young men, You are presumius too much
for strangers: cit won't nerr do " this thing must
be stopped, aud would advise youto get out of
holes quit your soft places, (Or there are old men
aud disabled soldiers capable of filing then, "iace
the music like men, '''and make yourselves worthy
10 receive such enjoyments byassisthg to hur back
the yandal horde from the fresides of those you
would contaRinate.
To you my fair countrywomen, would say q few
words, not presenting tolecture you, but TASK YOU.
to take with me slight retrospective view of the
past four years. Do VOC remembeI>thae after this
war assumed its gigantic proportions, after 10 be-
came reality, when all Of our youpg and middle
aged men who were able and OF any account were
gone and hurryug of to the battle field, with what
patriotic enthusiasm YOU inspired and encouraged
them i-how your every moment was busily employ
ed in preparing comforts and necessaries for the de-
parting soldiers, and for two years more how the
midnight lamp was continually burning, and your
fair hands engaged in making articles OF handiwork
for his use or comfort or Bditng long epistes to
encourage and console him; how the few young men
who remained behind were spurned from Your asso
Citations Then any one going in the direction Of
our armies we've oyerburdened with bundles and let
ters How changed the picture now. Look back
with me again on the many battle ields 0icarnage,
imbued with the blood OF many thousands, not one
of YOU but have some relative friend whose
bones lay bleaching i'll the wintry wind or resting uR
derneath the little mound. fWouid not ask, you TO
go .in sackcloth and ashes, but to remember this
car is stH progressing, and day hy day growing
more horrible and more doubtful; that this day
each one of YOU have one dear tC you, either
suffering and pipiDg in cold, lodthsome prison
of the north or lapguishing in some one ofour own
hospitals or being Injured to all that winters CAM
pagn can niict and.is it meet that you should be
pandering to the pleasures ts shirking, skulklng
set while your father hust and, brother, son. be-
trohed friend is enduring all the priyatOns and
hardshipS that flesh can bear. .if you desHe a
speedy and successful termination OF our difficulties
resume your forYer tasks of working for your SOL
der friend in Your spare moments write him long,
encouraging ana consOlng letters, 10 buoy him up III
his hours Of tr5a. Congress with its stringent en-
actments and the conscript. officers, with ALMOST
armies TO assist them have failed to- I'LL our ranks.
You alone, by united and rmined effort, can
do So Spurn these craven hearted fellows from
you as an adder from your bosoms, force them by
Your acts and countenance TO the field, or all viii be
lost degradation worse than death will be your fate.
Very respectfully, &C.,
A SOLDIER AND CITIZEN.