The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-03-29
What the Deserters Say.
WASHINGTON, March 8. 1865.

during the last ten days. From my own
examination of large number, aud from
the evidence at the Provost Marshals
Office, | have come to one conviction, and
that is, that Lees armyis utterly broken
in spirit, and cannot leave its intrench-
ments without losing half its numbers by
desertion and what is better yet, | am
satisfied that this breaking up is not
simply from discouragement, but because
the mass of the meG have had their eyes
opened to the true nature of the struggle,
and have learned that their true interest
is to range themselves on the side of
northern democracy, and no longer sup
port southern aristocracy.
This knowledge they have gained in
many ways: First, by contact with our
men on picket. You may often see two
pickets taking their dinner at
the same log, exchanging hard tack for
tobacco, exchanging papers, and exchang-
ing ideas. Second, by connection with
our prisoners confined among them and
third, by being carried north as prisoners
of war.
Imagine the poor white of North Car
oiins, who can neither read nor write,
and who has never left his own county,
carried north through our country, and
kept for months near Chicago or some
other large city Thousands upon thou.
sands have had this experience, and l
will give you summary of the statements
which a number of these have made to
me during the last few days.
The statement of one man whom |
examined day before yesterday will give
you the best idea of the whole, and as he
was never a rebel at heart, his statement
is entitled to full credence. | am sure
he told me what he had observed himself,
for | cross questioned him very sharply.
II am native of North Carolina, and
had a common school education you
know half the people of my state cannot
read or write, in fact more than half of
Lees army cannot sign their names. |
belonged to militia company before the
war, and when my company volunteered
[ was forced to 60, although [ did not
believe in the war As soou as possible
I got detailed for hospital duty, aud have
been for three years in large hospital in
Richmond.
IA fortnight ago every able bodied
man in hospital service or elsewhere was
ordered to the front. was in Pickett's
division, north of the James. Our line
was so thin that we had to go on picket
every other night, which is wearing the
men out very fast. In one short move
of only eight miles, one brigade, only
twelve hundred strong, lost one hundred
men by dcsertion. The deserters are
veteranS, who have got ideas since the war
began the couscripts don't know enough,
and are afraid to desert, for Lee has
promised thirty days furlough to every
man who shoots another attempting to
desert This does not stop them. How
soon we can get out of the lines is
the common talk in every tent and every
Sometimes our officers come
too. There are two lieutenants here to-
day pointing them out). The men who
don't want to desert because they have
families agree to fire high when we run.
"Our ratiuns have been for some time,
one pint of corn meal and one third of
pound eff wet pork. Wet pork is nucured
pork. Sometimes we don't get that; we
don't average over one pint of meal and
ne-quarter pound of pork per day.
CAll whom We have examined agree on
this point, without exception.)
In answer to my question about the
peace conference this man said {: "Well,
can tell you the failure of that is the
principal reason why SO many are desert
ing. [ was in the hospital when Ste.
phens and Hunter went down to meet
Seward, and we had eight hundred men
in hospital. There was general feeling
of JOY that nov we were to have peace
and union again, but when they came
back, although we we're lied to about the
matter, we found out what President
Lincoln did say, and oar boys said the
terms ,oere good enough for them, and
they acere not going to fight any moro
just to saOe their leaders; and this |
found, when | went to the front, was the
talk throughout the army"
This man was going to Cincinnati, and
from there intended to get to his family.
One day two huudr9d and ffty.six
deserters came in one squad, large pro-
portion of them being from South Caro-.
lima. They said nearly the whole picket
line where they were came over, bringing
their guns. | asked one of the South
Carolina men, who looked very intelli-
gent, if he was conscript. "No," said
he, Il volunteered at the beginning of
the war" | then asked him to tell me
what led him to volunteer and what led