The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-01-28


viezv of promoting the interests Of our country
Indeed up to this time, the people OF the south
have hardly known which to admire and respe0t
,,o.t TN. updaunted courage with swnie1 our
,old;er, have repelied or checked the nc vance OF
an, enemy or the patience and submission With
which they have borne the oppressive restraints
which have been deemed necessary 10 diselpnnc-
,vt when TO a constant course Of injustice IS
aided a positive contempt for the legitimate anu
acknowledged rights OF command esPeeiah!
when those rights have been unhesltatingly yleioeu
to others. withheld from them then indeed, suon
soldiers would be more than human not to COM
plain, whether it were lawful, patriotic and Pra-
cent, or not.
An instance of this kind desire to present to
Won. in a limited glance, at the history OF Gen
Ross' Cavalry Brigade, from Texas, net WIZ Ine
hone chat our autho tie viii be the least affected
thereby IN our favor or that they viii even notice
this article but that the people, whom this bPlgade
have go long and gaIlantIv defended, may be MADE
acquainted with the treatment it has received ana
be prepared thereby to justify the legitimate con
sequences Of injustice, though such consequences
might ordinarily be considered dlsgracerul.
This Brigade has been in active service about
three and half years, and during that time, II
NAV be safely said SHE has rendered quits as Ell
sient service as any other command of like num-
Der and appoin: n.ents in she 10y. But OF thia
fact those Gene ras!s - no haye fron some cause
failed 70 have sseir promises fuihlled, ha~9 born"
tigt e-i.:sng. il making these promises Isl not
| 50. cAjo1-, -or is 1t necessary 10 PanegyrEe
! ~ra.I we'll knownEto Mississippi Rnd Ala
:. Koss' Brigade, and besides, Is not Aer
1aFh hnR
,,.fory writtenl Durfag this long Ponsd OF her
service only about five men and tive ofheers to the
company have been permitted TO visit their BONES
and these hardly long enough TO get nngie su1t
Of clothing still less to put their affairs IN such
| order as to enable them 10 take the neld agaln
| without a most needless sacrifice cf property.
Now ifit is asserted by this ecnmant that every
! man in il rht bv the law ;of justice and OF the
| co untry have been furloughed by the 10Th OF
| Sent 1864 The law of Congress which made
them soldiers for three ySars. also 1neiRded the
provision that they should be furloughed TO-
sxtv days at such time during that period, as the
Secretary Of war should EN- compatible with the
| public welfare. The term for which that la
| made them soldiers, out on the 5ate above
named Now, why was this rroviSion included
| WA. it designed to be carried out in good faith,
| or was f. ike tie bounty law of the North, only
intended to er ourage enlistment at tnat critical
! hour and reconcile oil volunteer seldie1G to
| absence from their homes, OF an additional there
years /. may vel. be conceived, that the law,
so important tot country at that tine, would
not have been CO incurred in 30 heartily, either by
citizens or soldiers, if such had been the only
object Yet ! sroops from the Trans Hissssip-
| pi department, have received the 'ene6ts Of just
sucr ar abused interpretation, while thof
East Mississippi Dera ..,r.,, whoso -'7'",,
rupted communications with their homes ena, ri
them to sbtain the common necessities Of sold-
sr, OF the neanS for their purchase, have all re-
SS:vs4 N cir fnriO1Ehs, romS 90 many @ RvO OF
Ex times Thsro privileges have net been envied
CT theso brave men, for their courage and loyalty
90 often display 3D. have deserved far more than
their try has yet been able to give them but
i; is ended that Trans -Mississippians, with ne
having greater merit probably, have had greater
n:ed of them and hence, that if any difference in
privileges had b. shown, it should have been in
their favor. Need it be said that Texans have
beenas etTectualy isolated from their homes as
| they would be if the Atlantic ocean rolled in tic
| place of the Mississippi! Need it be told that
| what clothing the Government bas issued, would
not hide their edness three months in the year,
and consequently, that have been forced 10 bug and
bay what has been necessary prevent them from
freezingf Must it be told that they have been paid
| only four months wages out of the twelve due
| them, and that this would not purchase the mise
| rable rags Of street beggar Need it be added
.hat of them have Jeff INDECENT families in
Texas upon the charity Of their distant neigh
bors and distant State Government, inces-
| sanity threatened with the dangers Of an Hide
f,aded Indian ffonter2 Yes, sll this lie we'll
a., wn and was perhaps unnecessary to be re-
peated. And yet, amid all these trying eircun,
stances, they have toiled and fought and blcd with
the same forsitude and heroism that stinguished
their fathers in the Alamo and at Sanjacinto
These facts, which doubtless the first offered
for publication, were SO patent in tho mind Of the
| late Gen Polk, (peaec to his honored ashes and
the blessiqgs Of all Texans on his memory y thal
he with his characteristic Justice agreed
in the month Of "sb., 1861, to furlough Gen.
~oa= brigade by ia.uuent, but that being on the
| eve of an expected battle or campaign, it was
not known which the question was asked, Twill
n Texas regiment leave the front VIXEN battle is
| iumiNent 7" The answer was q unanimous and
emphatic no., OF course, and with the assurance
Of Gen. Polk that the 3rd Texas C&valry should be
furlougbed 90 soon as the danger was passed the
whole Brigade took NJ the line Of march from
YaSoo city to Grenada, Miss, and thence TO Cos
lunbus. On arriving at that place, Gen. Polk
Withmany compliments declared that the entire
Brigade should be flrioughed at the close of the
pending campaign in Georgia. The qualification
with which this grdfaitops offer was .se,ved
can DO known only to those who, like them, nave
Aniisrod from want and neglect, and having ina
Plisit confidence in the integrity Of Gen. Polk,
they entered upon the duties ofthe Georgia sar
pRign, with zeal and courage uh eh disting nishsd
them, even among the veteran Brigsdes Of John
ston's army.
But Gen. Polk, the good and brave, was kille A.
and with hin, it was fhought died all hopes Of a
furlough for tho Brigade. Fortunately, howev,r
it was found tas; the influence Of the de ad Gene
n was not yet loss, for hir prouaes v ere reitera
| ted ty Get,. : -hnson, and afterwards By General
Hood, and the hopes Of the Brigade wore accord
ingly again revived.
The Georgia campaign was ended but there
sanie not tie expected furloughs. They were
told that the army eut4ring upon another cam
paiSn which would be bolI short and glorious"
and 20 soon as that wa ended, tlsir hopes sa ,uu
have their full and unqualified fruision That too
came to termination. disastrous indeed but tha4.
Sod, not rEinous aud oHr lines are rc-estahl;shsj