The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-10-05
a Soldiers widow Answers
President JohMsOn.

The Philadelphia Press publishes the
following letter, addressed .a u.d.
TO M. Andrew johnson, President Of
The United States Of America:
DEAR SIR: In the speech delivered by
you at Cleveland, Ohio, on your way to Chi
cago, and which, suppose, was reported
correctly, you ask: "Who made greater
sacrifices in the war than |? Who suffered
more than | 2" &c. Now, take for granted
that to these questions you expect, from
some quarter, reply, or you would not
have propounded them. So far as my
knowledge extends, up to- this time, no one
has undertaken the task, Therefore, | my
self, although but n very humble woman,
scarcely known ieyond the street live In,
will venture to furnish an answer And
when have done so, VII submit to the
! Just Judgment Of the world whether, on the
score OF sufferings and "saclilices (f
there be nothing eIse), your claims to pop
| uar sympathy AMI sup, 0rt bear any com.
parison to mine. rH
Be ore the rebellion, sir, had a husband,
kind, loving, industr Gus, economical, who,
| for myself and our four little ones, made
comfortable provision. Our hom5 was the
abade of peace aud plenty. What has be.
come of himf He was starved to death at
Andersonville, and that by the chivalric
men whom your "policy" would fain re-.
store, without repentance, to the head of
our Government. Since then have Leen
trying my best to earn bread for my little
ones by plying the needle. At times, when
that kind of employment has failed me, |
nave been obliged to stand, from early
morn till night over the wash-tub. had
| two brothers steady men, kind and gener.
GUS Had the rebeliolil lett them as it found
them, pinching poverty should have never
known, Alas alas one of them perished
from exposure and want on Belle Island,
and the other had his right arm taken off
| by rebel shell at Antietam. He cannot
assist m. The privations and hardshps |
have had to endure have 30 shattered my
own health and strength that feel at times
unable even to endure the fatigue of plying
the needle. So that except my trust in a
merciful Col. | have sacrificed tor my
country, my all--husbaud, brothers, house,
home, living--and | am cast q beggar, on
the cold charity Of the world. And all this
owe to the Southern shareholders, aud to
their iniquitous attempt to murder my be-
loved country, as they did murder my hus'
band and my brothers.
| Now, Mr.. Johnson, since you invite a
comparison, what have yOu suffered Ex-
hibit your scars. and wounds and bruises
Did y0H lose leg or an arm, or were you
even 90 much as scratched or bruised Z
Where is the blood you shed 7 Would il
stain a white cambria pocket handkercheitT 7
How much property did yoU lose ? Why,
if report speaks true, during most OF tho
time Of the war you were living on the fat
of the land" in Nashville, out of harms
way, protected as you were, by Union bay
onets. Out of UhcIe Sans overllowing
commissary stores you drew plenty TO eat
and to d,ink-the best of meats, and, what
was OF still more consequence to you, the
choicest of liquors. Add to this your hand
some salary as Military Governor. Then
the great UtiOn patty whom you have
since 80 foully betrayed, made you Vice
President, with salary of $4,000 per an
NUN. Then, to crown il all, John Wilkes
Booth male You President, and there you
are yet, to the tune of-925 900 year. with
.' frinS" The rebellion found you, learn,
comparatively poor man. Now you are
rich. with sound body, not to speak of
your mind, whose soundness is not 80 Ger.
tain. f.r
you, Andrew JohnsorI talk OF your sac
rifces and your sufteringsj and challenge a
comparison. fie. he upon you'll Why, sir,
upon that score ought to be Americas
Queen, and you ought to bo sweating over
the washInbl Aud now. sir, are your
questions as to who suffered more than you,
who sacrificed more than you by rerson OF
the war, answered. did, sir, and know
hundreds of poor women, tossed from the
nights of afluence into the vale of pennry
and want, who have suffered aud sacrificed
ten thousand times more than you, and are
making ostentatious parade OF it, either.
Yours respectfully,
MARY JANE CATHERWAtTB,
A Soldiers Widow, and the mother Of four
fatherless children.
PHILADEbFHiA, September I, 1856.