Maryland free press., 1866-10-18
Talk with = Soldier.
t'Gio,i morning, John q y |"
s.Csod morninp!'

t'G iod mornin2 Johnnyi' .,.
''G.od morning!'' 49,. r,-...-.-......
''You went to war, bsli :"
"Y-.. ami i 90. home agaiu alive, and that is
nnrc than some of US did" ...
'Glad to see ron bmk-,orry any of yoa were
killed. Whist did you enlist for ?" loo. .....
-tssRsll enlisted to ssve tlsssgnions~ Cousin
Paul enlisted under later c,ll to secure the
bounty aud sseap. the draft, for he was poor
msn. AMI cousla Dill, who owned that farm up
the creek, WAS drafted, h:L no money to.got a
substitute and was Obliged to CO." -..... %. "a.
"ws!l, that xas the inconvenieace of being
poor! Mes tell me What you fought for! .'
"To restore the Union.'' >.t.,.-a.
"Dii you go iato the war to free the negroes?
mo, sir, went to fight for our flag .,t
T., "Could you have conquered without the aid Of
negro troops?'' ...... s.. ...r %.
Gould we have conquered without the aid oil
negro troops? Do you mean to ask me if the
white men Of the North are inferior to the white
men Of the South? Do you mean to insult me
TO insult the army1 .l.., s-r... 10 ,@-
"Not = hit oft. I only ask for information,
as the Radicals ssv had it not been for the negro
you never would have won your battlesl"
"Tell tho R,dic,.l he lies. Perhaps all the
troops hal been like him We might notllsvC won,
But all were not like him."
(Which did the most service in the army the
rgytrs or tie muIes7" .-. as." ..
"A mule was worth dozen niggcrs, and is
good for something now the WAT is over aud a
eigger is not. The male can pay his way-the
nigser can-t'' -,. ...s# -t e.
"when ycu hesrd that the var Was over,
Whist did yoa think?P s.r rs- 70.
"Weli, we oil thought the Union restored. and
re could live in peace" ....s-. p.
HWell, how much did you make by going to
the wnrf" .-''
"Sot much, ! had 40 rich relatives to push
me ahssd-ercept in battle When We went to
FIGHT could always get front view .....s.
"What made the soldiers hate the Democrats
awe were'taught to believe you were disu.
uionisis. we could not get Democratic paper
70 read. We must read those. against you o.
none and gradually We began to believe all thai
Republican papers said about you." -. 81
''How do you find us on your retarn?,, -.
owe find you in favor of the Union, the Re
Pubicsns opposed to it, and asking US to go in
TO another war to fsht an unsrmed, submitted
Zoe, that . few rich men May be made richer and
that few more contracts may be given. to The
friends Of those who live BY war and agitstioa.' "
''Did the Republicans keep faith with yor r.
mo, they did not ,.... ...f.Hit7 -..,. 3.
"pleMe tell me how and shess they deceived
your. ......rg - 4--i.f -'. 3. .,..r -.t '..
swell, sit dowa on that bench or log and
will tell you. They asked me to fight to restor'
the'Unon. We fought till there was no NOR
army len, and ften they tell us onr aghtins
amounted ts aStsiag, and that the Union is &C
Festored. '-... -,,f....... .a-.spf gu = a.ei.
t'They ssia Denserats' we're disunionists, Ant
we find them all Ia favor Of the onion. '1-- !.
''They ssia we soutA 60 ana SIGHT for chen
they would take ,eASe Of oar families, ard stant
all the expenses of the war, aaA that the rict
ones should and ~oslA take care Of the poor ones
the brave ones and the patriots, *'' '.'"
|'But have not the keP%bticaas kept thei
words p
mo, not even in one respect, ~ | ...
s'we went 70 war, We wero poor and had to