Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-19
LErrEn FRoM Gen. VAUGHN.
How the Confederate SOIdie r looks up
on the SituatiOn---His Honesty and
Sincerity---EIe ImPIOres Peace---The
Experience of the Exile.

NEAR TOWNSVILLE, GA, August q
To the Editors Of the Union and american:
GENTLEIEN.-At my quiet home, near the
gulf. cannot be silent spectator of the great
changes that are transpiring at the n ational
Capitol, and at the Capitol of my native
State. Il claim Tennessee as my hOme)
regret to see so much bad feeling existing
among the citizens Of the United States.
1t looks now like we would soon be engaged
in a civil war. God forbid. Enough blood
has already been split, and enough strife and
hard faalings engendered between old
friends. After the surrender of the Confed-
crate armies | hoped the Union would be
restored, under the wise policy of our dis
tinguished statesman and President. When
we surrendered accepted the conditions of
the surrender, and determined to do
what was right. Notwithstanding all
our trouble and disasters, and my misfortunes
during the war, l am still an American
citizen-have no flag to rally under, only
that one Of the United States which |
marched under during the war in Mexico.
Some friends wished me to leave this gov
ernment and seek home on foreign soil, but
| preferred to remain and live citizen OF
this government, and share the fate OF my
friends, to going to any other country on the
globe If such men rs we fought generally
from the North, could have controlled this
government, to-day we would have been all
admitted back into the Union, and our affairs
moving much more smoothly. But party
| Is in power in Congress who never faced
an enemy's cannon or musket and they
| wish TO impose all the contumely and
disgrace on US that they can. Such men
| a. GRANT, SHERIDAN, BLAIR, and
| IL E,f,ohs tho Sputh-nD
| not ask US to surrender our rights, honor,
| and become equal with the negro race. And
| when this question is fairly put before the
| whole people, the policy of President JOHN
! son will be sustained. During the seige Of
! Vicksburg | commanded in front of Gen.
| FRANK BLAIR's lines, and | am glad that
| the man | surrendered TO Is now the friend
! of the South / did not return to Tennessee
after the surrender for several reasons. All
| the property had left there had been des-
| tcoyed and / had nothing to fall back on
| but bv labor and the condition of affairs in
| East Tennessee at that time did not point it
out as a place to make a support. knew,
| at the same time, that / would be annoyed
with law suits, and by men who were my
| enemies. During the late unhappy war l
| tried 10 do my duty to the cause l had
favored from principle | always treated
nv enemies kindly, tried TO obey all orders;
and / confess that some of them, oppressed
citizens Of East Tennessee, which l often did
not carry out strictly; but satisfied my COM
mandcrs.
I know many Federal officers, soldiers and
citizens in East Tennessee who Will sustain
me in saving that l always treated them
kindly Some soldiers on each side COM
mitted acts that were wrong-which CON-
mauders could not help-often committed
by men absent without leave. Any man
who knows the history Of East Tennessee,
knows we'll the bitter feelings between heI
citizens in days Of high political excitement
and that bitter feeling was still carried out
by many during the war. But all Is past
and cannot now be recalled, and all should
forget the past and become friends again
East Tennessee is the garden spot of the
world, and will soon recover from the
, ravages Of the war. There you find the
finest of land, timber and water. The noun
tains are filled with coal, lead, iron, o0pDcl
, and gold. No country has as tinewater powel
on the globe. Let her citizens shake hand
over the graves Of departed friends, and be-
comemore than common friends andmarch OF
/, 10 prosperity and happiness. am truly glad
10 hear from all sources that law and ordei
is being restored, and that unlawful acts ar,
now seldom committed, and when cemmit
ted. most Of the courts are prompt 20 punisl
o the heofieuders. / think during this fall anC
! aud winter that many good citizens from tn
Sauth will visit East Tennessee as well a
Middle. % purchase iarms-that will pa
81 better TO raise corn, wheat, etc, than IN
lands in Southern Georgia and Florida
Il S,,ch men should be encouraged, as they gen
4 erallv come with surplus capital. hop
he dav will soon come when all viii forgiv