Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-02-06
STANTON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6,

seen them on the picket INES ana IN the trench
es, throughout all seasons Of the year, in heat
and cold day and night, in storm and sunshine,
often without food fit to feed brutes, with not
enough of that, without half enough of fuel or
clothing or blankets, under the almost incessant
fire of shot and shell, without forage for trans
pOrtation and without transportation for forage,
scarce of ordinance stores, not supplied with
medicines for the hospital, all the time rolling
Syssyphian stone OF parapet, and traverse
and breastwork and bomb-proof, for the want
OF material for revettment, and for the want of
| tools to dig out and work up the indispensable
lines of defences. l have seen their manhood
worn by every variety of disease, and wounds in
the hospital wards. Starved half Naked rest
broken, have seen them summoned to stand
to or to storm the breach, and do it, filling
bitches and crater full of the assaiant' dead.
[ have seen their brigades blasted by the shock
Of mines, and rise from the debris and rubbish
to repel and conquer the storming enemy. l
have seen them bivouacked on the right of
Hatchers Run, and on the ever memorable
days of the 29th and 3lst of March last advance
first one, then two, then less than three brig
AIDES, on the Military and Boydton Plank Roads,
against taco corps, and fight them for hours, SO
stagger them, that they dared not follow the
retreat. | have seen them on the quick night
march to Church Crossings, and thence hurried
TO the Namozne, to Flat Creek, to Big Creek
| to Sailors Creek to the High Bridge, and to
| Farmville, marching and charging and charg-
ing and marching, and starving, but not sleep
| ing or stopping on the way, but to work Or to
| fight And / have seen them fire their last
| yollies at Appomattox and often times In
marches on picket, in the trenches, in camps
and in charges [ have seen them sad and almost
sink, but [ never saw their tears until their be-
loved commander-in-chie ordered them to sur
render their arms. Then they wept, and many
of them broke their trusty weapons! The
| blessed and ever glorious dead were not there
to surrender, and they are not here to defend
their memories from the taint of the reproach
of rebellion and treason. Alas! [ am alive and
here, and am bound, at every hazard to declare
that those men were no rebels, and no traitors
| Let whoever will swear that they were rebels
and traitors, will contradict the oath and ap-
peal to God on the Holy of Holes as high as
| Heaven throne, and swear that they were pure
patriots, loyal citizeIs, aceU tried and true sol
daers, b7dre, honest, decoted men, who proved
their faith in their principles by the deaths
which canonized them immortal heroes and
martyrs. No one shall inscribe the epitaphs
of rebellion and treason upon the tombs of their
dead, without my burning protest being uttered
against the foul and false PROCLAMATION And if
any wounds of the living are labelled with re-
| bellion and treason, | would tear away the in
fanny though the wounds should bleed unto
death. I'll suffer their names to he dishonored
and their glory to be talnished, and don't gain
say the reproach, may my tongue cleaye to the
roof Of my mouth; and if I suffer their orphans
to be outcasts for the want of sympathy, warm
ly outspoken and more warmly felt, may my
| right hand forget its cunning. Alas in these
times it has no cunning, for it has 10 coins
TOO am a beggar. | can beg, then, and do beg
like a Beiisarius, for them. Please give them
one obolus Have you a crunb to spare? Di-
vide it with them Have you comfort, give
them. | implore you, give them some Of your
abundance Their enemies who slew their
fathers, honor them enough to feed their poor
orphans! They won hurt yon for daring to
do deeds of charity. Many of them are brave
men, and the brave are always generous to the
brave. The orphan, the orphan of the poor,
the female orphan, the orphan fallen on evil
times, the Confederate soldiers orphan girl
child cry to you VIII you not heed their cries
and in some way help the helpless ones?