The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-05-17
Our Weekly Campfire.

A subscriber, at Madison, Wis, who writes
to inquire whether it is possible to obtain a
complete file of THE TRIBUNE for the State
Historical Society, remarks, in the course of
his letter, that the war sketches in The
TRIBUNE have too much historic value to
be lost. They are correct and reliable, be-
cause written by eyewitness who have no
selfish interest to serve and who content
themselves with simply stating facts-a
thing that can be said of very few modern
historians" There is large measure of
truth in this observation, as any one can see
for himself by referring to the soldiers let
tiers printed in the present issue. There is
probably not a battle, engagement or skir-
mish that occurred during the entire war, of
which there is not some survivor among our
fifty thousand subscribers, and scarcely a
day goes by in which we do not receive some
interesting personal narrative in regard to
events of historic importance, the publica-
ton of which naturally has the effect of
drawing out criticisms and "reminiscences
from fresh sources. Many incidents over
looked by the historians are thus brought
to light, and not infrequently new signif-
canoe is impaired to military movements,
the true character of which would otherwise
remain yelled in obscurity.
The fact is, that while we have in the va
rious histories prepared by professional mill
tary writers trustworthy record of the
campaigns of the civil war, regarded from the
officers standpoint, the story of the struggle
as the private soldier saw it, is now being
given to the public for the first time through
the columns of THE TRIBUNE, and it can
not. be otherwise than that the individual
experiences and impressions there described
viii at some future time furnish the mate
rails for new, juster and more comprehen-
sive narrative of our great American con-
fict. 1t is certainly highly desirable that
while SO large proportion of the partici-
pants in the war of the rebellion are still
alive, the pages of history should be purged,
SO far as possible, of errors, and this can best
be effected by means of such discussions of
military operations as those which are now
going ON in our columns.
In another respect, also these contribu-
tions to the unwritten history of the war
serve an excellent purpose. An Ohio COM
rade writes US that he shall ever feel CRATE
ful" to THE TRIBUNE for publishing his
account Of certain engagement, since it
brought him letters from many of his old
comrades of whose whereabouts he was in
Ignorance, including his old brigade COM
mander, and this is only one of hundreds of
similar cases. The page of THE TRIBUNE
which is devoted to the publication of these
personal "reminiscences may be fifty COM
pared, indeed, to monster Campfire, around
which fifty thousand veterans gather every
week to compare experiences and exchange
fraternal greetings. And to this feast of
reason and flow of soul THE TRIBUNE in
vites all who will to contribute. Numerous
as have been the story-tellers, they comprise
but small proportion of those who are ca
pable of furnishing entertainment and in
struction for this weekly assemblage of
veterans, and the columns of THE TRIBUNE
are always open for the publication of their
letters.