The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-02-04
BLOODY-SHIRT PAPERS!
NUMBER XVI.

line OF men, wagons, artillery, NC,
was moving rapidly along the road
between Nashville and Pulaski, Ten
nessee. A short distance ahead of
this line, was another long line, SINH
larly composed, if we except the artil-
lery. The rain was beating down in
torrents, the mud ankle deep in places,
and the whole trip disagreeable. Along
toward dark the last of these lines
filed off of the road into an old field
and prepared to encamp for the night.
1t was most uninviting prospect and
we were not disposed to offer any serious
objection when we were ordered with
a detail of men to go to large resi-
dence, some distance across the fields,
and stand ''safe-guard'' for the night.
The lady of the house, with her chill
dren, expressed joy that they were to
be protected from any chance marau-
ders, for they had already had some
what exciting experience. More than
one ambulance had passed by the door
with its load Of suffering and bleeding
men. The roar Of guns had almost
come to be a familiar sound to the
good woman, and in response to our
query as to where her husband was,
she replied: HE started for Nash
vile this morning, in his own car
riage, with wounded Yankee officer,
who was shot in our front yard"
This was fine plantation, with COM
Portable surroundings, yet this family
seemed almost sick and tired of the
mortal existence In conversation
with the good woman we learned that
the people Of that country had seen
and heard a good deal Of war excite
ment, and were tired Of seeing soldiers
of any kind. She hoped the horrible
business would soon be. ended. The
people who had opposed the Yankees
had gone great ways toward convic-
ton that their leaders had horribly.
cruelty deceived them. Pleasant homes
had become desolate, and fine farms,
where men should have been at work
tilling the fields, were the scenes of
horrible death-struggles between great
bodies Of men. Instead of trying to
build up prosperity and establish peace
and JOY in every home, men sought
each others lives, and seemed to be
transformed into fends. This good
woman could see the picture in all its
horror, for the scenes had been
brought to her door, and she was en-
abled to contrast the two pictures of
peace and war; Here were her own
people, many of them affecting to be-
lieve that they were fighting for the
protection Of home, and here were
men who had come hundreds of miles
to shoot them, and were shooting
them, as well as getting shot. 1t was
hard to understand the picture, and
the conditions and circumstances that
produced it.
All along that hasty, nasty, muddy
march, the expressions of this plant
er's wife kept ringing in our ears
What was the use of all this horrible
business? The men we were pursu-
ing were nearly starved, and were liv-
ing more like wild beasts than men.
They were brave, to recklessness, or
rather to desperation, for their condi-
tion was desperate. With little to
eat, save parched corn, these brave
men kept up the uneven, desperate
contest until compelled to scatter and |
fly for their lives Distress was visi-
BILE everywhere, and in a country
which in times Of peace must have
been beautiful, and desirable to live
in. But now dead man was as COM
mon there as dead rat under ordina-
ry circumstances.
What was the use of all this? These
men in gray suits were brave men,
some of them religious men, perhaps
most Of them honest men-but all
Democrats. And that one word set
ties the cause of all the distress along
this Southern highway. When we
looked about US, and saw the suffering,
and desolation, and death, and asked
within our own mind the cause, the
word Democracy" would come up at
once in reply. The leaders of the
Democratic party South had precipi-
tated this horrible struggle rather
than submit to the laws of the land.
when those laws shut out, by their
natural working, the Democracy from
public place. The same party-though |
the wing of the party that is little
bolder and more manly-that retards
legislation and causes great public ex-
citement in these later days by at
tempting to force upon the people of
Ohio men who claim legislative recog-
milton through stuffed ballot-boxes
and clumsy forgeries. The same
meanness which places circle upon
the top of a figure seven, led those
Southern people into deadly and dis
astrous conflict. You know Demo-
cratic statesmen delight in the asser-
tion that Democratic principles are
observation-disclosures peable
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