The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-08-01
THE TWO ARMIES.
Desertions aud Methods OF Recruiting North and
South.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I wonder If
our countrymen of to-day can form any con-
ception of the awful grandeur of the move
ment which characterized the hitherto inert
public sentiment which had rested or tried to
rest content with ga little more sleep. little
more slumber" ofcoDscence, trusting to compro-
mise, trusting to chance or luck, hoping for all
good while supinely condoning all evil. Inc
flash of the guns of Sumter, the dreary news oil
It's fall, the hauling down and dissertation OF
our National flag, the intense humiliation
which every man worthy of the name of Ameri-
can citizen felt to his hearts core, the call for
troops, the overwhelming response, tho cease
less tramp of armed men (the very best oil our
nobost YOUTH TO the front-volunteers truly;
no thought but for their country threatened
by traitors, caring nothing for glory, hating
war, only anxious for "a triumphant peace en-
bracing tho whole of our Union, and longing
for the time TO como when all might go BACK
to their homes and occupations, and there re-
sumo the simple habits of their former lives.
/ desire to contrast these men with the men
of the rebel South. Tell me- comrade, did you
ever know one Of your company or regiment
to desert to the onemy2 Did You have to put
especially picked men on the picket-line TO
prevent your comrades from going over to the
rebels7 Did you ever know of q whole picket
post of our boys deserving to the foe2 When
our boys took French leave they went home
a good many of them, it is true; but great
many came back voluntarily. There may have
been such assertions from our army, but In
nearly four and half years of service the
writer cannot recall a single instance which
came under his observation of such deserti0n
TO the enemy from our ranks, nor has he on
inquiry been able TO hear of any. But did any
officer or man ever dream of taking precaution
against such possibility
How was it with the rebels7 In the official
report of the Provost Marshal General, Army
of the Cumberland for four years, he gives the
total assertions from tho enemy to that one
army alone as over "a .000-6,000a year. Think
of 1t. How many passed around our army TO
their homes or the North no ono can say. |
have data as to other armies, but it is fair TO
assume that rebel assertions were ut least COM
mon all along the line. Now, this had n rea-
son. What was itP
/ suppose no one who saw much service dur
ing the late war can fail to remember the fay-
orite saying Of rebel prisoners and deserters
alike that this is rich mans quarrel aud a
poor mans fight" / have heard this hundreds
Of times in the mouths of rebel soldiers, and
this in spite Of the claim that the South arose
as one man." that there was practical unan-
unity among their people. Somehow it seems
that in front OF one army alone there were over
$4,000 protestants against this theory men who
simply begged TO be counted out, and in tho
only way open to them voted nay.
They had a neat and effective way OF re-
cruiting down South.
One little instance aud / am done: After
the enemy had fallen back from New Hope
Church, on the Atlanta campaign. my regiment
was on picket at the church Ia sorry looking
church itw was, tool. Looking down the road saw
hat put on the end of a stick waving near a big
tree, and on calling TO the owner there stepped
out one of those well. known butternutted, long,
laDk, lazy citizens Of the Sunny South of the
class called poor white trash" Now for
his account Of how he happened 10 be there:
" | was q chopin, and n lot of men on boss
critters come along and just materially tux me
along with EN-. They didn't Let me 20 home
nuther, but one OF them tied me by the wrist
10 long rope, and there was maybe, a hundred
moro tied up, too, 10 the rope, and they just
made us git right along"
They were put into ZOO Johnston's army.
The old fellow claimed to be Union man, so
i asked him If he shot at our men when in the
ranks: Wall, I" he said at fust shot up high
80 couldn't hurt nobody less no was mp tree,
but an officer put his pistol to my head and
swore be would blow my 49, brains out III
didn't shoot low; and then, you know" hecou-
tinued, 1t is sort Of material when a fellow
shoots at you 10 shoot back" He had been ak
weeks away from homesand ] suppose was al
lowed TO 20 back to it. The slave-driyers thus
obtained their volunteers God save the
mark land my Union man from Tennessee
mentioned above, was a typo merely of vast
mass of the rebel army who, in tho Southern
view, were Struggling against tho vandal In.
vaders for their rights as frcomcn."-H. LIAM.
ING, 10th Ind, Lafayette, Ind.