Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-10-17


CINCINNATI, Feb. 10, 1868. J
Gov. Chase-My Dear Sir:
IwrOte you somewhat fantastic let
ter the other day. But that l suppose
is not now strange. l write this MORN
Ing TO send you copy Of u private let
ter hare from our army in front Of
Yicksburg. 1t is from close OBJ.
server, who endeayOrs to tell the
truth.
There never was a more thoroughly
Disguised, dlsheartened, demOralized
army thnn this is, and all because it
is under such men as Grant and Sher
man. Disease is decimating its ranks,
and while hundreds Of poor fellows
are dying from smallpox and every
other conceivable malady, the Medical
Department is afflicted with delirium
tremens. In Memphis, smallpox pa
tients are made to walk through the
streets from camps TO hospitals, while
drunken doctors ride from bar-rOOms
to whOre.hOuses in Government ambu-
lances.
How is it that Grant, who was be.
hind at TT. Henry, drunk at DOneIsOR,
surprised and whipped at Shiloh, aud
driven back from Oxford, Miss, is still
in command!
g9v.Chase, these things are true. Our
noble Army Of the Mississippi is being
wasted by foolish, drunken, stupid
Grant. He can't organize or control
or fight an army. l have no personal
feeling about it, but know he is an
ass.
There is not among the whole list
Of retired Major.Generals a man who
is not Grants superior. Mcclellan,
Fremont, Mcdowell, Burnside, Frank
lin, even Pope or Sumner, would bC
an improvement upon the present COM
mander of the Army of the Mississippi.
viii you wake up some Of these days
and find we have no Army of the Mis-
sisslppi9
Then, there is awful discOuragemen'
at the way the foolish old Hunter, wht
is thought to be a great man, because
he is not insane in his prejudices OF
the negro question, is doing. In GOd''
name, what is he waiting for! More re
infOrcements! Pity he can't die ant
get out of the way as Mitchell did,
But to stop this sort of growing. an
come to something more practical. Th'
army West and East is being weakened
hourly by desertiOns. 1t Is the great
est evil. The thing needful to stop i
is for the President to give each com
mander OF departments power to shoe
deserters! They must be shot by tn
dozen. The Presidents weak, pulling
piddling humanitarianism Is death an
he'll to the army. Can't you take hin
by the throat and knock his hea,
against wall until he is brought t
his senses ON the war business? / d.
not speak WantOnly when I say ther
are persons who would feel that it wa
doing God service to kill him, il i
were not feared that Hamlin is a big
ger fool than he is.
And yet the pitiful Congress twad
dies weekly in private caucus abOu
political matters, as if little NOR
niger would do every thing. VIII,
don't they pass your finance measur
and the cOnscript act, and mind thei
own business9 The proclamation is
positive nuisance to every truly loya
man in the West. 1t is q weapon il
the hands Of tho Rutternuts. If it i
made a party test Vallandiglam woul
be elected Governor Of Ohio. Do 40
think 1 am talking at random Alas!
know what 1 am talking about. Wha
is wanted:
IA General for our Army of tn
Mississippi.
2. Deserters shot by order of com
manders of departments.
8. Less dependence upon the niggel
and more on the white man.
4. The consolidation Of the fragment
of regiments.
5. Arrest and try Henry May an
Wendell Phillips for treason.
6. Suppress the New York Tribun
and New York World.
NJ. HALSTEAD.
eNS-