The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-03-14
PAST is FORGOTTEN.
Southern People are Cordial Toward
N0rthernerS.


81. D. Burnett has received the fol- |
lowing interesting letter:
Athens, Alabama, Feb. 26, 1902.
Comrade 81. D. Burnett
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 21st
to Mr.. Alex Erickson was handed to
me by himself, he saying as he did so,
''You can answer that letter better
than for you were one Of the ranks,
and you know the feelings of the
Southern people toward the union
soldier better than l." And now,
comrade, taking that as fact, I shall
be glad to disabuse your mind in re-
gard to the southern people. I was in
the same boat that you are in. 1t was
told, and believed it, too, that the
south was so sore over the result of
that big family quarrel that they
hated the northern man with deadly
hate. I am one of those who came in
here in 1862 under O. M. Mitchell and
belonged to the same division that the
10Th Ill. that was commanded by Col.
Turchin, who shut his eyes for two
hours, while the 10Th sacked the town.
1t would be supposed that if there
could be any feeling here, it would
be for the command that done them
the greatest harm. While they, to say
the least, do not love the 18th no
adore their Col Turchin, they do
show themselves. by their words and
more plainly by their actions, that
they are my friends in the fullest sense
of the term. You people are just as I
was; you don't know the southern
people only by hearsay and it is the
same with the south. They do not
know the north. The people here are
just..as loyal to the old flag today as
you OF, l. The old Johnnies who faced
you and from the Ohio to the sea are
| the very best friends here today. II
you should see us together and not
have learned on which side we had
! fought, you would think that we were
al. true blue, and so we are. We ARE
all free born American citizens and as
proud of our country as we are loya
to It. True, they have their reunions,
where they have their camp fire talks
. and where they meet and clasp glad
hands, and what brave man would
deny them the pleasure of claspine
hands with those who stood shoulde,
to shoulder with them in the time
that tried their souls and knit thei
hearts together in bond of eterna
love. It does not make any difference
what the merit of the cause may hav
been, the hardship and the suffering
were the same; and the comrade jus
as dear. AS to health this is yer,
healthy country. Water is of the best
pure and soft We have in winte
some cold weather, but you would sa
3 as : do, when told that it is very cold
3 ooh, this is not SO cold, it's only jus
nice working weather. will So
3 to you that we have some times, an
| UulS WlutoI, ZcIO WooOuOI, pu0 INV w
are sowing oats and making garden
Last year potatoes were planted an
much garden made by the 10th of Eel
M ruary; stock can live here withou
feeding in the winter, but 1t would b
: the contrary to your faith and mine
keep stock of any kind that way
Feed can be grown so easily and
+ cheap that in my mind there are nor
:. others than those who are born tired
u who will not raise feed for their stool
. 1 would say to all of you who wal
u good, cheap homes or cheap land
u make such homes, to come to IL
:, L sunny south where you can find ju
Il what you need. We can grow tV
, crops of potatoes or beans on the san
~ land, or oats first, then potatoes Il
y same season.
II Yours,
& s. A. LINTON,
r Late Company I, 21st o. V. I.