Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-24
MIssIves Written MID Roar
( Of Cannon 10 Bloody
Civil War.

NDER the secrecy preserving
caption Of 1.-THE Love Letters
q Confederate General" q r.
markable series Of communi-
cations sent BY Z soldier to his beloved.
under the most dangerous and des-
perate NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. written
from the thick Of war. ringing OF love
and Of valor-has been running In the
Pictorial Review. The letters have
stirred up controversy that has run
with particular zest through the south
ern states. and now that the last of
them u about to be printed the woman
to whom they were written has con-
scented that the anonymity be destroy
ed. They were written by General
George Pickett to the girl who was
first LaSalle Corbell. afterward Mrs.
Pickett.
Mrs. Pickett Is now living in Wash
ington and has been the leader Of the
southern coterie there for many years.
The little general" to whom the let
tiers refer came in after years to be
major in the United States army and
died q year and half ago. returning
from service in the Philippines. His
two little Sons now live with their dis
tinguished grandmother in Washing
ton.
Allegiance to the South.
In the first one Of the series Gen.
eral Pickett tells why his allegiance
went to the Confederacy. He writes:
go No. my child had no conception
10 ~ 49, hA
and hatred toward those who were 80
lately our friends and are now our enc
mics. !, Of course. have always strenu-
ously opposed disunion. not az doubling
the right Of secession. which was taught
in our textbooks at West Point. but ~
gravely questioning it, expediency. be-
lieved that the evolutionary spirit which
infected both north and south was but q
passing phase OF fanaticism which would
perish under tho rebuke Of all good citi-
zens who would surely unite In upholding
the constitution. but when that great as
judges. chancellors. statesmen. mostly
white haired men OF thought. met in South
Carolina, and when their districts were
called crept noiselessly to the table in tho
center Of the room and affixed their sig
natures to the parchment on which the
ordinance of secession was inscribed. and
when In deathly silence. in spite Of the
gathered multitude. General Jamison arose
ana without preamble read. The ordi-
nance Of secession has been signed and
ratified: proclaim the state Of South Car
DINA an independent sovereignty" and.
lastly when my old boyhood friend called
for An Invasion. y was evident that both
the advocates and opponents Of secession
had read the nortenta Alright
You know. my little lady. some Of those
crcss stitched mottoes on the cardboard
samplers which used to hang on my riurs-
cry wall such - HE who provides not
for his own household 10 worse than an
infidel.'' Charity begins 1t home" etc.
made lasting impression upon me. and.
while love my neighbor-that u. my
stats-more. and could not be an infldel
ana lift my sword against my own kith
ana kin even thought do believe. my most
wise little counselor and conhdant. that
the measure Of American greatness can
be achieved only under one flag. and
either Of US the true spirit Of national
unity. whether divided and under two
flags or united under one.
The subject is pursued in a later let
ter, which runs:
Why. Chulita mia, all that We ask II =
separation from people Of contendins In
terests. who love US a. a nation as little
AZ we love them: the dissolution Of q un-
ion that has lost its holiness. to be let
alone OUO peIulttSU 70 SIT uHQeT OUT own
vine ana Nc tree and eat our fss peeled
or dried or fresh or picked. just as We
choose. The enemy is our enemy be-
cause he neither knows nor understands
us and yet will not let US part In peace
and be neighbors. but insists on fighting us
TO make u one with him. forgetting that
both slavery and secession were his own
Institutions. The north Is lighting for the
Union and we for home and freside. All
the men know and love In the world
ct
south-are exposed to hardships and dam
gers and are fighting on one side or tho
other and each for that which he knows
to be right. -
VIII you come my darling. and have
some coffee with your soldier? 1t is some
we captured, and 1t Is real coffee. Come!
The tin cup is clean and shining. but tho
corn bread Is greasy and smoked. And the
bacon-that is greasy. too. but 1t Is good
and tastes all right II 1t will only hold
out till our stars and bars wave over our
land Of the free and our home of the
brave and we have our own home. New
ermore we'll hear Of wars. but only love
and life with its eternal joys.
On the night before General Pickett
was wounded ut Gaines Mills he wrote
the following note:
- This was never contemplated in
earnest. believe that II either the north
or the south had expected that Its diff
ferences would result in this obstinate.
cruel war the cold blooded Puritan and
the cock hated Huguenot and cavalier
would have made q compromise Poor old
Virginia came oftener than Noahs dove
with her olive branch. Though she de-
sired to b loyal to the Union Of states.
she did not believe In the right OF coer-
cion. and when called upon to furnish
troops to restrain her sister states she re-
fused and would not even permit the pas
sage OF An arnied force through her do
main for that purpose With no thought
Of cost. no consideration OF disparity of
relative strength or condition. she rolled
up her sleeves. ready to risk all In defense
Of principle consecrated by the blood OF
her fathers. And now. alas 1t is too late!
We must carry through this bitter task
unto the end. May the end be soon
Begged For Immediate Marriage.
In April, 1863. General Pickett. 20
distraught with the fear that death In
battle would overtake him before he
could make Little Miss Sallie" his
Uifc wrote her tn come to him at once