Year: 1863




We have repeatedly published letters
from relatives at home to soldiers in the
army desiring them to desert, and de-
nouncing the war, aud in nearly every
case the letters have been sent US by the
soldiers themselves, or with their assent,
thus exhibiting a depth of devotion to
the cause that must. command the admi-
ration of all loyal men, But sometimes
these letters produce the effect desired
and the men, either wearied by long SER
vice or depraved by long contact at home
with improper influences, yield and re-
spond in language as disloyal as that
addressed to them. We have batch of
such letters, which we propose to give
our readers. They will tell their own
story of the disloyalty so widely spread
by such sheets as tie Sentinel, and such
men as Cobb and Hendricks, among
their credulous partisans.


The following letter was written by
soldier in the 54th regiment, whose name
we have:


"I am tired of this war, and don't
want to fire another gun at the Southern
ers, and don't want them to shoot at





every regiment, and the rest are Demo-
Gratis They are all willing to throw
down their arms and go home, and if
that won't do, they are willing to take
their arms and fight their way home;
that is what they all say. | think the
Democrats have got their eyes open, and
l think that you will have some fighting
to Go at home before long, if this war is
not settled soon"


How we'll this corrupted soldier esti-
mates the feelings of his comrades may
be guessed by what we have published
heretofore. He, as the gentleman who
sent the letter for publication states, was
an Unconditional Union man when he
entered the army, but has been corrupted
by the K G. IS, of whom large and
bold organization exists in the neighbor-
hood where he lived.


By what sort of means the change
wrought in the writer of the above letter
was made, may be judged by the follow
ing:


"Dear friend it is the first opportunity
that | have taken to write you a few
lines, to let you know that am well at
this time, and hoping that these few
lines may find you enjoying the same
health, and l expect to try and tell you
how things is going on here at this time.


1t is generally believed that this is a
war to free negroes When l look
around and see and hear men Icing and
pursuading men to go and fight for the
, Union, and then as soon as they get all
the men they want, they then commence
ed trying to do what the black party
said they would do, many years before
they came in power, trying to abolish
slavery, and by so doing laid aside the
Constitution, broke down the Union and
destroyed the best government that ever
was formed. You was not sworn to
fight for old Abe nor any of the rest OF
the negro thieves. Abolition party that
has destroyed the peace and happiness OF
A. beloved country now | safe | do be-
lieve that all the black party ought to be
hurled down into everlasting darkness
into the bottomless pit if had A went
to the war when you did Just so soon as
old Abe come out with his cursed procla-
nation | would have said that | was not
sworn to protect negro stealing and |
would have tried to come home for | do
believe that the boys would be protected
that went from this settlement if they
was to come here. am of the same
opinion that you was when you was here
= Let all your friends see
letter. A. G. STEPHENSON to


Isaie Jones'


Another illustration of the effects oi
the K. 6. C.'s, is seen in the following
letter from paroled prisoner of the $50
regiment, who very distinctly declares
that he means to stay at home, and is a
member of the K G. G:


VIENNA SCOTT Co Ind Feby the lst '63


Dear friendi take the time to rite tc
| you again to let you know that am well
at this time and hope the same to you
| have rote so much and have received nc
answer that have got tired and shal
quit you all know by this time how.
came home was left on the road with
my wagon broke and before got up
was captured and paroled, and come
home and this is the 3 letter have rote
to you, to tell you that was going to
stay at home. now belong to the golden
circle and we all oppose incons admins
tration and oppose giving another man
or cent more money to put down this
cussed war and the men of the state oi
Ind will protect any soldier from going
back when he CONS home, for they say ii
is nothing but adamned abolition war
and they don't want the boys of the state