Year: 1864

Having enjoyed for two brief weeks a
rest and respite from fighting, marching
and dodging rebel bullets, which have
fully occupied their time, day and night
since the opening of the campaign on the
Sd of May last, the Oath is again under
orders to march at moments notice, and
are lying on their arms in the open field
in the rear of the 9th Corps line Of works
before the defenses Of Petersburg. And
although this short two weeks has been
rest and real relief indeed, the time has
been spent in the entertainments, and in
the performance of picket duty requiring
oue-balf Of the whole number of men
present. 1t has been quiet nevertheless,
and has afforded the first and only oppor-
turity thus far for comparing notes, sqaur-
ing up accounts and drawing in the un-
wonted luxury of one, long, free breath.
The regiment now, or should rather say
did, from the lst inst, until yesterday, oc-
cupy position in the works on the left of
our army operating against Petersburg,
near the Suffolk railroad, facing south
ward and protecting the left flank. The
baggage wagons were ordered to the front,
and the position being out of range both
of sharpshooters and artilerists were al
lowed TO remain with the troops Till yes
ierday, when by the order directing the
men 10 pack up and report to certain To-
cality and there to await further orders,
the wagons were sent back into park of
general train, 9TH Corps near City Point.
Aud here, leaving them in anxious sus-
pense as to their destination, let us reca-
pitulate events and conditions since the
opening of the spring campaign SO far as
concerns our regiment. As for the great
events, the obstinacy Of the enemy and
per,inacious pounding of our noble army,
the long campaign and the still longer de-
layed accomplishment of the end aimed
at, the "rebellious recruiting bill in It's
shameful though legitimate results seen
in the pitiful barter, higgliug and scram-
bling for recruits in other States to fill
quotas that should long ago have been
ready and those more than full of strong
arms from whose tongues are loudest in
loyalty, whose hearts are professedly in the
war for the Union, but not really so, since
they do not and will not prove their pro-
fessions by their works-all these things
and more than can enumerate, must re-
main for the present with the hearts and
in the minds of every true man and pat
riot in the land, as trust they will, and
that some new plan and radical change in
the old may be decided upon TO bring or
der out of chaos, and peace and union to
the country. In the almost unbounded
confidence and charity with which the peo-
pie have both endured the hardships of
war are overlooked and remain silent un-
der the malignant party spite and denun-
Citations they have been subjected to, we
have seen how much they, the people,
and not the mere politicians,
love their country, and how much they
are ready and willing to do and suffer for
its preservation. There must be some
change in the administration and conduct
of the war, if not in the administration
itself; of this let the people be assured,
or they may be, and that, too, at no dis
tant day, real, fully recognized division
and separation OF the United States of
America; not ignobly assented to by the
north, but won by hard resistance to the
Union by armed and unconquered re-
bellion. This view we ought to take and
keep in mind, that hard and long cam
paigns are yet TO be carried on before the
military power Of our enemy is crushed
and destroyed, and in this view il is to be
hoped that those whose voice is still for
war to the bitter end, will see the neces-
sity of backing up their words with their
trained and uniformed bodies, and Of WELD
ing knock down arguments with strong
and stalwart arms against the ranks of the
enemies Of the country instead Of raising
false cries Of disloyalty against the only
true friends Of the Union, Of progress and
humanity. Let the people consider well
the facts Of the case; compare the his
tory OF the past and the condition Of the
present with the oft-rcpeated promises
and prophesios Of those false prophets