Year: 1863

W: W. Holden, Esq.,: 49,


DEAR SIR:-I have been travelling about q good
qeal recently, and in almost every town and village
l SUop at see stout able-bodied men with stripes
on Lneir trowsers gold lace on their sleeves stars
anu oars on their collars and any quantity Of brass
buttons on their coats Some are booted and spur
reu' otners haye plumes in their beavers and all
are IAt sieeA and hearty-looking Some are Colo
neis' some MAJORS, some Captains some Lieuten-
anus, WltAhere and there a Quartermaster- or
nearly all original secessionists or the sons and
nePhews of the original panel l have several
times asked What does it mean that so many of.
fcers are absent from the army p The reply is.
they are at home on sick furlough." But w6y is
it that so many officers sick, and some of them
so often F? Every few months the same officers are
to be seen at home, and while here they are we'll
enough to dash about over the country, on their
fine horses and in their buggies, dance attendance
on the ladies' lounge about the streets Of the villa
ges, smoke fine cigars and drink their full share of
bald lace and new applejack, and curse and swear
at poor private if they chance to one at home,
and say that he ought to be punished for being ab-
sent from his post If the reader of this will 60 to
one OF the fashionable watering places, will ven
ture to predict that he will find considerable pOr
ton OF the visitors to be &" gentlemen in uniform
and of elegant leisure" Go with me- if you please,
into one OF our country villages-take your seat in
the piazza of the hotel the counter of the post
office, or IN front of the Bank-look about you
whom do you see? There goes a fine looking Off
Ger with portly mein, cooked hat savage NOUS
tache and staggering air, discoursing fuently on
the beauties OF secession and the treason of Con-
servatlVes. He is Gen. A., of the Western army,
and is at home on sick furlough: There goes
other hale, hearty looking officer, the same one
sa" mere three or four months ago; his step is
elastic and his color fresh and rosy he has stars
on his collar and gold lace all over his coat Ihave
seen him every day since have been in town-he
looks, and walks and talks as well as any body; he
is Col B., at home on sick furlough, and belongs
to the army of the East There, too, goes Major
Q, Capt d, Quartermaster E, Surgeon F, &c, &c,
all, all at home sick furlough and some of them
have been at home two or three times within the
last five or six months. 1t really looks like this
business of being an officer is very sickly trade,
and although | am no doctor, will venture to ad-
wise these gentlemen who are so much and so often
afflicted with chronic darrhoea and incurable rheu
matism, to throw up their commissions, leave their
sickly situations and enter the ranks privates,
1t Will be good for their StomachS sake to do SO
it will prevent their coming home so often, keep
them from making themselves sicker by eating
nicknacks and easting the fat of the land, and,
in fact, will regulate their bowels generally:


Reader, ask you in all seriousness to look about
you and see if have over-drawn the picture. How
many army officers are there now in your county
How many of them have been at home two or three
times in as many months? Howlong do they re-
main when they come? Ten or fifteen days like
the privates for five or six weeks longer if they
choose? What are they doing while at home
riding about and taking their pleasure or loungng
about the streets drinking bad whiskey, smoking
segars, and talking politics? Or are they 0OnGfde
taking of themselves and endeaVoring to recruit
their health?


The writer of this was most bitterly opposed to
the commencement of this war; he thought it un-
necessary, uncalled for, inhuman. 1t was inaugu-
rated by the politicians and not by the people, but
10 is too late for to inquire into the causes
which produced it; we are in and must get out the
best way can. We desire peace if it can be had
on honorable terms to the South. The best way
to secure such peace is for every soldier to be at
his post ready to battle for his country Let then,
every deserter forthwith return to duty and let the
officers set them the example, and while they are
thus ready, with their on, to fight for peace
let civilians be consulting together and trying
to devise ways and means to secure to our suffering
country an honorable adjustment of the pending
struggle which will bless the whole nation andter-
inmate this awful carnage which is fast despoing
America of her beautiful proportions and will, IN
the end, make her too contemplate to be allowed
place among the recognized nations Of the earth.


Yours, truly, ClflS.


August 2Gth, 1863.