Year: 1866

seen them on the picket INES ana IN the trench
es, throughout all seasons Of the year, in heat
and cold day and night, in storm and sunshine,


often without food fit to feed brutes, with not
enough of that, without half enough of fuel or
clothing or blankets, under the almost incessant
fire of shot and shell, without forage for trans


pOrtation and without transportation for forage,


scarce of ordinance stores, not supplied with


medicines for the hospital, all the time rolling
Syssyphian stone OF parapet, and traverse
and breastwork and bomb-proof, for the want
OF material for revettment, and for the want of
| tools to dig out and work up the indispensable
lines of defences. l have seen their manhood


worn by every variety of disease, and wounds in


the hospital wards. Starved half Naked rest
broken, have seen them summoned to stand
to or to storm the breach, and do it, filling
bitches and crater full of the assaiant' dead.
[ have seen their brigades blasted by the shock


Of mines, and rise from the debris and rubbish


to repel and conquer the storming enemy. l


have seen them bivouacked on the right of
Hatchers Run, and on the ever memorable
days of the 29th and 3lst of March last advance
first one, then two, then less than three brig


AIDES, on the Military and Boydton Plank Roads,


against taco corps, and fight them for hours, SO


stagger them, that they dared not follow the


retreat. | have seen them on the quick night
march to Church Crossings, and thence hurried
TO the Namozne, to Flat Creek, to Big Creek
| to Sailors Creek to the High Bridge, and to
| Farmville, marching and charging and charg-


ing and marching, and starving, but not sleep
| ing or stopping on the way, but to work Or to
| fight And / have seen them fire their last
| yollies at Appomattox and often times In


marches on picket, in the trenches, in camps
and in charges [ have seen them sad and almost


sink, but [ never saw their tears until their be-
loved commander-in-chie ordered them to sur
render their arms. Then they wept, and many


of them broke their trusty weapons! The
| blessed and ever glorious dead were not there


to surrender, and they are not here to defend


their memories from the taint of the reproach


of rebellion and treason. Alas! [ am alive and


here, and am bound, at every hazard to declare
that those men were no rebels, and no traitors
| Let whoever will swear that they were rebels
and traitors, will contradict the oath and ap-
peal to God on the Holy of Holes as high as
| Heaven throne, and swear that they were pure
patriots, loyal citizeIs, aceU tried and true sol
daers, b7dre, honest, decoted men, who proved


their faith in their principles by the deaths
which canonized them immortal heroes and


martyrs. No one shall inscribe the epitaphs
of rebellion and treason upon the tombs of their
dead, without my burning protest being uttered


against the foul and false PROCLAMATION And if
any wounds of the living are labelled with re-
| bellion and treason, | would tear away the in
fanny though the wounds should bleed unto
death. I'll suffer their names to he dishonored
and their glory to be talnished, and don't gain


say the reproach, may my tongue cleaye to the


roof Of my mouth; and if I suffer their orphans


to be outcasts for the want of sympathy, warm


ly outspoken and more warmly felt, may my
| right hand forget its cunning. Alas in these


times it has no cunning, for it has 10 coins


TOO am a beggar. | can beg, then, and do beg


like a Beiisarius, for them. Please give them


one obolus Have you a crunb to spare? Di-
vide it with them Have you comfort, give


them. | implore you, give them some Of your


abundance Their enemies who slew their


fathers, honor them enough to feed their poor


orphans! They won hurt yon for daring to


do deeds of charity. Many of them are brave


men, and the brave are always generous to the


brave. The orphan, the orphan of the poor,


the female orphan, the orphan fallen on evil


times, the Confederate soldiers orphan girl


child cry to you VIII you not heed their cries


and in some way help the helpless ones?