Ephriam                                                                      Carthage Tenn, on the Cumberland

                                                                                    river 150 mile above Nashville

                                                                                                            March 8^th 1863

 

            Dear Brother

                                    Yours of Feb 1^st received from the hands of Tom. Our Fleet coming here consisted of 12 vessels. We are in a rich country & to beautify it the inhabitants are principally good loyalists. The country is filled with small bands of guerrilla whose business is murder & plunder. They are mostly villians while we have no cavelry & therefore we cant catch them. They have picked up 4 of our boys while on guard. This has been a their crossing place back & forward through Ky & Tenn & also a harboring place being a plentiful country.

 

            On the night of the 4 inst the Gipsies made a flying visit to Rome a Secesh village 7 mile below this. Early in the morning of the 5^th our boys went into the village by different ways & before the fellows had time to dress our boys captured one Capt one Lieut & 28 men 25 horses & mules $3000 in goods & destroyed 8 boats. Also a big rifle 7 1/3 feet long, barrel 1 3/4 inches in diameter weighing 40 pounds. No loss to us. We have frequent skirmishes with them but as yet no loss except the L above named. This morning a forageing train of 17 waggons & 40 men as guard went out About noon firing was heard in the direction they went. soon after the waggon master came in with the inteligence they were attacked & probably all captured Tom was with the squad but by strategy & good running he managed to get into camp. He purchased 10 lb of good butter & put in a waggon which will be a good repast for the rebs to night./

 

            We have not had any particulars of the result.—The result is known.—I am exited—mad—they have gotten our train & all our boys except one they left seriously wounded. Our boys were overpowered by a superior force of 150 497 cavalry in ambush Savages—cowardly villians wont meet us in a fight. Accursed damnable traitors made our boys take off their hats & coats march through town bare-headed.—consequence to the Reg a shame.—Bad management some where. For it is well known the woods is full of guerrilla & from the hill tops see every movement we make. Yes they can get on the hill tops & count every tent & waggon in our camp. Then to think of sending out a train & 40 or 50 men for them to capture—silly.—One of the prisoners taken at Rome feighened lameness & was permitted to select a horse to ride (from those we captured.) while our boys who had marched all night were fatiegued lame & hungry could walk. Soon nearing our camp he wheeled his fast horse & ran away laughing at our greenness.

 

            One of our Co B. Sawyer a man of good judgment before going out this morning said he would not breakfast with us but would sup with the rebs at night & wisely deposited his money watch & other valuables in the hands of a friend for safety till he would return. He is now a prisoner enduring the insults taunts & sneers of traitor dogs who are wearing his coat & boots.

 

            You say that our boys say that we are down on the war—I say blankly it is not so—tis untrue & there is no foundation whatever for saying so—

No sound patriotic loyal soldier says so or even for a moment thinks so. The true Soldier &/ patriot will stand by the stripes & stars till they are borne over every state war blemished & as free as the air on which it floats. True, & I am sorry to say, there were a few weak minded ignorant credulous persons who were ready to believe every oily tongued “peace maker” peace paper & peace letter” They came in contact with—while they would close their ears to the inteligent loyalists

 

            Half Secesh—no account—a nuisance—always grumbling & invariably go to the rear when there is any fighting to be done.—I am proud to say we have got rid of them, most of them have deserted.

 

            Before leaving Summerville we were flooded with Secesh papers letters &c &c, poisening the minds of the weak. I am glad to say we have got away from the poisining stuff which was floating from Ohio.

 

            Peace & harmony reigns & we are as patriotic as ever. From the time we arived at Louisville we had Louisville & Nashville papers which are as pure as diamonds consequently their purity have set to rights the weak & credulous. There is no “peace makers” here among the Tennesseans they are right or wrong for the government & its administration or against it. No slang such as fighting for niggers—black republicans—babboons &c &c I was talking to an inteligent Tenn whom I asked what affect the Presidents proclamation had on loyal Tenns?—replied puh—none at all—Our watch-word is crush rebellion at all hazzards first, then when that is done we will attend to trivial domestic matters. Gov Morton of Pa says those who complain & find fault with the Pres in such acts & at such a time are unsound in their loyalty to Our Government. Secesh papers from Ohio are beginning to find their way among us again. Would that I could have the desirable privilege of seeing them burnt as soon as they arive & their proprietors hung, the penalty of treason./

 

            We have rebs in arms in front of us & traitors under cover in our rear (“at home.”)

 

never mind bye & bye we will crush the rebs in front then we will attend to the rear according to their deserts. I do now & have for some time apprehended more danger in the rear to our Government than in front.

 

            Ah why should the brave true men of the Great army of the Union war—broken toilsworn & battle stained be left without sympathy or aid—Yea reviled & persecuted by thinking of Ohio now enjoying the blessings of peace careless of danger of invasion wars and terrors only because we your brothers & sons stand between your loved homes & wars dessolation.

 

            We are fighting for the Republic to it we have given our hearts our arms our lives. We intend to stand between you & the dessolating hosts of the rebels whose most cherished hope & desire has been & is to take possession of & ravage your own beautiful Ohio. Once already we have stood as a living wall between you & this fate & we may have to do it again. You know not what we have suffered. You know not how the hardships & sufferings of your soldiers in the chill tents their shelterless bivouacs their long weary marches & their battle thined ranks. On the 5^th inst I was on an outer guard post it snowed & blowed cold all day ceased snowing at night but still ice freezing cold while we have not the privilege of fire or even the pleasure of exercising to keep warm For we must lye hid or the “savages” will prowling round will shoot us           I got down between two huge rocks barely sufficient to admit me thinking there I would be warm but no that long & silent night our teeth chattered that delightful air which “despots” fear & hate “Yankee doodle”. If there be honesty & purity in human/ motives it must be found among your long enduring soldiers            Hear us & for your country’s sake if not for ours never think or speak of peace & compromise until the now empty terms mean The Republic as it was peacefully if it may be but forceably at all events—Peace makers say war & force cannot restore the Union                   What can?      

 

Whip them & confine them until “Acteon is devoured by his own dogs.” This is all that can be done & it must be done with the determined energy of a united & mighty people. Thus feel & think the soldiers of the great army of the United States. We ask you to stay support & uphold the hands of your soldiers & they will give them pissie here. If treason must run riot in the North keep it there insult not your soldiers by sending them the vile emanations of the traitors who are riding into office place & power over the ruins of the Government & making them their stepping stones Insult us not by letters speeches & papers which tell us we are “babboons” engaged as hirelings in an unholy Abolition war which make mob idols of the hour of those whose hypoc-/-ritical demagoguery takes shape in cowardly covert treason whose constant vocation is denunciation of their Government & its armed defenders.

 

            The army of the West is in terible earnest to change earnest to conquor & destroy armed rebels—earnest to meet force with force—earnest in its hearty determination of cowardly traitors at home—earnest in will & power to overcome all who desire the nations ruin.—We the soldiers in the field citizens at home potent in either capacity ask their fathers brethren & friends by their firesides & in their peaceful homes to hear & heed this appeal & to put an end to covert treason at home in my estimation now & for months past more dangerous to our national existence than the presence of armed hosts of misguided rebels in the field. We have rebels in front of us & traitors in our rear we will soon red them out in front Bye & bye we will attend to the rear if you dont—Not boasting—we are a gay & fearless Northern band We’ll whip them so neatly & so completely they will never try it again.—Some of the “peace makers” (“K. G. C.”) will die very sudenly when the soldiers get home. Soldiers are not scrupulously consciencious—We have the men & the means & we can do it—We will do it—it shall be done—I can never/ die in peace until it is done.—We will fight while there is a traitor to be found North or south. As regards the schemes of peace & in connection with that the seperation of the Northern States & the turning out of New England           This was part of the programme before the war commenced In Feb 1861 Vallandigham introduced a propposition to amend the Constitution.

 

            Proposing to divide the U. S. into 4 grand divisions Another section proposed that any one State could sesede without consulting the others. Vallandighams scheme was simply to enable South Carolina to secede according to the Constitution &c (“his Constitution”.) And yet that traitor was permitted to legislate in Congress for us a traitor before the war commenced

 

            Our boys that have returned from their imprisonment say the rebs all speak in the highest praise of their friend Vallandigham. His paper the Cin Enquirer is circulated freely among them. The Nashvill News Boys will cry here is your lively Enquirer. They go like hot cakes with the rebs.—

Traitors under the disguised name of peace makers—more properly speaking Copperheads or “K. G. C.” The exposition of which I left a few coppies with Sis when home spring last/

 

            There is none in or out of the army more opposed to fighting than I am in every sense of the term shape or form   But if nothing but a fight will do I am in & will pull trigger as hard as ever I can. Ever since I was old enough to exercise my judgement I have said I would not (never) fight unless my country was invaded by a foreign foe—Ah a worse than a foreign foe is here in our midst at our once peaceful firesides the Family Circle traitors—kill them—shoot them—hang them—sweep them from off the face of the earth as unfit for the society of civilized man

 

            Our soldiers have gone through too many hardships & privations—have left to many of their comrades dead upon ensanguined battle fields—& have moisened too many hills & valleys with their own blood to think of any compromise with traitors at home or foes in the South except it be the compromise of a fully restored & unconditional Union of all the States & territories belonging to Our once prosperous & mightly Nation

 

            This we must & will have       There is but one opinion in regard to our national restoration & that opinion is expressed in the short creed of the soldier “The Union it must & shall be—/ preserved”       And to this every healthy Union man will say amen.—Here are the sentiments of a Tennessean soldier. I will give it in his own words as near as I can remember.—The Loyal men of this State look upon the black-hearted “Peace men, vs, K. G. C.” of the North with as much contempt as they do Jeff Davis & we think that the charges against them on the Great Recorders Book will be so great that “hells bitterest pangs will fail to inflict sufficient punishment upon them.” They had better watch out for a “Gray Fox” if they ever attempt to hold a “Peace Convention” within the lines of the Loyal Armies of the Union.—

 

I wish the people of the north knew what the soldiers of the Loyal army think of them.

 

The soldiers are well aware that there are thousands & thousands of men under the guise of “Democrats” who are closely allied with friends who plunged this country into a war “the end of which is not yet.”        These men are working with all the power in them to demoralize the Federal Army            But they will fail            The Legislatures of O. Pa. & Ill. may pass bills daily calling home their troops but the order will not be obeyed

 

We enlisted to conquor rebellion & kill traitors not only/ in the South but wherever we can find them

 

We didn’t take an oath to fight against traitors in the South alone—NO & we will willingly shoot down a traitor in the North wherever they go too far in their wicked schemes          They have gone far enough now & their infernal designs against Our Dear Union must be crushed            They may talk about the Federal Union Army being tired of war but they talk about a lie so base that Soldiers dont notice it  We are in the army & will remain in it until the American Union rests in peace triumphant over the rebellious States & traitors hanged whether North or South          Let them continue their abuse of our Noble Leaders but when the war is over they must answer to us for it.—We will make it a personal matter           We think the Legislatures of Pa. Ill. & O. had better ajourn & go home until the war is over they are making asses of themselves without any necessity.

Who’s fool enough to listen to their contempible arguments

 

            It is universally believed by all morally inteligent persons that our government was established by the interposition of an all wise Providence otherwise it could not have been gained from the mighty powers hurled against it          Sinner that I am I have more faith than to indulge one thought/

 

that the All Wise would now turn his back & suffer the basest of the bass to 139.

extinguish the brighest light on the face of the Globe.

 

            We will rule, right & the Almighty God is on our side, amen.

 

March 24^th 1863

                                                Since writing the above we have moved across the river & heavy duty so that I did not feel like writing in leisure moments

            Besides I have not been well for the last ten days; I am getting better think I will be able for duty again to morrow. Having leisure & ability I will continue the scroll.

 

            Although of old date it may be as acceptible to you as new

 

            Our boys (51 in number.) who were captured on the 8. inst under an illegal parole returned the 12. The officers were retained, & teamsters except 2 or 3 were retained to drive the teams & two Tennesseans which had joined us a few days before. I fear they will be murdered, if so & our troops advised of the fact they will pay dear for it. Villians so base as to strip captives of their clothing would do any thing. They striped our boys of their boots coats & hats./

 

            Who could not fight such dogs?

 

            And yet their allies in the North sympathise with them instead of us the friends of good government law & order.

            I was told by a Tennessean who is with us & I think reliable that Alabamans here last to hunt up loyalists year had bloodhounds to hunt down loyalists which caught & killed three women & two children while carrying food to their friends who were secreted in the mountains to evade the clutches of savages

And for what? because they were loyal to the best of governments!

 

            On last Sunday there was some rebel troops on the other side of the river prospecting our camp. Our guard formally saluted them by throwing a few shells over     

 

They sudenly withdrew & have not appeared since

 

            There is a possibility of us having a big battle here soon.

            My letters are free to all who may wish the reading thereof

            My love & good wishes to all enquiring & God speed the banishment of traitors every where.               E. A. Morrow.

SOURCES