Camp near White Oak church. Feb 10

 

Dear Brother Al

                        Your letter of the 4^th inst came this morning and I will answer it immediately as time is plenty now & nothing to hinder. Thank providence the mud is so thick that they cant drag us out to drill now. We did have some snow but it is all gone now & the going is verry bad. Our weather down here is changable. One day cold & the next suny & slopy. We have as comfortable quarters as can be made of shelter tents & mud but hardly what can be called winter quarters So you folks think that we are demoralised do you. Well I cant say I differ much with you on that. What is the cause of this you know as well as me. You talk of semi- / -loyal officers & about Gen Hookers intentions of suppressing such feelings. They & all of us of course were sworn to support the constitution & if they attempt to do anything else they will lay themselves liable to be punished But whilst they are thus bound to support the constitution how can they be deprived of the right of free thought which it secures to every citazen. What is to be the test of loyalty I wonder. It cannot be the constitution for no one pretendes to deny the binding authority of it Perhaps some of the officers & soldiers may differ in opinion with the President & the radicals as to whether twenty two milions of free white men are able to uphold the government against eight milions of rebels & whether we were forced to call upon the niggers to help us & incite a servile war / adding horrors to what is at best a terrible curse. If you ask them to fight can you deny them the vote. They not only propose to emancipate them but to place them side by side with the white soldiers. What Does Fred Douglass or Phillips or any other of that stripe ask more. Who advocated this doctrine at the beginning of the war. What would they have been called two years ago. Ask the soldiers whether they want to see the Union restored as it was or not I dont think you will find many who are unwilling to do their best to attain this end. Perhaps their unwilingness to swallow the nigger whole may be what you call semi-loyalty. Want of success may dampen their ardor but it cannot wipe out the convictions of their judgment. Al I am just telling you my opinion of things as we used to do talking / politicks at home. I know my thoughts did not always agree with yours but there did not interfere at all with our personal relations So be it still. We will agree to differ & let the subject drop at that

 

You spoke about the time of our discharge & sent a bit out of the paper telling us when. Now Al I still believe that the 25^th of April is the day. The paper says the time we left for the seat of war. What has that to do with the time we enlisted Our muster rolls say enlisted the 25^th April & we have received pay from that date Now we must have been in the service when we were receiving pay from the Gov’t. What difference whether we were in the state of N. York or Oregon. They might have kept us there all the time but would that interfere with the time of our enlistment. What do you think of it Al. I have not heard or seen anything lately of the Dr. I do not know where he is. I should like to see him again verry much. I got a letter from Pete today. I was glad to hear from him again & that he was doing well. None from Murray yet “Once a week” I remain as ever your dear

                                                                                                            Bro      Will

 

[top margin] I have been unable to get to the Landing yet but will make another attempt tomorrow      Love to Lizzie

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