Union Mills Va March 4 1863.

 

My Dear Friend,

                        I rec'd your welcome and very interesting letter yesterday. perhaps you may think me in a hurry to answer it—There is something that I failed to repy to in your letter of Jan but I cannot recall it. Although at home, I am as frequently called "Tip" as anything else—my own family call me, & I prefer Arnold to any other name. "Would I rather be at home or in Lima than in Lima than in the war"—"or do I think the service pays'"—Perhaps I am not as enthusiastic as before I enlisted but I am certainly more determined, never willingly to consent to a cessation of hostilities until the pirate flag of the / rebellion comes down. I fail to see what attraction there is at home, in association with "copperheads" & men (who can) but who are too cowardly to aid in the suppression of the rebellion. Dont think I include all under this head. I sometimes what wish that I could be home for a short time. I solemly think that I would shoot some of these men who would be cowards traitors if they were not cowards. I hope the respectable portion of northern society will soon make them what they must in time become, let the war result as it will—outcasts, renegades & tories. You may have read the incident of the Illinois Sergeant who told a party of these fellows that if there was no martial law in the State he would soon make it, unless they ceased their treasonable talk. (I dont know why I make so many / mistakes to day) If more such men & more of that kind of sentiment at the north it would be better. But I will not say any more. As for "soldiering" I do not think I would ever leave the service if it were not for my friends. There is so much that is menial about a private soldiers life, but, one can work up, if he does not get in the way of a bullet. I spend most of the time reading now. I was on picket until I had the measles. Since then I have not performed any duty. I feel well enough but the Dr will not let me go to work. I am staying with him at present & have it very pleasant. I never worked in a trench but about three hours at Harpers Ferry. That is also the only battle that I have been in. The enemy are in heavy force in front & we have expected / an attack every day for a week. Twice have we gone out at the long roll. The other night we went up in the rain while our battery shelled a barn across McLanes ford.

 

We have never been so pleasantly situated as now. We have confidence in our Gen Col. Major & ourselves. And they in us. The Gen says we do the best picket duty of any reg't he ever saw. He went up the lines the other day & when he came to the reserve, said, Lieut yours is the d—est reg't I ever saw. The Lieut tremblingly asked what was the matter. Why said the Gen they dont fear anything. Gen Slocum who occupied Maryland Heights said we did the best firing he ever saw & that there were a great many bodies on the field. We drill every moments time we have. I think that is enough about the large "I"—If old Miles had held the Ferry we should not be here to day, perhaps—I had the January No of the Repositry But not the last I would very much like to see it. If you are becoming an old woman I am quite an old man, as I was twenty two the 5^th Nov—I was about to say do not work too hard, but if we only accomplish what we desire life is nothing. I do not think the lines you speak of are really wicked. I often think that I dont care how soon / death comes to me. Like yourself I tremble to hear from Vicksburg & Charlestown, so many brave, noble hearts must cease to beat before they are taken. We may fail, & if we do, must try again. For we can find peace only by the bloody road of victory. Every sensible & honest man knows this. A man who asks it on any other terms is a coward & a tory. I cannot find language mean enough to express what I think of such men. If I was president I would not say coerce but, subdue. I am proud of my northern blood & birth & may the grass of Virginia grow on my grave, before we get down on our knees and sue for peace, with a people who have made for us a hundred thousand graves & desolated a hearthstone in every / village from Maine to Kansas—who murder pickets, hang men & violate women because they love the Union of their Fathers. Who traffic in human souls, And who say if you will give us blank paper & let us write out our own terms we will not live with you. Who call us thieves from principle assassins at heart & cowards by nature. What name would you give an animal of that class, surely not a man. You have every reason to think me frivolous & wicked so, but, a principle I never surrender. Was it Alvah or Philo Dorris who married Miss Kelsie. I was talking with Prince our Orderly Serg't & said his sister had written that was Philo. I see also that my formerly intimate friend Josie Collins is married & I only seven months in the army—Perhaps it just as / well for a fellow who has so many wild schemes for the future. You will excuse me but, I only wrote about those deserters to hear what you would say. Your argument is perfectly convincing & unanswerable. I have never believed, because whales live in water, that we can catch them in cisterns—or because bad men profess religion that it was a humbug. Nor would I thought it strange if three infidels had deserted. Nor if three infidels had proved good & true men The strongest argument that I can state for infidelity is that we are nearly all practical infidels.

 

                                                                                    Sincerely & cordially your friend

A. M. Hubbard                                                                        Arnold Yeckley

 

P.S. I thank you for a paper rec'd last week. Also I had seen in R. Union a notice of Capt Bunnels return I sincerely hope he will recover. Y

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