Camp of the 31^st March the 14^th 1863

Dear Sister

                                                                                                                        Your letter has been received some time ago but I have neglected answering untill the presant time

 

When I wrote to you that I was coming home in the spring I didt intend to convey the Idea that I was coming dishinorble or that I was tired of the Service on the account of the Proclamation I mearly meant that I would make a masterly effort to come which I think I will if the folks dont turn to much Secesh at home I dont want to fight Rebels abroad for two years and then go home and find Rebel sympathizers righ among my own relatives / where I would natuarly expect to find their sympathys called out in behalf of the union Soldiers Dont let the Negro corrupt your patriotism what if evry slave in the united States should be freed and the Goverment saved I would think it all right myself the first thing to be done is to save our Country and then we can se what is to be done with the Negro It becomes necessary now that the Slaves should be taken from disloyal slaveholders Slavery has been the main staks for the Confederacy while they have turned out evry effective white to fight us they have had the Negro to rais them subsistence My motto is to make a final wind up of the Institution that has caused the war you know if it had not been for Slavery / we would of had no war

 

            The war war was waged by Southern aristocrats upon the laboring class of the North simply because they thought they were to good to live under the same administration that the laboring people of the free states lived under I say sustain the Goverment altho it results in the liberation of every African in the Confederacy The people who sympathize with Rebels no not what they do and are to be pitied for their ignorance I mean tos them Sympathizer I dont care who forsakes me for my course as my views in refference to the war matter I will be the same for my Country. I hear a great deal said about the Democrats what they are in favor of 

 

I know one thing thare is a good many of that party are Traitors to the heart and allways have been I am a Democrat but a was Democrat such as all others ought to be Men that are doun on the war now were doun on it from the commencement and have pretended to be loyal because they dared not do otherwise they want to get up a big excitement in Indiana thinking it will prevent the enforcement of the Conscriptive Law. Now there is this about it if the people dont humbly submit there will be Regiments called back to enforce the law and if this should be the case I would say kill evry man that resisted of all despicable people living I hate a Northern Traitor or Sympathizer worst of all

 

Silas                I am in hopes you will all se your error and refrain before is to late. I dont Grimes                       think your letter was altogether loyal but [?] by the time you have [?]                               sympathize with Jeff Davis to [?] and that your Sympathies may be called                                  out in behalf of them.

 

write soon

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