Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Letter From T. A. Trent

Hayes Mill
April 2d 1864

Mr. Editor:–

Having a little leisure time, and none of the fair sex to talk to, I will inscribe a few of the strange ideas that are passing through my head.

You know the Yankees are, or have the name of being a very inquisitive set of people, and also have the credit of knowing all that is worth knowing. Be that as it may, I think the army, or some of the Yankees in it, will come near filling the bill on their part. For instance, a foraging party went out near here, last winter to get a supply of pork. They came up to a farm, owned by a man by the name of Reed. Said Reed was rich and had negroes and Hogs in abundance. When they demanded his pork some one told him that he ought to have hid it. “Hide from a Yankee! If I was to dig a hole in the middle of my field, and put it there, they would find it before tomorrow morning.”

Now, being one of these inquisitive “Blue Coats,” I will make some inquiry concerning the relation of the contending armies. The copperheads are making an awful fuss, especially in Kentucky, because the government is making a draft of the negroes, to fight their Southern Copperhead Brethren. Now it is evident, if they have brethren in Dixie, they also have Cousins. If you will go to Uncle Sam’s army, you can see any quantity of those with Blue Coats, some drilling; some standing guard, some driving teams, and some as white as their copperhead Cousins. I would rather fight a Brigade of Copperheads than a regiment of these cousins. But it looks hard for traitors to fight against their own sons. This is the reason they are so vindictive against the officers of Colored Regiments. Now the best remedy for this, is for them to fill the Ranks of our armies, and by filling all the calls of the President, increase our army to such an extent, that defeat shall be out of the question, then crush the rebellion, letting the Yankees return to their homes and gaining for themselves a name which their great grandchildren with thank them for.

But on such men as stay at home, abuse and cry down all efforts to put down this accursed rebellion, may the curses of a thousand generations fall, is my prayer.

T. A. Trent.

– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, April 16, 1864

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