Four To One

It is a suggestive consideration that of the five soldiers from this place who were killed in battle or died from their wounds four were republicans and one was a Democrat. The four republicans were Theodore Weeks, N. W. Doty, E. W. Barnum and John Watson. The democrat was Andrew Slatten. The four Republicans to one Democrat, will hold good in the 21 Regiments organized in this State. It is natural that this should be so, when it is understood that there are democrats in this and every other community who have done their best to dissuade their loyal political brethren from engaging as soldiers in the service of their country. Time and again we have heard these Democrats of the Magnolia Hill stripe, urge passionately that this was “Lincoln’s war – a d----d black Abolition war, and the Republicans might fight it out!” These appeals have had their effect; and we have a practical illustration of this effect at home in the circumstance that such a disproportionate number of Republicans from Des Moines have fallen in defense of their country. –{Register.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 10, 1862, p. 2