Mr. Editor:– Having obtained permission I herewith send you a copy of a letter from our fellow citizen Lieut. Col. N. C. Buswell of the 93d Ill. Vol., the spirit of which indicates the political sentiment of the larger [portion] of our army in the field, as I verily believe from personal observation and experience among our soldiers. While recently at Murfreesboro and in conversation with officers and privates, language was not sufficiently severe to couch their expressions of indignity and hatred for home traitors. But to the letter:
Camp Near Memphis, Tenn.
Feb’y 9th 1863
Dear Bro.:– I have just been talking with Mr. Howe the Ill. Representative to the Legislature from Bureau, and have learned something of the feelings of that body, as well as of the people generally.
It is a pity that the people can not all see the subject in the same light, now that the war is upon us, whether they agree on the causes or not.
From all that I can learn, by the papers and otherwise, the people are getting somewhat wild in the good State of Illinois, while we, the soldiers of that State have little or no trouble to agree.
We all agree to fight for the Union and are willing to admit that Abraham Lincoln is and will be the President of the U. S. until the 4th day of March 1865, and whether we like all his plans or not, we must give him our earnest support in carrying them out. If a man in the army could appose his superior officer in all things that he might not think proper or sensible, the army would not hold together an hour.
All have got to see the necessity of cheerfully carrying out with alacrity the orders of his superior in rank, whether he thinks him superior in ability or not. No man should enter the service unless he can see and feel this necessity, for the simple reason that he is not possessed of the necessary qualifications for a soldier.
Neither is a man in civil life, fit to be a citizen under a Republican form of government who cannot at a glance see the necessity of submitting to the legally appointed head of that Government.
The President is either commander in Chief of the army and navy of the U. S. or he is nothing more or less than a private citizen. If Commander in Chief he has power as a military necessity to do all that he has yet attempted to do, and much more and no man has a right to say to him that this or that measure is not a military necessity. – His position gives him individually the right to be the judge what measures are necessary. When the people discover that they have elected a man to the presidency of poor judgement [sic], they must submit, but be more careful about their future choice. A war policy may be a bad one, yet it is better so submit and go to work cheerfully to carry it out than to show a spirit of insubordination by refusing to do so.
I suppose the Democrats of Illinois are conscientious in thinking the emancipation proclamation an unwarrantable measure, under existing circumstances, and they doubtless have a right to express themselves so but they should at the same time see the necessity of taking the ground, that the Union can only be restored by the cheerful support of the President by all loyal men in whatever measures he may see fit to adopt.
Abraham Lincoln is either at the head of this Government or we have no Government.
Now, I feel sorry to think we were not allowed to make Mississippi a barren waste, as far as we went, and that we did not go further south when we started, but because we were not permitted to do so where we went and were ordered back when in my opinion we could have gone directly on to Jackson and Vicksburg, living off the country as we went, whipping rebels every mouthful we eat, making the raid upon Holly Springs which cut off our supplies, the sorryest [sic] act of their lives, and obliging us to get all our supplies from the country, would it, I say, be justifiable in me to say, I would not give my support to such a policy, by remaining in the army longer? I think certainly not.
The feeling of the army is not opposed to the President, and it brings a cloud of gloom upon them to hear of the wrangling of politicians at home, who seem to be at war with the administration.
I have been in at least 50 regiments and have not found any complaint, only that things look dark at home. We don’t talk politics here in the army, we talk war. I wish you would say to those who have sore heads about proclamations, Habeas Corpus, and other such things, don’t all “amount to a row of pins when all summed down,” say to them for me that if they will stay at home, keep quiet and wish us well, we will attend to Mr. Snake down here and go home within twelve months, even pursuing the present (in my opinion) poor policy. I tell you, 8 millions of people are being whipped every day, they have among themselves one million of their enemies; even if the first fight in self defense Vicksburg will fall as certain as God reigns. It must come and we all feel it, but you must be patient for it will take some time and cost many lives. The sick are getting better or dying, they don’t remain sick very long.
Your Brother,
Nick C. Buswell
– Published in the Stark County News, Toulon, Illinois, March 12, 1863
Camp Near Memphis, Tenn.
Feb’y 9th 1863
Dear Bro.:– I have just been talking with Mr. Howe the Ill. Representative to the Legislature from Bureau, and have learned something of the feelings of that body, as well as of the people generally.
It is a pity that the people can not all see the subject in the same light, now that the war is upon us, whether they agree on the causes or not.
From all that I can learn, by the papers and otherwise, the people are getting somewhat wild in the good State of Illinois, while we, the soldiers of that State have little or no trouble to agree.
We all agree to fight for the Union and are willing to admit that Abraham Lincoln is and will be the President of the U. S. until the 4th day of March 1865, and whether we like all his plans or not, we must give him our earnest support in carrying them out. If a man in the army could appose his superior officer in all things that he might not think proper or sensible, the army would not hold together an hour.
All have got to see the necessity of cheerfully carrying out with alacrity the orders of his superior in rank, whether he thinks him superior in ability or not. No man should enter the service unless he can see and feel this necessity, for the simple reason that he is not possessed of the necessary qualifications for a soldier.
Neither is a man in civil life, fit to be a citizen under a Republican form of government who cannot at a glance see the necessity of submitting to the legally appointed head of that Government.
The President is either commander in Chief of the army and navy of the U. S. or he is nothing more or less than a private citizen. If Commander in Chief he has power as a military necessity to do all that he has yet attempted to do, and much more and no man has a right to say to him that this or that measure is not a military necessity. – His position gives him individually the right to be the judge what measures are necessary. When the people discover that they have elected a man to the presidency of poor judgement [sic], they must submit, but be more careful about their future choice. A war policy may be a bad one, yet it is better so submit and go to work cheerfully to carry it out than to show a spirit of insubordination by refusing to do so.
I suppose the Democrats of Illinois are conscientious in thinking the emancipation proclamation an unwarrantable measure, under existing circumstances, and they doubtless have a right to express themselves so but they should at the same time see the necessity of taking the ground, that the Union can only be restored by the cheerful support of the President by all loyal men in whatever measures he may see fit to adopt.
Abraham Lincoln is either at the head of this Government or we have no Government.
Now, I feel sorry to think we were not allowed to make Mississippi a barren waste, as far as we went, and that we did not go further south when we started, but because we were not permitted to do so where we went and were ordered back when in my opinion we could have gone directly on to Jackson and Vicksburg, living off the country as we went, whipping rebels every mouthful we eat, making the raid upon Holly Springs which cut off our supplies, the sorryest [sic] act of their lives, and obliging us to get all our supplies from the country, would it, I say, be justifiable in me to say, I would not give my support to such a policy, by remaining in the army longer? I think certainly not.
The feeling of the army is not opposed to the President, and it brings a cloud of gloom upon them to hear of the wrangling of politicians at home, who seem to be at war with the administration.
I have been in at least 50 regiments and have not found any complaint, only that things look dark at home. We don’t talk politics here in the army, we talk war. I wish you would say to those who have sore heads about proclamations, Habeas Corpus, and other such things, don’t all “amount to a row of pins when all summed down,” say to them for me that if they will stay at home, keep quiet and wish us well, we will attend to Mr. Snake down here and go home within twelve months, even pursuing the present (in my opinion) poor policy. I tell you, 8 millions of people are being whipped every day, they have among themselves one million of their enemies; even if the first fight in self defense Vicksburg will fall as certain as God reigns. It must come and we all feel it, but you must be patient for it will take some time and cost many lives. The sick are getting better or dying, they don’t remain sick very long.
Your Brother,
Nick C. Buswell
– Published in the Stark County News, Toulon, Illinois, March 12, 1863
