Army Life: From a Soldier's Journal

XII. A PUBLIC MEETING

BELLEVIEW, west of Pilot Knob, is a valley of wonderful fertility, and in beauty and pleasant scenery can well compete with the valley of Arcadia. Such as these are the surroundings among which our lot has been so often cast during our soldier life. Upon the whole it has been to us a pleasant place, and when the war is over the memory of many soldiers will return to it with happy thoughts. CHAPTER XII. A PUBLIC MEETING. All politics were ignored in the army. As to the political belief of our comrades , we cared not. It was a rare case when one learned his comrades’ preference as between mere political parties. It would be a correct statement to say the soldiers of our army have no politics. The election of 1862 claimed but little of their attention, in fact, was not thought of. Believing that all at home were true Union men, the soldiers were indifferent as to who was elected or defeated in an election. But when the Legislature of Illinois, elected in the fall of 1862, began in the following winter to take such action as, whether so intended or not, was giving sympathy and encouragement to the rebels, its course was closely watched by the Illinois soldiers. The feeling became so deep that the soldiers, in conformity with the ways they had been accustomed to at home, concluded to hold a public meeting to give an expression of their sentiments. The meeting was called. It was in regular public meeting style; those came who wished, those present called upon such as they desired to hear, to speak; the floor was open to any who asked for it. Being the only public meeting our soldiers ever held, a record of its proceedings may properly be given. As written at that time, the following is the record: CAMP MIDDLEBROOK,1 NEAR PILOT KNOB, MO, March 2, 1863. At a meeting of the Thirty-third and Ninety-ninth Regiments Illinois Volunteer Infantry, held at the head-quarters of the Thirty-third Illinois, Dr. Rex, Surgeon of the Thirty-third Regiment, called the meeting to order and nominated Lieutenant-Colonel Roe, Thirty-third - A Public Meeting—Last March in Missouri. 121 Illinois, who was unanimously elected Chairman; Captain E. R. Smith, Ninety-ninth Illinois, Secretary. Colonel Roe (Democrat) addressed the meeting as follows: “Ladies and Gentlemen: I suppose that this is an assembly that has met for the purpose of announcing opinions in regard to the action of the assembled, I had almost said wisdom, of the State of Illinois. I am glad I did not say wisdom; for wisdom and learning go hand in hand with loyalty. I know all Illinois soldiers read, and that you are posted in regard to the action of the Illinois Legislature. I need not rehearse that action before you. We do not love war; we abhor it. But are we now, in the midst of the thickening dangers that surround our banner, to ignobly desert it? I never expect to find an Illinois soldier who is willing to say to such men as have almost made the name of Springfield detestable, ‘I agree with you in sentiment and sympathize with you in your legislative treason.’ No such man can be found.2 “We will spend our last drop of blood in defense of the Constitution and the Union; and oh! how willingly would we see a few of the traitors at home immolated upon freedom’s altar. We want to send home an expression of opinion; we, who have been for the time disfranchised —an opinion that may prove, in time, stronger than the ballotbox . In time we mean that the ballot-box at home shall tell what is now to us so apparent that men in high places have fallen! fallen!! fallen!!! never again to control public opinion.” Colonel Lippincott, of the Thirty-third Illinois (Democrat), came forward and announced that upon consultation with many officers and privates he had been induced to offer the following resolutions: Whereas, Recent developments in our beloved State of Illinois seem to call for an expression of opinion and feeling among Illinoisans who belong to the volunteer army of the United States, therefore, Resolved, That we took up arms in defense of the Constitution and the Union of these United States of America from a deep-seated loyalty to the Government established by our fathers; that we were not and are not actuated by any sectional...