"From the 12th Regiment." from the March 19, 1863 Door County Advocate
From the 12th Regiment.
———
[Extract from a private letter.]
Four MILES WEST of COLLIERVILLE, TENN.,
March 1st., 1863
I am glad to see that some, of the leading peace democrats of the north have backed down from their ultra peace ideas. I do not know whether the change was wrought by the attitude of the northern soldiers or the scorn which the southern traitors hold their northern brethern in, but whatever it is done by I hope they have seen the error of their ways and have concluded to sin no more.
We don't want a compromise peace that won't last a year. We want a peace conquered from the rebels that will last forever.
I am sorry to say that we have a few, a very few copperheads in the service here, and any lack of attention by the government towards the soldiers are at once seized upon the malcontents who try to make ignorant soldiers believe that the government don't intend to pay them. They make a good many believe it until they are paid off, when the sight of the greenbacks shows them how they have been humbugged.
CAMP BUTLER, March 9th, '63.
We are still at this place (four miles west of Collierville.) Two or three days ago we had orders to be ready to move at an hours' notice, and are ready to march at any moment. Our probable destination is either Germantown, five miles west of this place or Memphis, though we may go right down the river to Vicksburg.
Col. James H. Howe and lady, also Mrs. Harvey, were down here a few days ago. Mrs. Harvey said that we had the best hospitals arrangements of any regiment she had seen. Col. Rowe witnessed our dress parade with which he was much pleased. He was surprised to see the health of the regiment so good. He said that we now looked just as his regiment did when they first left Wisconsin.
A sudden death occurred in our company the day before Col. Howe's party came down. A boy by the name of James Mitchell while playing wicket dropped down dead, supposed from the heart disease.
If we move I will let you know our destination. I am in first rate health; never better.
Yours, Truly,
H. HARRIS.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[The spelling of brethern was normal at the time.
History of the 12th Regiment: https://books.google.com/books?id=xApIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA574#v=onepage&q&f=false
Henry Harris is mentioned in the biography of his father in Martin's 1881 "History of Door County, Wisconsin": https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_Door_County_Wisconsin/9Fo0AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA37&printsec=frontcover
Photograph of Col. James H. Howe: https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM119523 ]
Articles relating to the Civil War
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/civil-war
Articles relating to peace
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/peace