98                                  HISTORY OF THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT O.V.V.I.

army, but they are freeing themselves; and if this war continues long, not a slave will be left in the whole South. Now let me say to those who are anxious about the interest of slavery, if you wish slavery to continue, join the army and help us whip out the rebels quick, and there will probably be a few old stumps left; if not, then slavery must go.

           "Now, my principles on this question are, if the master is engaged in the attempt to overthrow this Government, take the lives of our people, and desolate our homes, and the slaves get free, it's none of my business. It is a family quarrel in which I shall not interfere. If the question was presented me as to which should live, the Union or slavery, I would say, the Union to my last breath. The Union is worth everything. If the sacrifice of a million of men was necessary to the salvation of this government, and nothing else would save it, and I was the arbiter of its destinies, I would consign the million to death – and die with them.

           "I am for a vigorous prosecution of this war. To do this we must have men, and thousands of them. If necessary I would call out every able bodied man in the loyal States – turn the Government over to our mothers, wives and daughters. I would give those who wanted to go an opportunity, and those who did not want to go, I would make an opportunity for them; I would make them fight for the Government. I would stretch the army from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, and with fixed bayonets and solid phalanx I would give the order "Forward March!" to the Gulf of Mexico. Every man I met, who was willing to fight for the Government, I would place a musket in his hands, let him fall into ranks; and to every one who did not, I would give the order, "double-quick time, march!" I would drive every one of them before me; those who would not submit, when we reached the Southern boundary line, I would pitch head and heels into the Gulf.

           "The man who fails to lend his influence and energies in this crisis, who lingers while liberty bleeds, is worthy a traitor's doom. It is a struggle between Republicanism and anarchy. It is too late now to inquire into the causes that brought on the war – the day of compromise has long since ended, it is with the sword, the bullet, and the bayonet that this national difficulty is to be settled. We have a cunning and a powerful foe with which to contend – he is in fearful earnest, and has been all the while; the die is cast, the Government must be preserved. It may cost millions of blood and treasure, but we must conquer."

           The regiment with the Third Division under General Logan left Bolivar the third of November. Nearly two hundred volunteer recruits had been added to the regiment a few days pervious. The war begins to assume greater earnestness on the part of the Union army; rebel property is no longer guarded, and the opposite extreme is reached. Almost every thing is destroyed. The march from Bolivar to Lagrange, a distance of twenty-six miles, was very destructive; the beautiful country with its rich and well improved plantations was swept by storms of fire.

           The march of the different columns could be seen for miles and their comparative advance determined by the clouds of smoke darkening the horizon; an officer who would express any disproval,

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