It Is Singular That Such A People, A People That
Has Founded Itself On Rebellion, Should Have Such A Horror Of
Rebellion; But, As Far As My Observation May Have Enabled Me To Read
Their Feelings Rightly, I Do Believe That It Has Been As Sincere As
It Is Irrational.
We were out riding early on the morning of the second day of our
sojourn in the camp, and
Met the division of General Mitchell, a
detachment of General Buell's army, which had been in camp between
the Green River and Louisville, going forward to the bridge which
was then being prepared for their passage. This division consisted
of about 12,000 men, and the road was crowded throughout the whole
day with them and their wagons. We first passed a regiment of
cavalry, which appeared to be endless. Their cavalry regiments are,
in general, more numerous than those of the infantry, and on this
occasion we saw, I believe, about 1200 men pass by us. Their horses
were strong and serviceable, and the men were stout and in good
health; but the general appearance of everything about them was
rough and dirty. The American cavalry have always looked to me like
brigands. A party of them would, I think, make a better picture
than an equal number of our dragoons; but if they are to be regarded
in any other view than that of the picturesque, it does not seem to
me that they have been got up successfully. On this occasion they
were forming themselves into a picture for my behoof, and as the
picture was, as a picture, very good, I at least have no reason to
complain.
We were taken to see one German regiment, a regiment of which all
the privates were German and all the officers save one - I think the
surgeon. We saw the men in their tents, and the food which they
eat, and were disposed to think that hitherto things were going well
with them. In the evening the colonel and lieutenant-colonel, both
of whom had been in the Prussian service, if I remember rightly,
came up to the general's quarters, and we spent the evening together
in smoking cigars and discussing slavery round the stove. I shall
never forget that night, or the vehement abolition enthusiasm of the
two German colonels. Our host had told us that he was a slaveowner;
and as our wants were supplied by two sable ministers, I concluded
that he had brought with him a portion of his domestic institution.
Under such circumstances I myself should have avoided such a
subject, having been taught to believe that Southern gentlemen did
not generally take delight in open discussions on the subject. But
had we been arguing the question of the population of the planet
Jupiter, or the final possibility of the transmutation of metals,
the matter could not have been handled with less personal feeling.
The Germans, however, spoke the sentiments of all the Germans of the
Western States - that is, of all the Protestant Germans, and to them
is confined the political influence held by the German immigrants.
They all regard slavery as an evil, holding on the matter opinions
quite as strong as ours have ever been.
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