Reminiscences of a Boy in Blue, 1862-1865 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Amite River amongst arms army Army of Virginia Baton Rouge battle beautiful believe boys brigade Camp Relief Captain captured cavalry Cesnola CHAPTER Charles Gray Colonel Swain column command comrades Confederacy Confederate Courtney Crimean War danger dark detachment Doyal's duty Eleventh New York enemy Fairfax father federacy fight fire flag gallant grey guard hand headquarters Heintzelman Helen Marshall honour horse infantry J. E. B. Stuart killed land large number Lieutenant look Louis Napoleon Major Remington ment miles Mississippi River morning mounted negroes never night North officers parole Payton Pearson picket Poolesville Potomac prisoners rebel regiment replied riding road rode Romney saber saddle Scott's Nine Hundred scouting soldiers South Southern sweet tell thing told Tom Smith took Troop F trooper Union Union army Virginia Washington White's Ford wounded York Cavalry young
Popular passages
Page 317 - My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it ; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it ; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.
Page 317 - If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time save Slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy Slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy Slavery.
Page 238 - Military necessity does not admit of cruelty, that is, the infliction of suffering for the sake of suffering or for revenge, nor of maiming or wounding except in fight, nor of torture to extort confessions. It does not admit of the use of poison in any way, nor of the wanton devastation of a district. It admits of deception, but disclaims acts of perfidy ; and, in general, military necessity does not include any act of hostility which makes the return to peace unnecessarily difficult.
Page 238 - Military necessity admits of all direct destruction of life or limb of armed enemies, and of other persons whose destruction is incidentally unavoidable in the armed contests of the war; it allows of the capturing of every armed enemy, and every enemy of importance to the hostile government...
Page 317 - I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.
Page 256 - I am not aware of ever having used a profane expletive in my life ; but I would have the charity to excuse those who may have done so, if they were in charge of a train of Mexican pack mules at the time.
Page 239 - War is not carried on by arms alone. It is lawful to starve the hostile belligerent, armed or unarmed, so that it leads to the speedier subjection of the enemy.
Page 238 - ... or means of life from the enemy ; of the appropriation of whatever an enemy's country affords necessary for the subsistence and safety of the army, and of such deception as does not involve the breaking of good faith either positively pledged, regarding agreements entered into during the war, or supposed by the modern law of war to exist. Men who take up arms against one another in public war do not cease on this account to be moral beings, responsible to one another, and to God.
Page 238 - ... ways and channels of traffic, travel or communication, and of all withholding of sustenance or means of life from the enemy; of the appropriation of whatever an enemy's country affords necessary for the subsistence and safety of the army, and of such deception as does not involve the breaking of good faith either positively pledged, regarding agreements entered into during the war, or supposed by the modern law of war to exist.
Page 164 - A torrent of yellow mud rushed furiously athwart the calm blue current of the Mississippi; boiling and surging, and sweeping in its course logs, branches, and uprooted trees.