Address of the General Assembly to the soldiers of Virginia. Soldiers of Virginia in the armies of the Confederate States

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Address of the
Conf Pam #558

A D D R E S 8

OF

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

TO THE

SOLDIERS OF VIRGINIA.

iiVi-rXKUS Ol Vll.cJIMA IN TI!K ARMIES OP TIU' CONPKOKRA TK S T VI'I .- :

"^ * It is iiinv iH-arly three ymnv (<ific«^30u loft your liomcs mid in. .-ju. .>, j^i iJie.

onll pf ymr state, to repel the invasion of her soil Before takinp up jirnis, (•very rtiovt to
obtain ili«' jieai'efiil nijoynient of your rights under tlie constitution had I'cen oxhaufcted,
your jippi'als for justice spurni'd with conft:mpt, and u war to suhjupate our sister state*
«'f the south coiiihipneod by Abraiiaiu Lincoln.

By |his lawless prnociding', the fotleral adiniiiistrHtion threw off thi' mask it had hitherto
worn. In snch a contest Virginia could not remain an iudiftereiu spectator. iJound by
< \i ry ti of Mood, sympathy, couimon Interests and comri;ou wrongs to tlie slates agaiust
whoiji this iioelile preparation was set on foot, she withdrew at once from an association
whicn no lonaK respected % written constitution, and resolved to receive on lur own bosom
llie thrcateiK'd pfw.ck ftf invasion. She invoked you to rally to defend your homes, j'otu"
altars and your honor ; ami this appeal w;vs not made in vain. Prom|)lly and genirously
you responded to the call of duty. Most faithfully have you performe<l it. In your long
%nd arduous ser\'ice jon have shrunk from no toil, no danger and no sacrilice. .During
your ah^eiice in the fieW, your wives and !itt!e ones may have suffered want; y<jur homes
been ravaged, and the Iriiits of industry destroyed by a ruthless and barbaijous enemy.
But. in des]tite of every lemptation, you ^lave never locked back. Your eye has ulwny«
been fixed on' the foe, and your etvr waiting for the sumnuuis to battle. .Vmid the toil of
the inarch, the weary wati-h. the labor, the hunger, the cold, tbe privations of (he camp,
you have never coiiiplaine^d, but have always rendered a cheerful obedience to the state which
honors and cherishes you with a niotht r's love.

You have been present in most of the in;[)crtant battles of the war, and in all yi)ur v'dor
has been conspicuous. It ha-s made yon the theme of praise by yoor heroic companions
frtun other states, and by ihe whole civilized world.

Many of your comrades have fallen in battle, or from disease contracted in service, and
been transferred from th<- roll of life to that of immortality. There arc many more, whoso
unitilated fonns attest their honorable devotion to their country. In your proUmged absence .
fr.im hi'nie. your sacrifice of persnnal interests and of .-ill the enjoyments of lili-, has indeed
been great. 'J'he Avar, forced upon us by ilio malice of a people wh.tni we had not injured,
has ( nl.iiled upon us all dcp som-w and emel siiffi'viiig. Its tniavoidable calamities have
been gicatly augnieuU'd by the refusal of thcenemy to rcspi-etthc hiws of civilized warfare,

and by tlioir ficinlish attempt to wrest submission from us, by visiting the most relentless
harbaritios upon women and cliildnai, the aged and the helpless. Unbridled license has been
given to their cupidiiy. Untold millions of property have been wantonly destroyed by
their malice, or swelled the coifers of the pampered villains, who, unwhipt of justice, have
been openly rewarded and promoted for their crimes. Aged and unoffending men have
been dragged from thiir beds to dreary prisons and solitary labor. Refined and virtuous-
women li.-we been brutally insulted, and, manacled by rude unfeeling soldiery, have been
led captive from their homos as hostages for negroes. Farms have been desolated ; dwel-
lings l.iid in ashes ; unprotected women and helpless children have been turned out from
their homes without bread or shelter. The tombs of the gallant dead have been robb(-d and
ilespcrated bv fr'i'l---, who l-avo >!it!il<";«lv ipvnf''-(1 th^ ?-i'iftify of t!ie fr'"'""'. '''id rin tinged
the sensibilities of the living.

Under the hypocritical guise of liberating from slavery a populatiQu happier and more
virtuous than themselves, they have sought to subject us to a yoke more galling than they
have essayed to remove.

Within a few days past an expedition has been projected and an abortive effort Tnade to
r.arry into execution, with minute instructions emanating (as we have reason to believe)
from the government at Washington, to sack and fire the city of Richmond, and in the
darkness of the night to consign its inhabitants, without a moment's warning, to llames ami
to death. For this purpose, a special " burning party" was organized, provided with im-
l)lfments of destruction, and orders to carry into execution their fell designs. Amid its
blazing rains the released prisoners from " Belle Isle" and " the Libby" were to unite with
the bani's of Dahlgren and Kilpatrick in dfealing out death and slaughter upon unoHeuding
audpiaci'lal citizens, and inflicting outrages upon piire and unprotected women, more hor-
rible than death.

The heart sickens at the contemplation of the Enormities that would have been committed,
had this nefarious schtmie succeeded. No prayer for n^ercy would have been heard; no
scream for help would have been heeded. Fire, rapine, slaughter and lust would have held
iindis])uted dominion in this fair city.

We forbear to enlarge, but make this recital, that you may know more clearly the charac-
ter of our foe, and that he may be held up t« the odium and execration of mankind.

In shameless disregard of all the rules of civilized warfare, your chief magistrate and bis
cabinet were, by special directions, to be denied the rights of prisoner! of war, and killed in*
fold blood. Every species of public and private property was to be destroyed, and the
imtire country wltliiu their reach laid waste

Stimulated and encouraged by the precepts and example of their leaders, this band of*
robbers and murderers enteied private houses; broke open ladies' wardrobes ; destroyed of
their rich contents whatthej' could not appropriate; carried ofi" jewels and plate; consigned
to the flames stores of provisions ; burnt mills and other houses ; desolated some of the
fairest homes of the state, and left whole families without food.

Thanks to the gallantry of a citizen soldiery, they were routed and repulsed , in the midst
of this carnival of crime, which must outrage the sensibilities of the civilized world. Many
')f them, with awakened consciousness of their deserts, n»w contemplate their doom within
the walls of the prison I'rom which they hoped to release their companions.

An avenging Ood suddenly summoned their atrocious leader from the scene of his wicke<i-
ness to the bar ni juugjiiem, and uu his slain body v\fcie found his atrocious instruction^,
stained with his own blood. The name of Dahlgren will be handed down to history as a
fit associate in infamy with Butler, and a host of lesser criminals, who have disgraced
humanity, and shocked the moral sense of the world

But in these very atrocities you will discern the motive, if any were needed, for continued
services and fresh sacrifices. Virginia takes no step liackward. Every consideration of
honor, interest, duty and salety demand that we shall go forward in the grand struggle foi
liuman rights and human liberty, so bravely begun, .arid so manfully maintained.

After all tliat wo liave suftbred and eudnred, subjugation or snbn>ission to the cruel foe
would ri'dnce us to a degree of degradation and misery which has n j parallel in the histor%'
of civilization.

The sacrifices of blood and treasure that we have expended, the memories of the noblt-
martyrs who have freely given their lives fi>r the achievement of our independence, forbid
that we should needlessly throw away what has been already won, in the vain hope of ob-
taining peace or security.

Nothing but wretchedness and untold misciy await us, if we stop short of the uncondi-
tional acknowledgment of our independence, 'rnis your vahir will surely command.

Men of Virginia! you are soldiers of a renowned commonwealth, whose ftinio you liave
illustrated and borne aloft on every battle field. We need not unfold to you the muniments
of your right to self-government. We arc assured that you fully comprehend the necessity
of a successful assertion of that right, and that you will never lay down your arms until
you have secured it. Born to an inheritance of fi"eedom, you cannot hesitate to choose be-
tween slavery or death. Submission to an enemy, who has exhausted every infamy, is not
endural)le even in thought; but were we base enough to desire peace upon any terms less
than the unqualified recognition of our independence, self-interest alone woiild teach us the
folly of relying upon the tbrbearance of a nation who have shown in every step of the war,
that-tlieir faith is perfidy, and their only policy i.s rnpine, jilnnder and oppression. The
whole history of our former association with the northern states admonishes us that in a
common government they will never fail to employ their power to take away our property.
Their present malice springs chiefly from baffled cupidity. But for this master passion of
their nature, an honorable and speedy peace would be easy. The war hiis fully developed
all their purposes, and you now know the fate that awaits you in the event of subjugation.
Your liberties will utterly perish. Your state organization will be blotted out. All your
property of every description will lie confiscated, for all of us have participated in the revo-
lution. Your lands will be dividedimt among the banditti from the ntirth and from Europe,
who have invaded our state. A free negro population will be established in your midst,
who will be your social equals and military governors. Negro giuirds will, at their plea-
stire, give yon passes and safe conducts, or arrest you to be tried and puni.shed by negro
commandants and magistrates: and to these, yourselves, your >wives aud children will W
menial laborers and slaves, except those of you whom the malice of your enemies shall
reserve for the dungeon or the gallows.

Such is the doom denounced for the people fif the south by the v.icked iac(! now warring
upon us. But wo know it can never be "executed. An army of veterans have resolved
that their country shall not be enslaved ; and while their purpose stands, the enemy's de-
signs will continue to be baffled. Among you there is one .spirit — that of eager and reso-
lute determination. The temper of the army has reached the people at home, and inspired
(hem with a fresh courage and a more assured confidence. Every where we see multiplied
evidences of energy and enthusiasm. In all tlie states we find the resolution " to endure
every extremity rnther than submit; and with this .spirit our people are invincible. The
armies are filling up their ranks, and the legislation of congress has uddcd still further to
their numbers and efliciency. Those citizens who remain at home to carry on the indus-
trial pursuits essential to the sitpport of the army, will see to it that you shall not want for
food while you are exposing your lives to protect their property aud homes from rapine.
The defence of the country ha.s become its business, and every ^itizen is required to contri-
bute to it in his proper sphere. The general assembly of the commonwealth has taken
steps to aid those families of her soldiers who may be in want, and it will not fail to do all
in its power to provide for and cherish them. They have atuhorized and directed the pur-
cha.se or impressment of unliuiited supplies for their maintennnce; appropriated one million
dollars for the r<'lief of such as are w^ithin the lines of the fiiemy, and half a i^^llion its a
liospital fund for the sick and wounded. An organized agency of the state distributes the
voluntary contributions of patriotic citizens. Individually and collectively, in county, city

RDfl Kt.ito or^HJiizations, tl;o pcnj)].- \s\-A\ one aci-oid ;ir(- 'IftonniiK i1 "to lieci, clotbo, Rus
and clit'rish the army. ,

On tlie oUuT liarid, your enemies are a|)pallei1 b_> tli" mac-nituJo of tin' task before them
The loud bonstings vvliich a i\;w weeks since thej' so tVcily utti'red, have boon >iiIei!oed by
your iinaniiuous re-'-nlistnionts, tor tlie war, and tlio stern and re.soluti> bearing of the south'.
Dissf-nsions exist among tlioni. Eag<-r to i)ossess rlie apoils of tlieir corrupt a<itl profligaie
government, they hate cacli other nearly as nnuli as they do ns The war is no longer
popnlar. The rich are allowed to buj' an exemption, and thus cast all the liiirdon and risk
upon the poor. The laboring classes have already revolted against the draft. To escape
its odium, enormous bounties have been offered to volunteers; but all these expedients
have failed, and again a heavy draft has been ordered. The armies of the enemy are every
day diminishing, and it is evident they cannot recruit them to the numbers with which they
began the struggle. A large and growing party are for peace. A still larger party have
discovered that the war has so far only served to entail upon theniselvt^s a despotism which
tramples down every public and private right. They feel and acknowledge that tliej' are
the slaves of one whose character has made him odious to the world. Torn by party and
personal strife, and conscious of the impotence of their scheme of conquest, the rank.s oi'
your enemies are already beginning to waVer. One m»re resolute effort, and the day is ours.

God will strengthen your arms in theTiour of battle, and give his blessing to a just cause.
Independence and peac<i will be conceded by your enemies, and you, the detVnders of the
commonwealth, may return to your homes to receive the welcome due to the brave, and to
enjoy those honors which will grow brighter as your years shall be jmilonged. And when
our ears shall be no longer startled by the " clash of resoujidiiig arms," and a happy, pros- ■
perous and pernninent peace shall succeed, returning from the fields of your fame, you will
l)e greeted with tears of joy by the loved ones at home — the heroes of every circle. — to '■c-
e.eive the smiles of the fair and become the theme of gratitude and praise, around eveiy
heartiistoue, protected by your vftlor.

Tiien'<-very heart shall rejoice in that quiet which yoitr courage has secured. Not the
quiet of n<'sert«d homes and desolated farms; of sacked cities and rilled cinirclu^s ; of vil-
lages in ashes and towns in ruins ; but the quiet of smiling farms, when the blue smoke
shall curl again above the uncestral trees, to w<'lcome back the long exiled refugee l;o his
home. The quiet of thriving villages, when- the old man on his crutch and the brave and
warworn veteran with liis arndess sleeve, shall tell of bloody battles and scenes of priv;*-
tJon to smiling children around him. The quiet of prosperous cities, whose wharves shall
whiten with an opulent commerce; whose shops shall hum with a busy industry, aful
whose spires point to that haven of rest which is far away. Then from a thousand happy
hearts and iiappy homes shall arise thanksgiving and praise to the God of battles, as of
grace, while tears of gratirude will embalm. the. memories and bedew the graves of the hravi^
men whose blood has been shed as a libati<»n to liberty.

.V. I). DICKINSON, Cm.
\. J. MAHSHALL,
.VNDREW lUJNTEK,

Sriiatc Cowiiiittee

15. 11. SHACKELFORD. C/in.
K. W. HUNTER,
F. 15. DEANE,
« A. C. CUMMINGS,

R. 11. J5AKER.

House. Committee.
[Adopted March y, 1 HOI.]

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