4th.—The President, I see, has made another call for three hundred thousand men. Before this war is over, we shall have to resort to drafting. I regret that it was not done in the first place. Then the vast majority of the able bodied men willing to go, would have shamed down the unwilling ones from complaining. As it is, now that most of the willing ones are in the field, I fear that a draft will cause trouble. I should much have preferred, as it is put off to this time, a conscript act, requiring all able-bodied men to organize and hold themselves ready to act when called on. This would have given us an irresistable army, and all would have been treated alike.
Our regiment, which has heretofore borne more than any other, suffered terribly in the late retreat. I am vain enough to attribute this to the change of sanitary measures adopted during my month’s absence. General ——’s pride could never brook the small show of my regiment on his “dress parades.” My plan was, that when a man began to sicken I took him at once from all duty, and had him nursed and cared for till well. Hence, in time of quiet, I always had a large number excused, but when we came to action, or to a hard march, there were few regiments in the army which could compare with us, either in numbers or endurance. During my absence of a month, this thing was reversed. Men were kept on show as long as their legs would bear them up, the General’s vanity was gratified, but when we came to a forced march, we were found to be in most miserable, plight.
