The New Hampshire Gazette

COMMUNICATION.

To the Privates of the Military Company "Gov. Gilman's Blues"

Fellow Soldiers,

Permit me through the medium of the Gazette, (since no private opportunity offers,) to address you. I need make no other apology for the publicity of this address, but to say, I am a Soldier, and it is derogatory to the character of this profession to repress any manly sentiments. I shall neither apologize for any inelegancy of composition, as my emulation is more confined to military than literary pursuits.

Fired with the patriotism of our Forefathers, and sensible that a well regulated Militia is the only bulwark of our Liberties, we were induced to form this Military Company. Stimulated by ambition, and the energies of an able Commander, we soon acquired such skill in military tactics, as to vie with the oldest veterans.—Had our country been invaded, none I dare say, would have seized the musket more readily in its defence, than our juvenile band. The Citizens of Portsmouth, pleased with our martial spirit, and perfection in military manoeuvres, presented us with an elegant standard—Would to God, we never had dishonored it!

In July 1800, our worthy Captain was necessarily obliged to leave us. The command then devolved on the Lieutenant—Here was the commencement of our degradation: from the zenith of honor and respectability, we have descended to the nadir of disgrace—That martial spirit, which was wont to warm our bosoms, gradually subsided, and our numbers rapidly diminished. As a united Company, we are now in non-existence; the shadow only remains—Our arms have grown rusty by laying useless and neglected; and our uniforms once our pride, are now vended at auction for one third their value! Such disgrace, like a barbed steel, must wound the breast of every real soldier.—Justly we may exclaim:

"O, mores! O, tempora!"—

Philosophically, there cannot be an effect without a cause; therefore some cause must have produced this ignominious effect—The cause is obvious—The Officers, willing to exculpate themselves, very readily impose the whole mass of blame upon our shoulders. They say, we have grown inattentive, careless, and negligent. This is admitted; but what caused our inattention, carelessness and negligence? The answer is obvious; It was the inactivity and negligence of our Officers. When the head is diseased, every member of the human frame shares in the invalidity. Is it then unnatural for soldiers to grow inactive, when their Commanders are defective—By all the irreproachable as to the cause of our disaffection; but Fellow Soldiers, are we as unblamable for remaining so? The means for reparation are in our hands—we ought to use them.—If ambition for the honor of our once respected Corps does not impel us, surely patriotism cannot be wanting. Columbia's bright horizon has lately been obscured with the threatening aspect of war—The duty we owe our Country calls aloud to be ready. Let us rouse then from our lethargy! re-unite our patriotic band, and make a re-election of Officers—then we will burnish our rusty arms; unfurl our dormant standard, and proclaim to the world our firm resolution to maintain the honorable appellation of "True Blues."

A SOLDIER.