It’s No Secret Anymore

“Pleas keep this secret read it to no stranger”

WITHOUT the niceties of modern spelling and punctuation, in 1863, during the American Civil War, William H. Morey wrote this introductory warning from Acquia Creek, Virginia, to his young wife, Elisa Ann, in Pennsylvania. He was 24 years old, recently married, and an enlisted soldier from Hanover Township, Pennsylvania. He was fighting on the side of the North, the Union. His enemies? Other Americans who supported the Confederacy of southern states that had seceded from the Union, alleging Federal (northern) interference from Washington, D.C., in their economic affairs. What did Morey want kept secret? We will soon see, but first some background information.

The American Civil War erupted in 1861 after seven southern states broke away from the Union, soon to be followed by four more. These 11 formed the Confederacy. The continuance of slavery was one of the principal issues between the North and the South. It was argued by the wealthy southern planters that the North could afford to abolish slavery, since its economy was sustained by thousands of European immigrants. The southern economy, however, based on cotton, needed its nearly four million slaves in order to prosper. At least, that is what they believed.

What did President Abraham Lincoln believe? He wrote in August 1862: “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves, I would do it: and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it.” Shortly after this, on January 1, 1863, Lincoln announced freedom for all slaves under rebel control. This struck a tremendous economic blow to the southern slave owners, who, as they viewed it, lost “several billion dollars’ worth of slave property” without any compensation.

That dreadful civil war cost the lives of at least 618,000 young Americans during the years 1861-65, in addition to many more wounded​—more American casualties than in any other war. William Morey found himself embroiled in this conflict when he wrote his diary and his secret letter on January 25, 1863. As a common soldier, what were his secret conclusions about the war?

An Embittered Letter

He opens his letter by thanking his wife for “that tobacco and other things” that she had sent him and then writes: “I believe and see that this ware [war] is a hole humbug and a money making war everybody tries to make the moste money and that is the only thing that keeps this war a going and now we see how this ware goes if I only was at home again I would knock the first man down if he asked me to enlist again we are kept here like dogs many a dog is kept better than we are and I tell [you] if I only had my money for these 4 months I would try and run away we are kep worser every day.”a

He explained where they were stationed: “It is a very nice place and a very nice view you can se the boats come on the potomac [river] . . . here we are working some days verry hard loading the [rail] cars and only half enough to eat a great many of our boys talk of runing away if they only had there money . . . we are only marching and doing hard duty all the time.”

Even so, these privations were as nothing compared to those suffered by the men in combat. In one battle, southern general D. H. Hill lost 2,000 of his 6,500 men. He wrote: “It was not war, it was murder.” (Gray Fox, by Burke Davis) The conditions of conscription in the North and the South were such that those with money could get an exemption or buy their way out of military service. Some poorer ones in the South complained that it was a “rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight.” Corporal Morey was paid a bounty to serve in the war, and with the proceeds he set up a bakery.

Those who ended up in prison camps, such as Andersonville, Georgia, were often subjected to dreadful conditions. “A sluggish stream ran through it. The disease and death rates were enormously high, with poor sanitation, crowding, exposure, and inadequate diet contributing to the unhealthful conditions.” (Andersonville, a brochure) Even worse was the murderous, plundering treatment meted out by gangs of petty criminals, called Raiders, who were also prisoners. They promoted an “orgy of plunder and violence.” From one cause or another, at least 12,920 soldiers died at Andersonville.

In 1995, is mankind any further ahead? Have the lessons of history been learned? The terrible massacres in Rwanda, Liberia, the Balkans and many other places of conflict are recent examples of man’s inhumanity to man. Catholic and Orthodox believers, while claiming to be Christian, have failed to live up to the loving example of Christ Jesus. Only Jehovah’s Witnesses have maintained their neutrality and refused to learn or practice war anymore. And that is no secret.​—Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3.

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