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Plano Kendall Co. Ills.
March 1st 1863.
Worthy Governer. Sir I beg leave to call your attention for a few minutes to a few lines that I take the liberty to write you
We are now liveing in a cricis that thatens to blot our long Boasted Government out of existence, we are in the midst of Rebels and traitors, whose combined efforts rack this Government from center to circumfrence. There are traitors in the South in open Reblion. and there is trators here like the snake in the grass. There is men in this section of the country who are sympathizers with the South and claim to be loyal men but
are opposed to the Draft and say that if they must fight that they will fight at home. Now in times like this there can be no rideing the fence. A man must be on one side or the other. There is but two classes one for the Union and the other against it, There is a strong proberbility of the draft takeing place ere long, and many tremble with alarm. But before the draft goes into effect I think some of the Volenteers had better be looked up I known of persons that enlisted and got the county bounty and twenty five $25 of the Government bounty and one monthy pay. and then came home sick and they are here yet and able to work and look as hardy as man could wish and you talk with them and they will tell you
that they are not going back into the ranks but say they are not discharged or wish to be and they say that they have no furlough. Now what is to be done with such men, are they to be suffered to remain at home, and oblige others to be drafted I hop not I that they ought to be looked up. I have consulted some men in regard to such persons and have got no exact decision and I thought I would ask of you, who I could report such persons to. that their case may be considered and either be discharged or return to the ranks. there are many in our ranks, that went for the sake of the bounty. and I was one that helped to pay the county Bounty and at the same time I thought that it was a wrong move, but the majority rules and so I payed the tax
Mar 1,1863
I think that if the last 300000 men had been Drafted that it would have put truer men in the field, because there was to much money at stake they went and Enlisted for the mighty Dollar not to Defend our Stars and Stripes.
I see from the papers that there will be a Provost Martial appointed in each Congressional District to look after such as Desert and oppose the Draft, I am willing to do all that I can fo the speedy prosecution of this war and I have offered my service as a Soldier and on account of a hurt when a Boy I was rejected. my business is farming and I can stand as many hard kocks as any man of my heft and I think that I could stand it in the ranks.
Now if I can be of any service to my country in any way, I am willing to Drop my business and aid the old Ship of State. If you can think of any use that you can make of me I would be glad to receive the appointment. I would like firstrate to see some of the Deserters come to terms. I presume that if I should be Drafted that I would be rejected still I considered myself sound, but one limb is a little out of shape by a horses falling with me when a Boy.
Why is that Dirty Rebel Sheet the Chicago Times not Silenced.
If it is not to much trouble and you deem it worthy, I would lik an answer from this
Fraternally Yours,
Byron E Shonts
Byron E Shonts
Plano Kendall Co Ills
March 1 "63.
Wishes a position in the army. says there are a number of deserters in his county and a large number of the citizens are southern sympathizers
Deserters