Return to Mississippi Soldiers in the Civil War
Edward Fontaine,
Diary, May 11, 1865
I am in a state of intense anxiety to know what will be our fate as a nation. Our armies are disbanded on this side of the Mississippi. I suppose that they will be also surrendered on the other side of the river, unless the nations of Europe come to our rescue. If I could have issued the necessary orders for invading the north when I advised it last year, the power of our enemies would have been overthrown. Now without a Northern revolution, or Foreign intervention I see no hope for the South for many dismal years. I fear that God has ceased to work miracles. He certainly seems now to be on the side of our oppressors. We are in our last struggle & without his almighty aid the Southern Confederacy will cease to exist in the next four months, and no monuments will be erected by this Generation for the graves of the hundreds of thousands of our heroes who have fallen in the defence of our native land, no provision will be made for the support of the widows and orphans of these martyrs of liberty, & no pensions will be given to the maimed myriads of the patriot soldiers, who “with half their limbs”lopped off will wander as helpless beggars over their subjugated country. While our enemies insultingly exalt over the glorious battle fields where our greatest defenders died in vain. O thou Almighty Ruler of Nations who blest our fathers with thy direction and defence in their war for the independence of the British Colonies in America — be now our Sword & Shield! See how our enemies triumph! See how our mighty have fallen, and our weapons of war perished. O come to our help and deliver us through our Almighty Savior. Raise up some great Deliverer for us that we may soon praise Thee as our Country’s Savior — Amen.
John K. Bettersworth and James W. Silver, ed. Mississippi in the Confederacy, p. 358.