THE TIM BUNKER PAPERS. 165 



the disordered state of business. While they are rearing 

 the breastworks outside, we must take care of the breast 

 works within, and see that they are well fortified with 

 beef, pork, mutton, bread, potatoes, etc. There isn t quite 

 so much glory attached to this kind of fortification, as 

 there is to gunpowder and musketry, but there is quite as 

 much virtue in it. You see, powder and ball are not 

 worth much after the pork and beef fail. Many more forts 

 have had to surrender for want of provisions than for want 

 of powder. 



Now, the women and young folks don t see this so 

 clearly as men who have smelt the smoke of battle. They 

 go in for the fuss and feathers, and worship the epaulets 

 and military caps, and think these are going to save the 

 country. The real battle-field will be in the rear of the 

 armies, away down in the Gulf States, and north of the 

 Ohio and the Potomac, and the steel that will do most 

 execution is that which furrows the bosom of the peaceful 

 earth, rather than human bosoms. In modern times, the 

 plowshare is the most potent of all military weapons, for 

 it supplies gold to the military chest, powder to cannon, 

 and rears those inward fortifications, without which earth 

 works, fosses, and granite-walls are useless. Every wheat 

 field with its plumed heads is a regiment of soldiers, and 

 every stalk of corn, with its golden ears upon the field of 

 peace, is a sentinel doing duty for the country. 



This is about the pith of public sentiment up here 

 among the old folks, and I send it down for what it is 

 worth. It struck me that there was something in it 

 worth considering, when every man is anxious to get off 

 to the war. It will never do to have an enemy in the 

 rear. You see, I go in for breastworks and fortifications, 

 especially for the inner man. 



Yours to command, 



TIMOTHY BUNKER, ESQ. 



JETookertown, June, 1861. 



