Near Dalton [GA]
February 15, 1864
We can & must fight on forever, if need be; we fight for home & liberty; death would be preferable to defeat. They have no such interests at stake – they propose to conquer & to subjugate , and in the effort itself have lost much of their liberty and submitted to usurpations violations of their constitution that I did never before believe a free people would submit to. The longer the struggle continues – the nearer they will approach to despotism.