_April 30, 1866_.--Here is a single significant fact, from which one may
judge of the character of the American soldiers in this just concluded
war: A gentleman in New York city, a while since, took it into his head
to collect specimens of writing from soldiers who had lost their right
hands in battle, and afterwards learn'd to use the left. He gave
public notice of his desire, and offer'd prizes for the best of these
specimens. Pretty soon they began to come in, and by the time specified
for awarding the prizes three hundred samples of such left-hand writing
by maim'd soldiers had arrived.
I have just been looking over some of this writing. A great many of the
specimens are written in a beautiful manner. All are good. The writing
in nearly all cases slants backward instead of forward. One piece of
writing, from a soldier who had lost both arms, was made by holding the
pen in his mouth.