The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-12-06


From ne Cineinnas Commercial " ~
We have very late and perfectly trust-
worthy information direct from East 1en>
neesee, and Indirectly from other portions
Of the South. We shall not particularize
the channels through which this informa-
ton is received, but give. our word that We
know them to be worthy the most absolute
confidence. n
The Union men Of East Tennessee were
never more loyal and hopeful than now.
They stand dauntless and incorruptible, and
it there is any change they are becoming
more ardent and confident in the good cause
of national unity and free government,
which they regard as one and inseparable,
now and forever. The secessionists whisper
that their attempted revolution must end in
q failure. fs2i
1t is true, as rumored for few days, that
there are camps of Union men in Tennes.
see, twelve hundred in one, and seven hun
dred in another, each man with his rifle and
pound of powder, and corresponding
quantity of balls, and regarding his powder
as far more precious than gold. 10 the late
bridge burning three important bridges in
Tennessee and two in Georgia were entire,
~ destroyed, and two or three Others great>
" damaged The roads were 10 bad order
before the bridges were burned, and the
rolling stock is in bad condition. It will
be impossible for the road to be so far re-
paired as to permit the passage OF trains
in less than month. The loyal East Ten
nesseeans were hourly expecting federal
army to force its way through Cumberland
Gap, and, if vigorous advance had been
made there, the capture of Zollikofer's ar
my would have been ABSOLUTELY certain.
Not man could have escaped. Zol ikof.
fer's effective force 10 Kentucky has not at
any tina exceeded seven thousand men, and
be cannot now muster six thousand. The
number of secesh troops guarding the East
Tennessee railroad when the bridges were
burned was less than eight hundred.
If after the battle of Wildcat our troops
had pushed vigorously forward, the loyal
East Tennesseans would have taken possess
sion of the Railroad, and held il for their
own use instead of destroying it; and they
would have taken large amount OF pro-
visions and military stores cole ted at
Knoxville and other points, for the use of
the rebel army. The falling back of the
Cumberland Gap Expedition will have q
most distressing effect, and will probably
cause the ruin of many OF those who lave
committed themselves in arms against the
JET. Davis despotism. At the very time
when the devoted Unionists were expecting
to see the bayonets of the United States
troops glittering in the passes of their
mountains, they will hear of the disastrous
march away from them, which has already
been described at length in these columns.
The sturdy loyalty Of the East Tenness
seeans appears ia the returns Of the recent
Confederate election for President and Vice
President and members of Congress. In
ROane county, where two thousand votes
are usually given, less than three hundred
and fifty were polled. John Baxter Sub
| mission Union man, THAT is, one who is in
favor of the Union, but looks upon the re :
bellion as an accomplished fact,) run for
the Confederate Congress in Maynard's
| district, thinking the Unionists would sup
port and elect him, rather than permit the
! election OF an ultra Secessionist. The Un
ion men had about eight thousand MAORI
! ty 10 the district, bat refused to vote, and
| the Secessionists had very small, but
nearly unanimous vote. In Knox county,
where the Union men had three thousand
two hundred votes, Baxter, the Submis-
sionist, received but eighty votes. The
Union men would have nothing to do with
the election, but treated it with contempt.
In many places, the polls were not opened,
| II
cast. -
! The lines between the Union men and the
Secesh are very sharply drawn. Every
man knows whom he may trust and whom
he must distrust. The devotion OF the
Union people to the government is unaIter
able, and many touching proofs OF it are
given. We are told of men more than sew
enty years of age, acting as guides on the
mountains 10 the night for those whom
they knew to be the friends Of the govern
ment The women will not take money tor
any assistance they may render the Union
men. Gases are mentioned in which poor
women whose husbands are exiles, have with
tears in their eyes refused to touch gold Of
| lered and urged upon them for provisions
| furnished those who were labOring 10 the
cause of the Union. One lady who was
reused at midnight to prepare meal for d
party OF Union men, was told, 10 order tC
induce her to accept gold piece as com.
pensatiOn for her trouble, that the gold was
not from their own pockets but from tn
treasury of the United States. She burst
into tears and refused to accept it more ear
nestly than ever, saying she could not take
tue money OF the government for any poor
service she could render. This 3oOr
woman's husband and sons we're exiles
Are these people to be abandoned to their
enemies now in the hour of their utmost
need M ss 3 So a sea .sas;sAs
There is undoubtedly powerful reaction
in North Carolina against the disunionsts
1t would not be surprising to hear, at any
time of most determined Union movement
in that quarter. The Union men of North
Carolina and north Alabama arc in com
munication with those Of East Tennessee.
Very few troops were sent to Virginia
during the autumn months. The last de-
tachments that went forward over the Ten
nessee railroad was body of eight hun.
dred Georgians, who bad been without