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

corporals and reporters all stand equal /; one
of the Fourteenth died on the roadside, 9th.
ers were only kept alive BY whisky and
other stimulants. As we scaled the bills
of Wild Gut, once the scene of glorious
victory, but now the silent witnesses and
only monuments of dying soldiers, that
struggling column halted along the road
side and in the woods for rest. Some sunk
down in the mud without ambition enough
to light fire, and were awakened the next
morning by the big drops of drenching
storm pattering upOn their faces. 1t res
quired twenty4four horses to pull 6-pound
cannon over that frightful road; horses
gave out and were abandoned. have not
the slightest donbt that one hundred horses
were ruined that night. In f0rding the
Rockcastle, fearfully swollen and rapid,
three ammunition wagons, containing $4,000
rounds, belonging to the Fourteenth and
Seventeenth Ohio, we're lost. Two baggage
wagons and horses, belonging to the
Tennessee brigade, were lost one wagon,
belonging to the Thirty~eighth Ohio, was
lost; how many more we cannot tell. Be-
.yOnd, the road became worse: dozen
teams stuck beyond the power of Hercules
to remove them. Barrels of provisions and
stores were thrown into the road, even as
they Tighten sinking ship. Such destruo.
ton of Government property has not oc-
CURED since the war began. Officers gave
up their horses to the failing, and carried
the guns and knapsacks OF the stronger.
Your correspondents horse carried sick
fellow and the accOutrements OF four Oth-
ers. Sometimes we rode double, with an
unfortunate soldier upon the crupper. Ma
jors and Colonies took up camp followers
on their horses, and did all they could to re.
lieve the horrors of the march. The three
Ohio Colonies were sick at starting, and
one, Colonel Steedman, kept on his horse
till be became raving crazy. Colonel Brad.
ley had not been out of mis- bed for fort
night. How many of these men will be
sacrificed in life and health, who can tell
Just before we reached Mount Vernon,
messengers galiopea back with the tidings
that the Tennessee and Kentucky troops
were ordered back to Camp Calvert, but
still 40 order came to halt that wearied CO.
lumn, and no efforts we're made to procure
them hot provisions and rest no, they must
toll on, even to the death. But the Ten
nesseeans and Kentuckans being more out
spoken, they were permitted to return.
At Mount Vernon, six poor fellows lit
fire at the bottom of tree, and sunk to
sleep. On and on they slept until the bot
tom of that huge tree was burned of, and
it came crushing down upon them, killing
two and wounding four. / omitted to men,
ton in its proper place, that large quauti.
ties Of provisions. and, am informed, over
twenty tons OF ammunition were left be.
hind at Camp Calvert--a rich and tempt
ing prize for Zollikofer, or anybody else
within coming distance.
The moral effects of this countermarch
was one of its worst features. TIE nouns
taineers of Kentucky regard it as retreat,
and the prestige of the victory at Wildcat
is turned against us. We trust that Gen.
Buell., the new commander in Kentucky,
may soon convince them, by terrible on.
slaught on the rebels, that the retreat was
not inspired by fear, but was wise militia
ry maneuvre to accomplish their defeat in
a more summary manner. We only fear
that the people of East Tennessee may
eventually become tired Of" hoping against
hope" for deiiverance, and may finally ac>
Guiesce 10 the reign of JEFF. DAVIS.