The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-02-28
Arrival at Chicago Of the Rebel PrlsO-
ners Taken at Fort DonelsOn.

Arrival at Chicago Of the Rebe. Prlso-
ners Taken at Fort Donelson.
Last Thursday night detachment of
about three thousand rebel prisoners ar
rived at Camp Douglas, Chicago, and on
Friday there was great rush of citizens to
get a look at the lions, but thousands were
disappointed, as none were allowed admis-
sion without passes from the commanding
officer of the post. The reporters of the
papers were allowed to circulate freely among
the prisoners, and from the papers we CLEAN
some interesting incidents:
Everything passed quietly with the pris
oners along the entire route from st. Louis
to Chicago, and at only one point were
they insulted or abused. This was at a
station where they met an attachment of
Eastern cavalry, number of whom being
intoxicated, assailed the train with bricks
and stones, breaking the car windows and
iDjuring their inmates. They also chased
the cars for some distance after they had
started, seemingly determined to wreak
their vengeance upon the helpless prisoners.
The names of the regiment should be pub
lished, and the perpetrators of the act pun
lshed as they so richly deserve.
APPEARANCE OF THE PRISONERS.
Viewed from the distance, the varied and
grotesque costumes of the captives present.
ed most novel sight. In approaching the
prisoners they looked very much like vast
throng of gipsies, having blankets of all
colors, few of them fantastic ponchos
made of fragments of carpeting and bed
quilts, sent to them as winter clothing by
rebel families in Secessia. Their garments
are of every possible pattern and descrip-
tion. No two are alike, and taken as q
whole, they wear the most nondescript ap.
parel. But, for all their unsightly cloth
ing, their valueless blankets, and their
worthless shoes and hats, we assert that the
visitor is impressed with the belief that
THEIR INTELLIGENCE AND PERSONAL BEARING
Has been too greatly and frequently mis-.
represented. There may indeed be some
who are wretchedly ignorant and rough ;
there may be few who are unkempt, un-
cultivated, and savage in semblance but
most of them are excessively unlike the
popular notion of dark>haired, black.
eyed, revengeful southron. Personal inter-
view with any of the prisoners will satisfy
the doubter that the common soldiers are
intelligent, shrewd, and endowed with no
ordinary amount of decision of character.
INCIDENTS, ETC.
They were uniformly courteous in their
intercourse with visitors--much more so,
we regret to say, than few blackg1ards
who visited them. The Tennessee men
whom we met invariably said that they had
had enough of fighting, and if they could
be liberated would at once settle down to a
quiet life. Many expressed wish to set
tie in Illinois. The Mississipians, when
interrogated, simply said that they would
wait till they" got well out of this scrapa"
before they said anything about it-their
air and bearing, though courteous, betoken'
fight, and carry it to the bitter end.
One OF the captives, German of fine
form, and used to war from his childhood,
sought out captain in Col. Vass' Cavalry
Regiment almost Immediately upon entering
camp, and made known his desire to enlist.
A little, three. .foot.six fellow, apparently
about thirteen years old, was in one of the
regiments. Some one suggested that he
must be drummer, or something of that
sort. mo, sir" said he, 1 shoulder a
musket by G." He had certainly at
tained to maturity in profanity, il in moth
ing else.
A laughaole incident occurred, which
will perhaps teach the offender that rebel
may be as quick at repartee as any other
man. A soldier had given Scotch bon-
net to rebel who had lost his headgear.
An officer of the Scotch regiment, who
chanced to notice it, commenced bantering
him about digracing Scotch bonnet by
placing it on rebels head. "Thank God!''
exclaimed the rebel, "It is only matter
of necessity. l had rather be in h-ll than
be Scotchman! p" That officer suddenly
came to the conclusion that he had busi-
ness in some other part of the camp.
Some few of the prisoners We have heard,
still appear to harbor sort of bitterness Of
spirit towards our people and institutions.
1t is related that last evening citizen who
was talking with squad from Tennessee,
overheard the following dialogue between a
tall, lank, Texan and a short stub-shot spe--
cimen from Alabama.
1sram-Weli, Bill, I've changed my opin-
ion of the Northern people since came
among them. 1 used to think they were all
cannibals, but I see they are not. I've
changed-l havel
BM-Well, perhaps yow have changed,
but / have not, and never will. I think as
highly of the cursed Yankees now as I ever
did-but no higher.
The Providence To,.rool wonders If