The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-04-18
WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT


Says OF Our Army.
The career of RUSSELL in this country
has closed and be has sailed for England,
without having had an opportunity Of wit.
Messing a single battle, excepting at Bull
Run, and there from q distance that pre-.
cluded anything like fair portrayal Of it's
scenes. He has uttered many biting sar.
casms, provoked doubtless by the ignorance
and imbecility that marked the commence
ment of the war, and rendered himself
odious to the American people, but there is
reason to believe that bis later impressions
OF our army are as favorable as could be
wished.
His last letter to the London Times is
written in much better spirit than some
of its predecessors, although he adheres to
the Times view, that the real, ultimate sue.
cess aimed at by the Government is impos>
sible.
He thus describes brigade of F1rz JOHN
PoRrER's division, now before Yorktown {,
"By the time we reached the camp of
General Morell's brigade the regiments
were just turning out for evening dress pa.
rade. The camps were in excellent order,
though the late gales had committed havoc
on the pretty evergreen archways and pro-
tee, g lines OF transplanted pines-not only
these but with the great observatory
fl On which one used to have such fine
..tw Of the surrounding scenery. The l4th
New York were marching out in columns
of companies from the streets to their pa
rade ground, and nothing could be better
than the way in which they took up their
ground ana the steadiness of their line.
Th:y are young, robust men, considerably
exceeding the average height, we'll uniform.
ed and armed with rifles. Next to them
came one of the finest regiments, taking
them all in all, have yet seen-the Oh
Massachusetts, all Irish, from the Colonel
to the drummers. Their regimental flag
displayed the harp and the wreath of sham
rocks in gold on green ground. The men
were very steady and marched with the
precision of we'll trained troops. Next in
line came Pennsylvania regiment, which
is highly spoken Of; but it was not so well
sized as either of the Others. There were
many men exceeding six feet, some over
six feet three and even four inches; but
there were also some round shouldered, ILL
set>up men. Still never were steadier look
ing troops seen on parade All these troops
were armed with excellent new rifles. and
General Morell has certainly as fire materi-
ais 10 his hand as ever were moulded into
soldiers"
OF the labors that have accumulated and
prepared these materials, Russell thus
speaks:
General Mcclellan can never lose the
credit of having taken the volunteer masses
in hand and formed them into an army, of
inspiring them with confidence, and instill-
ing into them the principles OF soldierly life
and discipline; and, whatever comes, be has
earned and deserved, whether he gets it or
not, the praise and gratitude of his fellow.
countrymen for doing that which, to be fully
understood in all its magnitude, ought to be
witnessed by one who beheld Washington in
the last week of July, and who can now
ride through its streets or visit the camps
on the Potomac. Much is due to the zeal
of the men who started out of the clouds
and darkness that rested on the land after
the battle of Manassas. Senators like
Baker and Wilson raised regiments, drilled
them, and marched them into the field, and
the Puritan spirit of New England gave a
vigorous earnestness of purpose to the work
of war which had fretted and chafed against
the restraints of prudence or the SUCCESS
tons of military knowledge"
A correspondent of the Journal of Com.
merce, writing from Washington says:
"One word more about Mr.. w. II. Rus
sell, and I will let him 60 in peace.
Those who have read his letters know very
well that be has written disparagiugly of the
American army; now let me tell you what
he said, in the sincerity of bis heart, to a
friend of mine. A Pennsylvania regiment
was passing bis window and the twain were
looking at the troops, whereupon Mr.. Rus
sell spoke in substance as follows 80 Not
in England or France, rot in Italy, Russia
or India have even seen such we'll propora
toned or healthy men, and all things consd>
cred, such splendid materials for an army
as are presented by that regiment, which is
in reality only an average specimen of the
American forces generally. The common
food of your troops, is such as no European
soldiers ever receive, and what is wasted in
your camps would feed an immense army
under the economical management of
French or Russian Generals; and while
few European soldiers receive more than
sixpence per day, the rank and file of the
American army receive the princely pay of
thirteen dollars per month. And consider
ing the short time that your army has been
in existence, its present efficiency is to me a
MARVEL These opinions we're sincere and
not uttered for effect, and it is pity, for
bis own sake, that Mr.. Russell did not
write more frequently in this strain"
A Few JUDGES LEFT IN AMERICA