The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-11-14
A southerner ON seces.ia.

F. MONTGOMERY, late editor Of the
Vicksburg (Miss.) Wig, who has recently
come North, gives some interesting partic-
ulars about the condition of the South.
He confirms the impression that the open
ing of the rebellion was attended with the
widest lawlessness on the part of the lead
ers. He says there are many all through
the South who have no sympathy with the
rebellion, but they dare not say Or do any
thing against it. He says the rebels were
terribly depressed at one time, about the
period of the fall of New Orleans, but that
the inactivity into which the Federal Gov
eminent soon after settled, encouraged
them, and they soon after revived and re-
cuperated. Ofthe scale of prices he says:
Army shoes are worth $25, boots $50 to $75
according to quality, coats S75 to 1925, CON-
mon shirts $3.50 u dozen, bacon IS cents per
pound, brown soap 81 per bar, thread 81
$50 per barrel, candles $475 per pound, and
other things in proportion. Salt, which now
brings $50 would be out of the question were
it not for supplies obtained from western Lou
isiana.
They obtain large proportion of sup
plies from Texas, and hence it is important
to hold Vicksburg. They are determined
to hold out heroically at Mobile, also, since
that is the only reliable avenue of commu-
nication between Richmond and the West.
The conscript act has ruined everything in
the shape of private enterprise, and he es-
Inmates the entire number of all who are
in the field at 700, 200. He says the Union
men are holder now than ever before, al
though they hardly hope for reconstruc-
ton of the old Union. Medicines and hos
pital supplies generally are very scarce.
Their railroads are greatly crippled, from
the want of facilities for keeping the roll
ling stock and tracks in repair.
Provisions and medicines being 50 scarce,
the amount of sickness in the army is enor-
nous, and it has become proverbial there
that the hospital is but the ante-room to
the grave. No one dare refuse to take the
shinplaster money that prevails. He gives
an account Of the injuries that were sus-
tanned by the gunboat Arkansas when she
run the gauntlet to Vicksburg, and says
she was terribly punished. She lost ten
killed and had as many wounded. His de-
scription of the bombardment of Vicks-
burg is interesting, and we append the en-
tire paragraphs:
BOMBARDMENT OF VICKsBURG.
On learning that the fleet had started
ont from New Orleans, and that the city
was to be defended, large majority of the
citizens Immediately removed their house
hold effects to the interior. The merchants
and traders did the same with their stocks,
and it was curious and lively scene to see
the streets and roads lined with these NOV
ables. Fabulous prices were paid for teams,
and planters adjoining the city enjoyed a
fine harvest by assisting in this general
evacuation. The country for miles around
was soon dotted with camps of every de-
scription, from the camp made OF brush to
the more pretentiOus one erected by throw
ing carpets over stakes previously driven
in the ground. The general impression
was that the city would be captured the
first day of the bombardment, the object
in moving being to save life and await the
hour when the fatal blow should be struck.
The result was that they were compelled
to remain in this condition for three months,
during which time there was more or less
shelling every day.
The city itself presented desolate APP
pearance The Smelling not being contin-
uous gave an opportunity to those who re-
mained-quite a number-to attend to
their domestic affairs, after which they
gave their attention to the bOmbardment.
The women and children congregated in
the rear of the hills, and quietly awaited
the result. On the opening of an engage
ment, a terrific report caused by firing the
mortars would be heard, which would
cause the windows of the tenantless hous-
es to rattle, followed by a moment of ST.
lence, when the roar of the approaching
shell could be heard growing more and
more distinct until the sound resembled a
train of railroad cars, when the shell would
suddenly dash into building with the We
locity of lightning, bury itself ten feet I'M
der the surface of the earth, and explode
with a noise like thunder, heaving up
large mass of earth, tearing up the floor
and otherwise injuring the building, but
not totally destroying the house. While
this was going ON the shells would be con
tinually kissing and roaring around, some
bursting in the air, the pieces striking roofs
and breaking windows, others striking the
hills and consequently falling harmless, the
whole preseting picture terrible to be-
hold, and impossible to describe. Most of
the shells from Capt. Porter's mortars
Com Farragut's fleeD fell without explod-
ing, while those from the upper fleet (Com.
Davis0 almost invaribly exploded.
Of the percussion shells fired scarcely
any exploded. They were opened and the
powder extracted, quite an important
item as powder was $4OO pound. Some
of the shots fired by the lower fleet were
extraordinary, and quite astonishing to the
beholders. Several conical shells fell in
the cemetery, located two miles northeast
of the city, and distance some five or six
miles from the boat that fired them. A