The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-02-21
NEW SERIES-NO. 429
THE KENTUCKY RUBICON.
GEN. MIrCHELL's DIVISION OF 10000 MEN
CROSS GREEN RIVER.

GEN. MIrcHELL's DIVISION OF 10000 MEN
CROSS GREEN RIVER.
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Gazette.
ACROSS GREEN RIVER, Ky.,l
February IL, 1862.
Away from Bacon Greek at last Gen.
Mitchell's division is on the southern side
of Green River, and is ip advance of all
other divisions in the march on Bowling
Green!
On Sunday evening, at about o'clock,
Gen. DumOnt and other commanders of
brigades, the colonies of regiments, the
colonels and captains of batteries, in the
third division, received orders to assemble
at headquarters to meet General Mitchell,
who had arrived from Louisville that day.
Expectation was Immediately on the qu6
0,0e, and when, at about nine o'clock, the
different commanders gave orders to their
respective corps to put themselves in readi-
ness for marching at seven o'clock the next
morning, wild shouts of exultation resoun-
ded throughout the camp. The guards
were taken in from the regimental camps at
various times throughout the night, from
midnight to four A, NJ, and shortly after
sunrise the great portion of the troops were
ready.
The Ninth Brigade Colonel Sill com.
manding), took up the advance; then follow
ed others; and lastly, the magnificent Sev~
enteenth Brigade, General Dumont,)
brought up the rear. The morning was
clear and frosty, and owing to the some.
what unusual severity of the cold, General
Mitchell ordered the march to begin at
eight o'clock, instead of seven, as was des
signed the previous evening.
When the army was fairly in motion,
am sure that in Kentucky the sun never
looked down upon more brilliant scene.
The long lines of the soldiers stretched
away both toward the front and rear, much
further than the bills of Hart county per-
mitted the eye to reach. The brightly po-
lished muskets and bay0nets glittered in
the sun, now fingiug up the light from the
bottom of a valley, now throwing it out !
from amongst the trees, and now sending it /
back to the eye of the beholder from the
crest OF a distant hill. Gay music sounded
at intervals along the line OF the marching
host, and the waving banners aoated proud
ly over their heads. /
The passage continued until far into the.
night. Irode up near the end of the bridge,
upon the farther side, and watched the
passage after nightfall. The moon was
shining, and brightly, too, except that,
occasionally, thin aeecy cloud sailed across
the sky, and intercepted portion of the
light. As there was nothing at the sides.
of the narrow bridge but some light tenn"
porary railing, a foot or two high, it seemed
in the moonlight, as if the mass of human
beings was suspended in air. The long
time occupied in the passage was occasioned
by the wagons, of which only certain
number was permitted to be upon the bridge
at once.
As soon as the foremost platoon reaches
the opposite side, l hear private soldier
enthusiastically excaim, ave have crossed
the Rubicon, and now, Nctory or Death !"
"Yes," replied comrade, " it was for one
or the other that we enlisted !" Such
scene is witnessed but seldom in the life of
any one man.
When the time comes for moving for
ward from this point there will be no diff.
Guilty, as fine macadamized road leads
portion of the way, and the continuance of
good weather will enable US to pass easily
over that part which the rebels have plow-
ed up.
A number of the citizens around Row.
lett's Station, where the Depot was burned
not long. since, we're taken into custody
yesterday, and all passing of our front lines,
for any purpose, was absolutely prohibited.
One OF the gentlemen in limbo says that he
was recently at Bowling Green, and that
the rebels have only about three thousand
men there. Improbable as was this state-
ment, he stuck to it with the utmost perti>
nacity.
1t was reported yesterday that in the
morning about seven o'clock, some rebels
were seen upon distant hills IN our front
but whether this be true or not, it is Ger.
tain that on Sunday night, before we ar.
rived, their scouts advanced to within less
than mile of the bridge. They were seen
by our pickets who, not being attacked,
were very properly forbidden to fire.