The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-07-18
Important Statement Of a Refugee from
Richmond.


Gently of Holly Springs, Mississippi, who
was Impressed into the rebel service at the
beginning Of the war, and since the battle
OF Bull Run, has been acting as Assistant
Surgeon in the rebel army, reached here to
day. He had persistently refused to take
the oath of allegiance to the rebel govern
ment, but was compelled to do so on Tuess
day LIST. He was detailed in charge of
twenty FIVE ambulances filed with wounded
to go to Lyuchburg. Being possessed of
the couutersign, be determined to take ad.
vantage of the existing confusion and get
away. He bribed negro in Richmond to
swap clothes with him, and after passing the
pickess by means Of the countersign, he
tramped to Fredericksburg and got in-
to the lines of the Union army at that
point. He has had a good opportunity to
observe the condition of affairs in rebeldom.
He states that the entire male population
of the South, between the ages of fifteen
and forty, have been forced into the army.
The CONSUMPTION there is reality. Mum.
bers who are in arms are doing duty IN
willingly, and would gladly get away from
the tyranny OF the Davis autocracy. DR..
Oliver has been in Richmond for the last
two months. The rebel forces in Virginia
is estimated at fully two hundred and Fifty
thousand. They admit loss OF twenty>
five thousand in the recent battles. They
are subsisting on what is termed half "a.
lions, by which is meant only the substans
tials, without any OF the small stores. They
have an abundance Of bacon, rice, and corn,
but no salt, nor coffee, nor other small
stores that go to make up a soldiers ra-
lions. Since the occupation of the Missis-
sippi by the Federal forces, cutting off com
munication with Texas, their supplies of
beet are brought from Florida, where there
is an abundance of wild cattle. The stock
OF whiskey is pretty we'll exhausted.
Dr. Oliver says the greatest depression be
observed was produced by the intelligence
that President Lincoln had called out three
hundred thousand additional troops. The
opinion prevailed that if these troops should
be promptly furnished the rebel game would
be ended. They have exhausted their res
sources for soldiers, and would be unable to
contend against fresh army of that size
Their only hope is that this call will not be
promptly responded to by volunteers, but
that there will be sufficient delay to afford
an opportunity for foreign Intervention be-.
fore they are forced to give it up.
DR.. Oliver says the reoel plan of fighting
is not with reserves, but by retreats in the
field, and that in every battle regiments
are regularly relieved by fresh troops,
after having fought for a little while.
In this way it was hoped to wear out and
tire down the troops uuder Mcclellan. 1t
Is seldom that the same regiments have been
allowed to engage twice in the same battle.
The rebels have concentrated nearly all their
available troops at Richmond, except so
much of Beauregard's army as stopped at
Charleston, and about thirty.fve thousand
of the same army left 10 Mississippi. The
rebels are terribly afraid of our gunboats.
They reckon one gunboat equal to whole
division on land. They admit that the re-
cent movement of Gen. Mcclellan was a
mastery stroke of policy, and that bis pres
ent position is infinitely stronger than the
one be abandoned. 1t is his impression that
no further attack will be made upon him
where be is. The rebels are sending their
wounded and prisoners to the interior.
There is no room for them in Richmond,
and medical stores are exceedingly scarce.
DR.. Oliver was obliged to dress wounds
and amputations with only cold water and
bandages.
The reported death Of Stonewal jackson
is untrue. DR. Oliver saw him alive and
we'll in Richmond en- Tuesday night. JEFF
Davis went to Raleigh to see bic family.