The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-04-25
From Gen. Halleck's Army
GRADUAL ADVANCE OF OUR TROOPS.

CAIRO, April Isl have JUST arrived
from Pittsburg. The steamer City OF
Memphis reached Paducah last evening,
from Pittsburg, with seven hundred wound
ed. She was sent to Louisville. Among
the wounded was Captain w. H. Polk,
nephew of exaPresident Polk, who partici.
ted in the battle and was severely wounded
in the leg. The surgeons held consultation
on the passage down, and decided to ampu.
tate. Just as We passed the mouth OF Duck
river, at noon yesterday, we discovered q
row of burning buildings, and large num-
Der of Confederate troops upon high land in
the rear. A short distance below we dis
covered the steamer Minnehaha round to-
and lying along the banks with white hand
kerchiefs and flags flying from her hurricane
deck.
Upon inquiry we learned that she had
been fred into by rebel cavalry, near where
the buildings were burning, and one man
was severed wounded. The soldiers on the
steamer landed and set fire to the house
whence the volley was sent, but could not
reach the rascaIs. The Patten was also
fred into about noon today; no one hurt.
The rebels very siugularly respected our
hospital flag and allowed Us to proceed un'
moested.
There was o slight skirmish day or two
since, outside our picket lines, in the direc
ton of Corinth, between some United
States cavalry and battalion OF Texas
Rangers, in which two of the enemy were
killed and two taken prisoners,
General Mitchell, a few days after leay~
IL i,
tur and burned the bridge of the Memphis
and Charleston railroad, which spans the ri
yer at that point. He tore up the track for
mile or more on either side of the iennes-
see and then marched his forces to Flor
ence, where he destroyed another bridge
The timbers of both structures, blackened
and charred by fire, are continually floating
past Pittsburg.
General Sherman moved bis division on
Wednesday, two miles farther into the in
terror, and after sharp skirmish, in which
the enemy was defeated with loss of fifty
or sixty killed, and about as many wound
ed, succeeded in maintaining his position.
l believe it is the intention of General
Halleck to advance slowly and surely, and
particularly to guard against surprises. No
such disgraceful and ineXcusabe blunders
as those perpetrated on Sunday will again
happen while he is in command. The ex>
citement against certain officers is intense,
and charges have been preferred which will
saddle the responsibility OF the slaughter
where itrightly belongs.
The roads west of Pittsburg are execra~
BILE, but are rapidly drying under the inHu
ences of the hot Southern sun. A battle is
imminent, and cannot long be delayed.
Information from Cornth to the 18th
yesterday reached Savannah and is
deemed reliable. The person referred to
says that the rebels consider the affair of
Sunday and Monday as one of unequalled
brilliancy, and it is producing wonderful eff
fects upon the people. The movement fur
nishes incontestible evidence that the Yan-
KEGS are not invulnerable. The Southern
heart is fred, and reiniorcements are pour
ing upon Beauregard at an unexampled
rate. He has 100000 men at his command
and is certifying Corinth, building intrench-
ments, digging rife pits, constructing abat
It's of trees, &c. The rebels entertain no
doubt of success next time if the encounter
be provoked. We lost Ii pieces Of artil-
lery in the late battle, and captured fif>
teen.
Gen. Smith is dangerously i'll at Savan-
nah, and his recovery is doubtful.
The wounded in the hospital at Savan.
nah are dying at the rate of eight or ten
daily.
There is no foundation for the report of
General Prentiss' es'ape. The greater part
of the Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth
Iowa, Fifteenth Illinois, and Twenty >third
Missouri were captured with him. A rebel
prisoner who accompanied Prentiss' divis-
ion to COrinth as one of the guards tells me
this.
The steamer Planet arrived Paducah
this morning with the 2lst Ohio en- route
for Fort Donelson. This is one of the re-
giments which disgraced the the State on
the 9th. Their colors have been taken
from them, and they are ordered to relieve
our decimated Illinois regiments from guard
duty there.
VIM. Nelson Of Taylor's battery, died
last night at Mound City. There is mark
ed difference in the treatment OF rebel and
Union wounded officers. Captain Polk,
of the rebel army, was. by special direction
of DR.. Simons, of the U. s A., taken into
the cabin of the steamer City Of Memphis.
and treated with the utmost attention, and
fed upon wines and delicacies, and made the
recipient of attentions from nurses, while
our own officers of equal rank were COM
PEELED to lie on the wards and subsist upon
pilot bread. DR.. Simons is directly respcn-
sible for this state of affairs. He is q ma.
tive of South Carolina. His course is meet.
ing with the severest condemnation on the
part OF army surgeons and others.
CAIRO, April l8.-Oolonel Kirkham
brought into Paducah this morning, two
rebel sympathizers, who have been making
secession speeches in Southern Illinois and
advising rebellion on the part of the Egypa