The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-03
Letter from Capt. Won Minden OF the
First Cavalry.

Letter from Capt. Won Minden Of the
| First Cavalry.
Il We are permitted to make the following
extract Of letter from Capt. HENN1Na
Won MlNDEN, Of the First Company Min
nesota Cavalry, to his wife in this city.
Capt. vow MlNDEN has been truly unfor-
tunate, having been captured by the rebels
twice since he entered the service, the last
time about a month ago, near Fort Dom
elson. His letter is dated Tullahoma,
Tenn, Feb. 18th:
"Through the favor of friend am enabled
to send you few lines. hope you have re-
ceved my last letter which wrote from CO.
lumbia, Tennessee. Our Gen. DAVIES could
not make the exchange proposed to him by
the confederate General FOREST, and therefore /
am compelled to remain prisoner, perhaps
during the war. I arrived here on Sunday last,
together with the following members of the
Second Minnesota, Battery, taken prisoners by
Gen. FORESTS Mounted Sharpshooters on the
9th inst. near Franklin, Tennessee: WILLIAM
KINKEAD, CHRISTIAN DENLINGER, JAS. LANE,
HENRY A. SIMoNDs, Forbes AvERILL and
FRANCIS FLINT. They are all in good health,
and I learn that they will be forwarded to
Vicksburg and paroled. Please have this in
serted in the PIONEER for the benefit Of their
families.
''My way will be to Atlanta, Georgia, where
all the commissioned officers are kept. l have
seen hard times and do not look for better ones,
but l am in good health and will try to make
the best oft. Do not despair, my dear wife,
but keep in good spirits, for everything will
finally turn out well, and rely on Him who
alone has the power to stop this horrid war"
! The New Iron Clad for Western Wa
ters---The Tuscun.bIa.',
Mr.. JOSEPH L. HILIARD, late of St.
Paul, first assistant engineer of the splen-
did new iron-clad Tuscumbia, which is
rapidly approaching completion, and with
all her armament aboard, will soon be rea-
dy to sail to any point indicated by Com.
PORTER, writes to the PIONEER the follow
ing description Of his vessel. Mr.. Hn-
LARD was formerly an engineer on the
gunboat LEXINGTON, but was detached
about the last of February, and ordered to
report to the Tuscumbia:
1.-THE Tuscumbia is the largest of the mon
itors built for the Western waters She has
one stationary turret, 20 by 60 feet, and has
three 11-inch guns, carrying 165 pound balls or
shells, which can be handled so as to fire
through three different port holes in five min
utes. She has also, in her stern, two 9-inch
rified Parrots. for 100 pound balls. Her hull
is 1S5 feet long and 20 feet beam, and draws
| five feet water with all her armament, stores,
coal, &c, aboard
"She has what are called summer and fight
ing quarters for the officers and men. The first
consists ofrooms on the gun-deck and the latter
are below the water line
THE turret is plated with six inch iron
plates, backed with eighteen inches of solid oak
timber, placed different ways of the wood. SO
as to get all the possible strength. The pilot
house is in the turret, so that the Commander
can see the movements of the enemy, and at the
same time direct the movements of the vessel
! duu Ia VI CuC guns. " lilOW tuC CoCdpC vi
gas and smoke the top of the turret is covered
with iron grating two and a half inches thick,
which makes it very cool.
1.-THE hull is covered with three inch iron
| plating. grooved so as to be water tight. The
deck is one inch iron and eight inches wood.
To repel boarders, she is provided with hot
water hose, capable of rejecting scalding
ctro To n I;cto IF tu,o
Tier propelling machinery is ofsuperior finish
and extraordinary strength and is all below the
iron-clad deck, and is constructed upon an en-
tirely new plan, lately approved and adopted
by the navy. She has two cylinders, 80 inches
in diameter, 6 feet stroke, working two power
full side-wheels, % feet in diameter, and II feet
bucket. She is also supplied with two other
cylinders, 20 inches stroke working two screw
propellers feet inches in diameter. She is
| furnished with two small engines for working
the capstan, one forward and the other aft She
has six 28-feet boilers, 40 inches in diameter,
with five fues each, with an auxiliary pumping
engine for filling the boilers. By her pumps
the vessel could be flooded in a short time"
OFFICERS.
LdeMe3stuW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS w, OHlrh,
U. s. A.
First Master.-A. Layton.
Ensigns. james Marshall, John Dunlap, IGeo.
Farrell
Masters Mates.-E. Clark, j. l.. Mickle, Frank
Dunlap.
Chief Gunner.-R. Apologize.
Carpenter j. Conner.
Chief Engineer.-John Haripe-
First A ssistants-Pevey South, Joseph L.
Hilliard.
Second A sststant.-Wiliam Harner.
Third Assistants. Milligan, B. Bull, o.
Cough
| Amount of Revenue Stamps Pur-
chased by Different States.
The following is a statement of tie
amount of stamps purchased by each
State, Territory, and the District of Co.
lumbia, for the months Of September, Oc-
| tobar November. Dacemher. Januarv and