The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-31
NEW SERIES-NO. 5O4

many have supposed, nor yet are they in
eIectlve on account of their simplicity.
Inc principal defences are on the river
side.
They comprise seventeen separate EN-.
brasures, mostly built in an arc of a circle.
!hey are hnely rivetted, and command all
the approaches by way of the river. In
three OF them pivot guns were mounted,
which were used both for front and rear.
Two magazines, all above ground, one in
the rear OF The battery of eight and ten
inch guns, and below the flagstaff. which
is raised in the centre of the work on the
river front. The rest of the magazines
are under ground
The land breastworks are built ia the
ordinary manner on the outer side. They
extend in semi-circular direction from riv-
ert to river for distance of near seven
miles.
Inside they have narrow ditch, with
small caves dug out from it, in which the
men slept and sheltered themselves from
our fire. On the southern extremity they
are very well built; but on the northern
end they were not built until the recent
investment, and hence are nothing but
rifle pits.
There are few houses, church, two
or three stores and shops and livery
stable, and these originally constituted the
town of Port Hudson.
These buildings are close up to the riv-
er batteries, separated from them by a
broad street. The hospitals were in ra-
vines. Everything within the works bears
ample proof of the terrific bombardment
the place has suffered
Great trees lie across the road and in
the area, felled by solid shot and shell,
buildings are riddled with round shot,
dead animals fill the air about some of the
ravines with horrible effluvia, while shot
and fragments of shell are strewn every
where
Several pieces of these fragments of
she'll were found, besides boxes of misshap-
en- bullets which had been fred into the
place. An officer remarked that in one
day he saw three car loads of this debris
being c&rted away.
After the ceremony was over, General
Weitzel was presented with fine chestnut
stallion by rebel officer who was former
ly his pupil at West Point.
The General had several classmates and
pupils among the officers of the garrison,
and they all seemed glad to revive the
days long gone by, when they enjoyed
that union OF hearts and hands which a
strange fanaticism has now severed.
GEN. GARDNER
is man of about forty-five apparently.
tall and erect, with well-developed dark
brown beard and moustache, and of quite
a martial bearing
When the ceremonies of formal sur
render were over, he came, in COMPANY
with Gen. Stone, to make call on Gen.
Augur, on his way to the headquarters of
Gen. Banks. He and his staff seemed to
be quite at home, and nobody, in looking
at them, could feel that they were the
people who had just been causing all this
terrible outpouring of Northern blood.
suppose it is all very chivalrous. brave.
and according to the regular military code
OF etiquette but while seeing the atten-
tions paid to these worthless, / could not
help wondering if they were as polite to
us. could not help coming to negative
conclusion when an officer, of some rank
In our army-in looking at the gay caval-
cade, as Gen. Banks and staff, with a full
escort, accompanied by Gen. Gardner and
some OF his officers, came up to Gen. Au-
gurs headquarters in nv ear
the following grave contrast:
When l. an officer of the United States army
was confined in the Libby Prison. we were not
even allowed to look out Of a acinoow under the
penalty of death. A brother officer-onlv a fsw
ieet from meIn innocently going to window
10 nang something on peg, was deliberately
snOt IN the region of the heart by an internal
xllaa t;lli n, below, called sentinel. At another
tlme the sentinel, seeing man looking out of
a window IN the second story of the same build i
ing, deliberately fired at him.
Inc Dall missed the intended victim: but
passing through the second floor into the story
above, killed poor fellow who was at the fnr.
things kno,o to be true, for was there and
sGo Menp'
l am told that the rebels now treat onr
prisoners just as well as we treat theirs. 4
The country will be glad to know that #
is SO, and that if they cannot afford cham.
pagne to their prisoners, they at least
show the same polite attentions. and
allow them the same latitude of vis;t;nc
families in the neighborhood.
NEGRO PRISONERS. r
One more point and I close INV ran,orL.
about the capitulation of Port Hndson' 7
am sorry to say that rumors are aioat
borne out, unfortunately, too strongly by
facts, that our colored soldiers who have
fallen into the hands of the rebels have
not received the treatment recognized bv
clvliizea nations. In other words. we
could ma no negro prisoners in Port Hud-
SO son, ana there were none in the hospital.
Inc I SIMPLE question is-Where are thew
! ieaVe each one to draw his own conclus-
ion. merely saying that l consider this q
matter fully warranting the investigation