The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-29
SAINT PAUL. FRIDAY, MAY %, 1863.

some portion of Lees sagacity and Jack
sons strategy and dash, and our men are
as impetuous and confident as those who
who won Fredericksburg, Seven Pines or
Manassas.
From the Richmond Sentinel May 15
Missi sippi is to-day the principal scene
in the shifting drama of the war. The in
terest now centres on Jackson and on
Vicksburg. On the Rappahannock Hook
er has been Sentled and quoted. He
came like lion and went like hare
At Murfreesboro Rosecrans sticks to his
man. But in Mississippi Grant is in
motion with a heavy column, and has
made advances which necessitates a spec
dy battle.
Until lately the Yankee infantry on the
Lower Mississippi have never ventured out
of shelter of their gunboats; but Grant,
since the capture of Grand Gulf, is show
ing himself more ventureSOme. Some
days ago he sent a column forward from
Grand Gulf to Rocky Spring, about twen-
ty miles East of the Mississippi, where he
fortified, and yesterday the telegraph in
formed us that a force of ten thousand
had penetrated twenty three miles further,
to Raymond, a town of about five hundred
inhabitants, only fourteen miles southwest
of Jackson, the capital of the State. Our
own forces have retreated through to
Raymond four miles to Mississippi Springs,
a point ten miles from Jackson.
The first desire of the enemy will be to
cut the railroad which leads from Jackson
to Vicksburg, and over which the forces
at Vicksburg obtain their supplies At
Raymond they are only five miles from
this road; and the passage of the Big
Black is over long approaches of trestle
work, rendering it very invulnerable
point.
1t seems evident, therefore, that con-
flict with the enemy cannot be long de-
layed in that quarter. We have too much
at hazard to allow delay We do not
know what our force is as compared with
that of the enemy. But it will not do to
stop to count. We must fight, whatever
the odds; and We cannot afford to be
beaten under the circumstances we have
named. We are happy to learn that Gen.
Joseph E. johnson is in immediate COM
mand Of our troops His presence will
inspire our men with courage. His name
will be tower of strength. We are lis
tening, any day, and almost any hour, for
the telegraph to announce battle; and
we await the result with faith and hope,
that the forests OF the Mississippi, and the
shores of the Black, will echo the notes
of victory which have gone out to them
from the Rappahannock.
The progress of the enemy, thus far, in
this attempt to gain the rear of Vicksburg,
and take Jackson, has not been without
opposition. There was heavy fight at
near Grand Gulf and Port Gibson, in
which General Bowen, with five thousand
men, held and severely punished a greatly
outnumbering force of the enemy; but
was ultimately outtlanked and forced to
fall back, with the loss of Louisiana reg
iment taken prisoners, besides heavy list
OF killed and wounded Subsequently the
enemy were repulsed at Hankinsons Fer
ry, near the mouth of the Big Black.
But their superior force has enabled them
to prosecute their march, as we have sta
ted, along the highway between and par
allel to the Bayou Pierre on the south and
Big Black on the north This leads them
towards jackson, and brings them near to
the bridge by which the railroad from
Vicksburg to jackson crosses from the
north to the south side eff the Black. Here
the two armies will probably join battle,
and may God prosper our cause and give
Us the victory.