The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-10


in the offing. .EY.1E3E
The cutters crew refused to tell where
the ammunition was put, and this, with
the want of favorable wind, induced the
rebels to burn the cutter. f
Lieut.. Reeds log book states that he
burned the Tacony, of which he was COM
mander, on finding that vessels Of the,
Federal Government were after him.
Rebel Accounts. Of the Campaign
From the Richmond Enquirer, June &C.
People in civil life cannot pretend to
criticise, in its present stage, a grand cam
paign such as that entered upon by our
army of Northern Virginia. We do not
so much as know its object; and there
fore still less can we pronounce on the
suitableness of the means. Some of the
Confederate newspapers write as if they
had expected the cavalry advance into
Pennsylvania to have been at once let
loose upon general plundering expedi-
dition. But independently of the fact that
nothing disorganizes troops and renders
| them useless like indiscriminate plumber,
it is we'll to recollect that it may be abso-
lutely necessary to the general plan to
keep that cavalry force well in hand so as
| to cover other movements of the main
body. On the great chess board of war
there is mighty game in progress: and
neither ace at home, nor Hooker, the OPP
posite player himself, has get defined the
nature Of General Lees combinations
1t is true that COME lerates owe no con-
| do forh 70 @1,o.u
1t is true, further, that our generals owe
it to their own people to visit terrible
devastation and havoc upon the enemys
country, whenever they have the means
in their power to do so effectually, and
on grand scale. But this is not net the
case. Gen. Hooker, with vast army, is
still to be disposed of, and every move
ment of each command must doubtless be
calculated with view to this needful
preliminary business.
1t may be needful even to deceive the
enemy as to the ultimate object of the
confederate General, by adopting the very
course complained of-that is, forbearing
from plumber now, on the very threshold
of the expedition. In order to do the
business well and thoroughly, the just re-
taliation (Which we demand and the foe
expects) must be organized and regulat-
ed as deliberately as any other military
movement, and it might be fatal to the
whole military campaign if Jenkins's cav
airy were now permitted to load them
selves with plumber, and so, for the sake
of the paltry booty of Chambersburgh,
miss perhaps the splendid prize of Phila-
delphia or the crushing blow Of the enc
mys head in Washington.
These are some OF the considerations
which should make Us all take patiently,
for the present the well-pleased announce
ments made in Yankee papers about pri-
vate property being hitherto respected
and payment made III confederate bills.
Certainly if the expedition of Gen. Lee
were to end so-if, at the very moment
when hordes of Yankee brigands are burn
ing and plundering far and wide over our
country, not only stealing all they can lay
their hands upon, but letting loose bands
of negroes with bayonets in one hand and
torches in the other, to the work of indis-
criminate outrage and devastation, our ar
my in Pennsylvania were to march through
the country just as if it were our own;
asking permission of Dutch farmers to
draw water at their wells press
ing their custom on the smiling store
keepers, and paying them in the
best and only kind of money we ever
| see at home; and should return so, amid
the compliments of the Pennsylvanians,
and their heartily expressed wishes soon
to see again among them such courteous
and liberal gentlemen-in that unheard of
and indispensable case, the whole world
would laugh us to scorn; it would be said
to amount to an admission that we do in
deed feel ourselves to be in an nnjustiiable
rebellion, and have no right to presume to
deal with our enemies as they may deal
with us. 1t would be giving up the case
formally surrendering our people through
out every State to pillage and oppression
inviting a continuance and aggravation of
all the evils Of invasion, and virtually of
fering the necks of our ringleaders to the
hangman.
This is so horrible to think of that we
may safely conclude it is not the intention
of the great chieftain to whom so mighty
a task has been entrusted by the President,
and who has up to this day discharged his
task so nobly. His operations for. the
present we take tie be wholly strategical.
He may purposely forbear to alarm the
hostile populations, anb give them warn
ing to run off their herds and tlocks, so as
to leave the country waste before him,
until, Hooker once well cleared out of his
path, he can throw the whole Confederate
army into Pennsylvania, wide-winged, far
stretching in one vast combined move
ment, enveloping Washington ON the one
side, Harrisburg on the other, and so
forward, forward, till our red battle flag
reflects itself in the Delaware.
The Question of Seniority of Rank.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-The question of
rank between the Major Generals Of the
army has been decided by the board of
officers to which it has been submitted by
determining the following order Of prece-
dence:
Major General Mcclellan, appointed May H.
| 1861, to take rank from the same date.
Major General Fremont, appointed July 1, to
take rank from May IA, 1861.
Major General Banks, appointed June 3, to
| o.1