The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-18
SOUTHERN NEWS.
MTSSTSSTpPr


An intelligent refugee from Columbus,
Miss, who has been in the Quartermaster's
department of the rebel for the past
two years, and who has had more than Or
binary means Of observing, has just reached
here. He states that Johnston loses fifty
men per night on an average by assertions.
His army is dispirited and demoralized,
and those who have not deserted are only
waiting the opportunity to do so.
He has heard rebel officers estimate the
number of troops between Columbus, Miss,
and Corinth at 1000 all told.
Two regiments of Johnstons army have
been sent to Georgia, and two came up to
Okalona recently, to repel an expected
Yankee raid from Oorinth on large scale.
A reconstruction meeting had been ap-
pointed by the Unionists in the vicinity of
Columbus, but it was suppressed by the
military. There is strong latent Union
feeling among the inhabitants, which is
becoming more open and bold in it's mani
festations. The citizens begin to regard
the rebel troops as their oppressors and
invaders, and look anxiously for the ad-
vance Of the Yankees among them.
THE INSURGRNT FKRGUsONS MOVEMENT.
A deserter from Tupelo, Miss, formerly
an orderly to General Ferguson has just
reached our lines. He reports that Fer
guson was at Tupello and Pontatoe with
four thousand cavalry and ten peices of
artillery. He also reports that Ferguson
is contemplating raid upon the Memphis
and Charleston railroad, and that R0ddy
is about to make an attack on Glendale,
Miss, at the same time that Ferguson
strikes the railroad.
Newcomb with 700 men is near Jack
son, Tenn, conscripting, foraging and
stealing horses. Richardson is also ac-
tive, enforcing the rebel CONSUMPTION
wherever he can.
ALABAMA.
A deserter from Bragg's army has also
reached our lines and states that they are
on one-third rations, which consists of
beef rice and corn meal. Bragg's head
quarters are at Shelbyville, and the
strength of his forces is about rs, 900 men,
who are much dispirited and anxious to
throw down their arms.
The wheat crop through the country
was very good. The Confederate gov
eminent were Selling every tenth bushel
for taxes.
The rebel officers acknowledge that they
will be obliged to give up all the country
north of the Coosa river.
In St. Clair county, the place of this
deserter's residence, the Union feeling
was so strong that no secessionists were
allowed to stay there. In other sections,
men are secreted in swamps and caves,
and would join tie federal army but for
the danger of capture by the rebels while
making their escape.
Three hundred deserters are rendez-
voused in Winslow county, all armed, and
determined to resist the rebel authorities
to the last. Two more companies were in
st. Clair county, who were of the same
mind.
The Confederates were cOnscripting ne
groes in Talledaga county to build breast
works at Selma.
These statements are daily confirmed by
deserters and refugees, and are believed
to be true.
STEVENSON, Ala, Sept. 1.-Two days
ago, it was my fortune to meet. at the
house of loyalist, citizen of Georgia,
an old man, whose years and evident re-
spectability lent Importance to his words.
l asked him if it was really true that there
were many deserters from the rebel army
among the mountains of North Georgia,
and told him of the reports I had heard
concerning them.
"You have not heard half the truth, ~
said he. "There is not in all north GeOr-
gia a cave, a dense forest, or rock of diff
ficult access, where these men may not be
found. My own county is full of them,
and so also are White, Dawson and Pick
ems, especially the latter. In the vicinity
of Prince Edward and Stock Hill, large
number of refugee conscripts and desert
ers are banded together. The rebel au-
thorities made some vigorous efforts at
first to break up and capture this band,
but so formidable in numbers are they,
and so inaccessible are the mountains
among which they operate, that every at
tempt to dislOdge them has proved failure,
and the rebel government now virtually
leaves them to themselves. Since the re-
treat of Bragg from Tullahoma, their num-
bers have largely increased, and before /
left they were in the habit of coming down
boldly from the mountains liz the towns
and purchasing (and in some instances
without purchasing) what they wanted,
and chen returning to their haunts, no
one offering to modest them. Indeed the
people of north Georgia are, in certain
sections, governed by them. They are
kind and clever to Union citizens, but
hate implacably every avowed rebel and
visit with speedy vengeance every one
whom they suspect of giving information
against them
Perhaps" said !, ''these men are mere
freebooters, who, too cOwardly to serve in
the army, and to lazy to labor, have band
ed together for the purpose of plundering
their fellow citizens
"No," he replied, lit would be unjust
to say that of thea. Their mode Of life
is, admit, having bad effect upon their
characters, and it may be that many of
them are gradually becoming what you
| say: but it was not SO at first.
Know men among them who all their lives
were quiet, honest, peaceful, industrious
citizens, up. to the day when they Joined
the rebel army, some of them voluntarily,
Others involuntariy, o. received notice
that they rad been conscriDted Among
the former (the ,iesertersj are some men