The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-11
The S.ieIiinG Of ChattanOOSa. a..

The S..eliinG of Chattanooga.
From the Chattanooga Rebel. August %.
One Of the most impressive scenes we
have ever witnessed occurred in the Pres
byterian Church on yesterday. The SER
vices were being held by the Rev. DR..
Palmer, of New Orleans, and the pews and
aisles were crowded with officers and SOL
diers, private citizens, ladies and children.
A prayer had been said and one of the
hymns sung. The Organist was absent,
"and l will be thankful, continued the
minister, " if some one in the congregation
will raise the tune.'' The tune was raised;
the whole congregation joined in singing,
as in days gone by, the sacred notes in
humble melody from the house of God,
swelling their holy tribute to His glory, and
dying away at last like the echoes of de-
parted days. The second, or what is known
as the long prayer, was begun, when out
upon the calm, still air, there came an alien
sOund-the sullen voice of hostile gun
ringing from the north bank of the river,
and echoing back and back among the far
off glens of Lookout peak. 1t was sudden
it took every one by surprise; for few,
if any, expected the approach of an enemy.
The day was one of fasting and prayer;
the public mind was upon its worship Its
serenity had not been crossed by a shadow,
and it was not until another and another
of these unchristian accents trembled in the
air, and hied themselves away to the hills,
that it was generally realized that the enc
my were shelling the town.
Without a word of warning, in the midst
of church services, while many thousands
of men and women thronged the several
places of public worship, the basest of hu-
man fOemen had begun an attack upon
city crowded with hospitals and refugees
from the bloody pathway of their march,
and in no wise essential to a direct assault.
There was little hustle and disturb
ance in the galleries; the noise in the
streets grew more distinct and louder
near the doors several persons who had
other duties, military or domestic, to look
too, hastily withdrew the mass of the
congregation, however, remained in Their
places; ant the man OF God continued his
prayer. 1t was impressive in the extreme.
There he stood, this exile preacher from
the South, with eyes and hands raised to
heaven, not muscle or expression chang
ed, not note altered, not q sign of con-
fusion, excitement or alarm naught but
the calm, Christian face uplifted and full
OF the Inconsistencies to all save it's lie
votiOns which beams from the soul of true
piety. Not only the occasion, but the
prayer was solennly, eloquently impress
sive. The reverend doctor prayed, and his
heart was in his prayer; it was the long
prayer, and he did not shorten it; he
pray ed it to the en-, and the cannon did
not drown it from those who listened, as
they could not drown it from the ear of
God. He closed, an then without panic
or Consideration, altl ongh excited and
confused, the dense crowd separated whilst
shell were falling on tha right and LETT.
All honor 10 this noble preacher, and
70 those brave wClmen and children
ascbel Estimate or Rebel 5silltary
strength.
a Richmond correspondent of the Lon
don Eews INDUCES in the following, the
tallacy of which our readers will be able
to discover:
An estimate made by the most competent
authority in the Confsderacy has been laid
before me. which is not without interest
at this moment. 1t rates the wear and
tear in all the Confederate armies from
death and disabling wounds at between
10000 and $4,000 men per annum,
while the accession tn those armies of boys
who attain to the fighting age is rated at
from So, 600 to 10000 per annum. The
whole fighting pcpul'ti of the South
at the commencement of this war was
about 100000, of whom less than 2OO,-
900 have perished or been disabled, while
10000 young men have been added to the
fighting population. 1t will be seen, then
that to supply the Southern armies in the
field there is population of about 9OO,-
900 men, OF whom not more than 400, 900
are at this moment serving in the COnfed-
crate army and navy. There remain about
half million OF men who have bought
substitutes or are serving in civil offices,
or, who, for some cause or other, have
obtained exemptions, or have shirked the
conscripton. Before next Spring arrives,
over the whole of this large body Of men the
cOnscription will it necessary, be rigor-
ously enforced, without moments
thought Or apprehension of such riots as
New York has recently witnessed, for in
the Southern States, wives and mothers
love their husbands and sons much, but
they prize their country's independence
more. Again, after reOrganizing for an
other weary winter, the two sections will
find themselves face to- face with each
other, to resume their old struggle, marked
by the same inability to attain definite re-
suits, and revolve in the same monotonous