The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-03-27
THE NEWS.

into Kentucky, and captured Mount Ster
ling and two hundred federal soldiers.
Parson Brownlow says the rebels are about
to make formidable invasion of Kentucky,
and calls on the people and military to be
on the watch.
We have the announcement that Gov.
RAMSEY will return in ten days and imme-
diately resign the office of Governor.
We have al account of a brilliant
affair near Murfreesboro, in which the
famous rebel Generals MORGAN and WHEEL
Err, with 1, 400 men, were soundly thrashed.
The news from Vicksburg, shows that
the Yazoo expedition had been brought to
by rebel batteries on the Tallahatclie river
and that no dry land could be found for
troops to operate on its banks. The water
had been let into Lake Providence, but
the torrent threatened friends and foes
alike. Lake Providence is on the Louis
lana side of the Mississippi, 100 miles by
the bends of the river from Vicksburg, but
not more than sixty miles in direct line.
BY cutting the levee on the Louisiana
bank, a channel is made sufficient for the
passage OF gun boats into the Lake, for
the Lake flows south, the navgable
river Tensas, which empties into the
Washita river, which also flows South
into the Red River, bringing the gunboats
one hundred miles or more south of Vicks-
burg. What is the object of this new ave-
nue. to the Lower Mississippi? 1t is sup
posed that GRANT wants to get his trans
ports below Vicksburg, in order to make
the attack on the south side of the town.
The Vicksburg batteries are too formidable
to attempt to pass the transports directly
in front
"A steamer at New York from New
Orleans, brings the news of an attack on
and passage of Port Hudson by Commo-
dOre FARRAGUT on the 14th inst, and a
confirmation of the rebel report of the
destruction of the Frigate Mississippi.
The land forces were only five miles dis
tant, in good spirits and confident of victo-
ry. The result of the attack was not
known when the steamer sailed Port
Hudson, which is twenty miles above
Baton Rouge, on the Mississippi, stands
on an almost perpendicular cliff, full two
hundred feet in height, the river below
making one Of those sudden serpentine
curves which render the Mississippi the
most tOrtuous stream in the world, and
abruptly narrowing its dimensions to three
quarters of mile from twice that width
above and below. Inland, too, the posi-
ton is eminently favorable to the rebels,
because difficult of access to our troops
The country at the back of Port Hudson
is generally swampy, intersected with cot
ton-woods, ravines, and other Topographic
cal obstacles. The only roads are of the
poorest description.
Refugees from Richmond report that
preparations are being made by Lees army
to fall back on Richmond, as apprehensions
are rife of federal attack on the rebel
capital by way of James River.
The rolls of all the regiments of the
Army of the United States show that the
absentees or deserters number upwards
of one hundred and twenty-five thousand
men.
1t is announced that 10 bonds of liza
bility on account of the draft will be re-
quired from persons who leave States that
have filled their quotas under the calls
heretofore made. This indicates that the
first CONSUMPTION under the new law will
only apply to those States which have not
filled their quotas. If this supposition is
well founded, Minnesotions can travel
without hindrance, or stay at home without
fear of CONSUMPTION.
The recent town elections in Maine
show overwhelming Democratic gains In
only one town, Mount Desert, has there
been change for the worse-that is, to-
ward abolitiOnism; in all the others the
Democrats have either carried their local
tickets or largely increased their vote as
compared with former years.
The Charleston Courier, in sort of
awful whisper, announces that eThe bak-
ers of this city have raised the price of
bread to twenty-five cents for half pound
loaf" adding Flour is selling at $65 per
barrel. An enormous sin in the eyes of
God" Who does not feel and know, as
this terrible announcement comes to US
from a native pen, that starvation and
want, with every privation, are indeed rife
there!
james 7. Brady, in recent speech,
alluded to visit to room in the Vatican
at Rome, upon the ceiling of which the
flags of all nations were to be seen. He
looked them over from the oldest to the
youngest. When he saw the Stars and
Stripes he asked himself the question why
it was that our fathers were the first to