The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1863-02-13
Exhaustion Of the Rebellion West or
IFS the MissIssippi.


Important disclosures of the exhausted
condition of the rebels West of the Missis-
sippi are furnished by the official CORES
pondence of General HINDMAN, recently
captured at Van Buren, Arkansas, by our
forces under Gen. HEBRON The Dispatch
es of HINDMAN and his officers, rang
ing in date from the middle of November
last to the middle Of December, tell an un-
varying story of starvation and distress,
ana hnally merge into despair. If any
further proof were needed of the absolute
extremity of HIsDMANs army and the vir-
tual death OF the rebellion in the whole
region where that officer had held COM
mand, it is given in these dispatches. We
give some of the leading passages.
On the 18th of November last. HIND
MAN wrote from Fort Smith to Major AD-
ANS at Little Rock:
There are 30 wagons in this country. and
cannot detail soldiers Impress wagons. These
delays will starve my command. WHY not
send up also half the transportation of the
troops at the Post? They need but four wag-
ons. Unless you and Major Palmer can rive
me more | will be compelled by actual starva-
ton to leave this country.
r. G. NEWTON, HINDMAN's Chief of
Staff, pleads thus:
If there are any boats that you can control
Gen. Hindman desires you to load them with
corn Immediately, and send them up here no
tlfylng Ma Or Cummings as each boat starts
and what it brings. 1t is of the very first i'm
portancc that you use extraordinary energy in
the matter, Our all depends upon our getting
the very largest possible supplies of corn on
this rise. 1t is our only hope-much depends
upon you. For Gods sake move Heaven and
earth to send us every grain that can be got
here
HINDMAN says again
Surely the Secretary is not apprised of the
condition of our troops, and the almost utter
exhaustion of the resources of the country In
this corps could show him 1000 men abso-
lutely in rags. without counting the almost
naked Indians. What you are sending me [
distributed pro rata among them ALL but that
comes slowly and in small quantities, and the
great majority continue to suffer exposure, to
sicken and to die. | suppose that it is the
same with your other troops. Unless these
poor men are comfortably clad this month not
hall OF them will live through the winter. An
other army c1alaot ba r0iSed his side otNe Ms
stssippi.
The phrase in Nc.Lics is a sufficient ac-
acknowledgement Of the utter ruin Of the re-
bellion west of the Mississippi river This
letter was followed by another piteous ap-
peal from IlINDMAS, containing these pas
sages:
| complain Of nothing. The deficiencies are
great. But unless you send supplies in larger
quantities and far more rapidly. God only knows
what am to do.
Here is another aud more fatal almis-
sion, made By HrNDMAN in 4 letter dated
IN December.
Whenever the enemy gets south OF the Bos-
ton mountains and establishes himself he can
press you down t" Louisiana on into Texas
without difficulty.
Other dispatches refer to the late bat
ties in Arkansas, containing contradictory
statements of the losses On both sides. but
these are not material to the point at issue
the deplorable condition OF the rebel
forces and their inability to hold their
ground The recent Successes OF our army
in the Arkansas region have probably put
the finishing touch to the whole business.
Demand :oi' Negro Bureau in
Washington.
The New York Anti->layery .S,ta,}coM
insists that as a consequence Of the proc
lamation OF ellancipatian there should be
a negro Bureau at Washington and that
inasmuch as the President has said \, he
must ROW say D; which means that hay-
ing gone for emancipating the negroes, he
nust now provide means fer their subsis-
tence and care through the agency Of al
agricultural bureau. The .<1lHfL0'i dog
nlaticalIy remarks:
OF course there should be 4 E!lreau Of Enlan-
cipation it Washington, and of course its chief
should be one heartily in favor OF universal
freedom and disposed to labor most diligently
in its beiclil. And the urgent necessity of these
two things Is an additional reason why the Cab
met should bc reconstructed. and a new one
formed OF homogeneous materials SO that all
its members may work together for good both
to the freed men and to the nation.
BY all means let us hayea negro bureau
at Washington! But who shall have
charge OF it: Garrison OF Phillips or
Sumner?