The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-24

OF Suffolk. l think that our generals III
tend forward movement, as they are
massing large forces down here and are
bringing down pontoon bridges.
Another letter, dated Camp near Unit
ed States Ford, Rappahannock river, Spott-
sylvania county, Va, April 4, 1868, :" says:
We are camped all in among the gold
mines We see the greatest pits where
they have been digging for gold that ever
you looked at. Write me word
what the people think about the war, and
if the Yankees are much afraid Of us at
tacking Norfolk. Orders have been read
to us to get clear of all the baggage that
we cannot carry conveniently, and get
ready for an active Spring campaign. *
| think this time we will come down to-
wards Norfolk or out in North Carolina
* We will wake things up in Suffolk
and Norfolk before many months.
A soldier in hospital, writing from
Richmond on the SOth of March to his
mother in Portsmouth, says: expect to
leave Richmond on Monday next to join
my regiment in North Carolina, where l
will have to endure long and harrassing
marches and participate in some of the des-
perate battles which will probably fill the
annals of the coming campaign. *
Macy, indeed all, with few exceptions,
entertain the opinion that, after the ap-
preaching campaign shall have passed in
scenes OF desperate and bloody battles,
more horrible and decisive than any pre-
ceding, then blessed peace, so unexpect-
edly delayed, will finally dawn upon us.
Ifa victorious peace, we shall certainly
have cause for rejoicing. We have GER
tainly undergone and accomplished enough
to entitle us to, and 1 have no doubt we
shall obtain, the position of free and in
dependent people We have had
horrible weather here for some time. Snow
fell last week to the depth of fifteen or
twenty inches, which increases tenfold the
sufferings of the army, which are always
great. Alas, the poor soldier! dearly does
he pay for the follies Of others.
A soldier writing from camp near Fred
ericksburg, March 16, says We are going
to have dreadful campaign this summer.
l went into the battle of Manassas bare
footed, and cut my feet all to pieces.
Another soldier, writing from Drury;s
Bluff, says that Stuart's cavalry is at
Fredericksburg. He also writes: Do not
send us any more things, for we can make
out very well with what we draw.
CAVALRY ENCOUNTER.
A soldier, writing from the United
States ford, on Rappahannock river, un-
der date of March 29, says THE Yankee
cavalry crossed the river at Kelly's ford
Oh the 18th inst, and advanced five miles,
when they were met by young Gen. Lee,
with his cavalry and artillery, and after a
hot contest for several hours were driven
back on the other side of the river, leaving
the road strewn with men and horses. Lee
lost two valuable officers. Yankee force,
three thousand; our, one thousand. * *
certainly end this year. God grant it may,
for it has almost desolated our once happy
country.
A PEACE PROPHESYING SPRING.
This correspondent also vouches for the
correctness OF the following newspaper
paragraph, furnished by a Fredericksburg
correspondent, and says he has himself
seen the spring referred to running
While spesk king of peace, there is a le-
gend connected with spring near Fred
ericksburg which I will relate for the bene-
fit of the curious. According to tradition
this spring was discovered running three
months before the Revolutionary war.
Three months before a treaty of peace it
dried up and ceased torun. 1t commenced
running again three months before the
war of 1912, and three months before its
close, as in the Revolutionary war, it again
dried up; and so with the Mexican war.
Three months before the fall of Fort Sum-
ter it commenced running, and q short
time since dried up.
give as my author for this an aged
man, who was born and is living near the
spriug, and who has considerable property
and offers to bet it all that we will have
peace in three months from the drying up
of the spring.
HARD FARE IN THE REBEL ARMY.
An artillery man on the Richmond de-
fences, writing on 31st March, says We
were sent to guard bridge over the North
Anna river, close to Fredericksburg, and
had hard time of it. The federals gave
our army their hands full, and the losses
were heavy on both sides. Our
men must die for something to eat. They
cannot stand these hard marches and half
feed. We get quarter Of a pound of
pork and one loaf Of bread, and that is all
we get in one day and nothing else, and
we have not been paid off in three months.
We look for an early peace, and
that is all the cry at this time. For my
part have lost all hope of this unholy
war coming to an end during old Abe's
term. They say we will be sent to
Western Virginia; but have seen enough
of the mountains and would be glad if
they would let us stay where we are.
A REBEL WHO DOES NOT WANT TO FIGHT.
Here is another dated "Fort Drewry,
Morch % 1853. - and intandod for q pen-