The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-03

o. Ord and Major Dom Plat in Washington
Their Reception-What They Did and What
They Didn't Establishment of an Ia,frma,y for
Major Generals.
| Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.
WASHINGTON, March Is, 1868.
The city of Washington is doing as well
as could be expected under the circum-
| stances.
The XXXVII Congress has passed away,
and no great grief is felt as to its depart
ure. 1t did some good things, and came
out well with the essential measures on
the home stretch, but the partisan MAORI
ty in it was, unfortunately large. The
Senate has done large business in con-
irming appointments, and small one in
rejecting them. The quality of dscrimin-
alton was not displayed. The confirma-
ton of Cassius NJ. Clay as Minister to
Russia, was to get rid of him. He had
become bore of mammoth proportions.
In military matters several squirts have
been made Generals, and, of course, some
good men rejected. The people them
selves are much to blame for this. The
amount of lying brought to bear upon the
amiable President is terrific. It is not
| singular that he is sometimes confused
In official circles, as they call the crowd
at the War Office and Wizards, there is
much confidence that Gen. Grants work
will come out all right. AT the same time
fears are generally entertained that the re-
bells are doubling on Rosecrans. Grant
has been more successful than any other
General, in so scattering his forces, as to
allow the enemy to pounce upon part of
them with his whole force; and if, while
he is feeling around Vicksburg, the rebels
should evacuate and fall with full force
upon ROsecrans, | don't see Grants VIC
tory. Rosecrans holds the post of danger.
Our excellent old General ,in-chief, the
somnolent Halleck, is not in the most ami
able humor in the world, and the same
thing is to be said of the judicious, agree
able, and atfectionate Stanton. They are
said to do an enormous deal of "cussing
and swearin " when they are together.
| All the great men here, except Chase,
swear like pirates. Even the President
occasionally INDUCES in mild d-n! Sew
ard swears double and twist oaths, and
smokes like the pit, not to speak of the
''smles he takes" 1t is very sad.
There was q very large, not to say big,
thing the other day. 1t was the fashion,
! you know, for some time, for played-out
! officers to make 4 bee-line for Washington,
and get into the bosom of Father Abra-
ham. They were always indescribably
anxious for something to do, to save this
perishing country. In point of fact they
didn't do it-not much. But the collec-
ton Of the Debris Of our bad generalship
about here was offensive. It was espe-
cialy q bore to General Halleck to have
the bestMred defuncts rushing about here
with their stats, making nuisance of
themselves. It was not comfortable to
have fifteen or twenty Major Generals
stopping at Wizards, each with "plan, -
covering the major part of outdoors, to
bring the war to an end in ninety days,
and all more or less infesting the White
House. The consequence was, the eXem-
plary Halleck-who is a big brick, and oc-
casionally carries a small brick in his hat
issued an order, forbidding officers to
visit Washington without orders. In its
terms, the fact was perceptible that it was
intended especially for the officers Of
highest rank.
But what should we have last week but
an overflow of Major Generals &C., from
Cincinnati. The Buell. commission, sup
posed some months since to have been
morbund-well il busted, or took a fur
lough-and Major General Lewis Wallace,
and Major General E. O. Ord, and Major
Don Piatt, Judge Advocate, suddenly ap-
peared at the capital of their country
They had business OF the most extreme
Importance with the President, General-in-
Chief, Secretary of War, and nearly every
body else
Major General Lewis Wallace had a
pair of old saddlebags full of resolutions
of the City Council of Cincinnati, and of
the Legislature Of Ohio, and perhaps of
other bodies largely informed of the mer-
its Of military chieftains and some copies
of L. Buchanan Reads Atlantic Monthly
article on the sanguinary ''siege Of Gin
cinnati," in which General Wallace dis
tinguished himself by leading brilliant
charge of heavy staff that penetrated to
within nile and half of our outer pick
cts. The main object of the visit of Major
General Lewis Wallace to Washington, as
q matter of course, was connected with
the business Of the Buell. commission; but
Incidentally, he wanted to lay his litera
ture before the President, and secure a
bran new department in Texas, or the
Moon. Major General Ord and Major
Piatt's business was not so well defined.
The Major, it is thought, sought an oppor-
tunity to fill his belly with the east wind.
He might have been induced, if he had
been given time, to make slight speech
from some noble portico. The Major Gen
eral thought the Washington atmosphere
good for bronchial affection besides he
wanted some steamed oysters.
The Buell. Committee arrived on Satur-
day Oon Carlos was not along), and rush
ed to the arms Of Halleck and Stanton
The reception which they got was by nc
I means cold. In fact it was hot. The first
inquiry was-"We what in HI and
d-m-n are you doing here?" Stanton
swore he would cashier the whole crowd
yes, he'd be id if he did not have the
shoulder-straps off them - double stars
gold leaves and all. 1t is reported that he
. suggested the death penalty. But Gen
Wallace and Major Piatt escaped by rea-
son OF their rowing commission as Presi