The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-08
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.

out : single trip hammer between the
Chesapeake and the Rio Grsnde def
Gent IA iron, lead, copper, tin, aaltpetre,
cannon, small arms, everything save food,
they have taught the world lesson in re-
gard to the impossibility Of subjugstine a
brave people, which win point q historical
moral for ages to come.
There are two men whose names are
seldom heard in connection with the his
tory of this war, but who have probably
contributed more to the confederate suc-
cess, than any other persons with the ex-
oeption Of Lee, jackson and Longstreet-
Imesn Colonel Rains and Captain Brooke.
Both Of them modest and unobtrusiye
men. absorbed in scientific researches. in
exhaustible in the fertility of their re-
sources, indefatigable in energy, they have
presented during the last thirty months
record for the study of their countrymen
which will everywhere be read with profit
whenever the history of this great rebel
lion is fairly told. have seldom had the
advantage Of encountering any man whose
conversation was 80 instructiiig and inter-
esting as that Of Colonel Rains. His re-
capitalization of the difficulties which he
has had to encounter, of the deficiencies
which he has every day to supplement and
circumvent by ingenuity, and the results
Of his work, as evidenced by his contribu-
tons to the confederate armies, is such as
to awaken amazement. M e..1gt.t3 ~
In former letter, written some months
ago from this town, I gave short sketch
Of the Auu,,ofo ouppou1or v,,;1l E,o,,,
that time up to the present hour its eff
cheney has been constantly on the increase,
and as evidence of its prolific production,
may mention that since it's opening on
the 9th of April, 1862, Col. Rains has
sent million and half of pounds of
powder to Richmond alone, exclusive of
his contribution to Vicksburg, Charleston,
Mobile and the armies of Gems. Bragg and
Johnston. From his Arsenal of Construc-
ton he has sent out 100000 cartridges
for small arms and $4,000 round shot and
shell, to say nothing of caps, hand gre
nades and torpedoes. From his cannon
foundry he is continually turning out 12-
FOUNDER Napoleons, 2O-pounder PARROTS
and howitzers; but the wealth of artillery
already possessed by the Confederates is
such that he has ceased to produce Ma
poleOn guns with the rapidly which at
one time characterized bis proceed
ings, his rate of production having been
one Napoleon gun per diem. The daily
yield of the powder-mill is now at the rate
of 6, 400 lbs. day, which might, if occa-
sion required, be indefinitely increased.
But, with every important station in the
Confederacy already surfeited with pow
der, with large supplies in the hands of
Generals Beauregard, Bragg, Johnston,
and at Mobile and Wilmington (Gen. Lee,
of course, draws his supplies from Rich
mOnd), and with two other powder mills
in active operation, it is of little impor-
tance that even this rate of production
should be maintained. The ordinary con-
sumption of powder in the Oonfederacy is
rated at 1000 lbs. day; but is, ofcourse,
greatly increased by such sieges as those
of Vicksburg and Charleston, which bring
up the average to 10, 900 lbs. day, occa-
stoned by the large demands of the heavy
artillery employed. 1t is singular COM
mentary upon this war, that nation
which, two years ago, produced not a
pound of powder, should now think Meth
ing of daily consumption of 10000 lbs.
produced entirely from their own resources.