The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-29

eFvs rl q g Tuesday, April ~.
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM.
The country. notwithstanding the hundreds
of letters and myriads of telegraphic dispatches
military movements In Virginia
which have found their way through. the
North in newspapers during the past three
years, has never been fully informed Of the
everyday incidents and picturesque features of
the life Its noblest army lives. An evening Of
better to one who knows how to WELD in
quiry than dozens of formally written pages;
an inveterate seeker after news in print has Q
more vivid memory of q revolutionary skir-
mish narrated by his grandfather years ago,
than of the grandest incident in q cOrrespOn-
dents description of last weeks battle. Yet
in this calm before the coming storm which
now reigns among the desolate hills of Vir-
ginia, exists an element of army life beside the
episode Of battle, rome hasty pOrtraiture of
which must calm attention. and rival even n
battles interest.
VIEW OF THR CAMP.
Morning after storm. Morning after hill
tops, shorn by army axes of woods where once
the breeze of morning made music that Is lost,
and where the few birds that call are wander
ing Ministries, bearing faint burdens Of forgot
ten songs. Far away on the western and
southwestern horizon, 81 like o mirage lifted
in air." the mountains Of the Blue ridge, dark
beneath forest, shining above with snow, rest
under broken clouds. Nearer-only eighteen
miles dstant-the famous ThOroughfare noun
tain is spot of gloom upon the landscape.
To the southwark, nearer still, Cedar mour-
tain is just apparent through the mist, and far
Their to the left the crest of Pony mountain
shakes plume of pines against the sky. On
these heights are The signatiOns Ofthe army.
In an unseen valley beyond, the dark current
of Che Rapidan, swollen by recent storms, is
watched from unapproachabe heights on the
south bank by the rebel army under Lee and
patrOled on the near side by the cavalry pick
cts Of tile Union. YOnder. six miles south OF
where we are standing, two or three brown
roofs are seen through the foliage. That is
the vii age of Culpepper, where Gen. Gran.
has his Headquarters and where the flag of the
Fifth corps, General Warren commanding,
drOops from the balcony of the old Virginia
Hotel" The camps of the corps are scattered
around and beyond the village for miles, hid
den from present view. On the left, away to
the east, and even north of the Rappahannock,
the Second corps, under Gen. Hancock, has
its encampmefts. Gen. Fitzpatrick is at Ste.
vensburg. ArOund-we are in the midst-the
Sixth corps, commanded by Gen. Sedgwick
has spread hundreds of tents among the hills
Here is the human life of great city; and yet
here is the desOlatiOn of great desert Home
steals, there are none unspoiled; no fences
into one broad, undulating unproductive waste
The paths trod in peace remain not; the for
ests, that once made this part of Virginia beau.
tiful, have been-save where tufts of an acre
or more remain about some generals head
Quarters-cnt down for fuel by the troops
Even the shining brooks that purl between
the hills get loose at times, and pausing, like
weary pipers beside their reeds, are churped
into mud by hoofs and wheels, or used for
washing water by veterans with dry shirts.
Standing here aloft, in the pathway ofthe
morning breeze, the widest Apostle of the
New England theory of war might think u
thought ofpeace for the sake Of this scourged
soil alone. ffs.l, -~.,;
g., A LOOK AT ARMY HEADQuARrEKs.
Let US turn toward the east just abovethe
center Of an elevated woodland, about two
miles distant, the stars and stripes arc hutfer-
ing over General Meade's headquarters. Fiji
teen minutes gallop will carry us thither. Fol-
lowing the road that leads under a row of sigh
ing pines, past the scores of tents scattered all
around, we come to broad, open spacs, paced
by numerous sentinels, across which street of
log and canvas houses, twenty or thirty in
number, stretches from east to west. General
Meade's tent, scarcely distinguishable in size or
outward appearance from the rest. is in the
center. 1a8
GENERAL MEADE.
The door Is just opening. and the General
steps without clad for departure. A tall, al
most slender, well-knit frame; a somewhat
swarthy, but refined face; black whiskers and
moustache, now well mixed with grey; eyes
in which the quiet repOse OF meditation would
seem more natural than the quick and severe
glance of inquiry which has become their ha-
bit hands that move with nervous impatience
in the process of drawing on gloves--this is
what an observer perceives in a passing look It
a commander who does not possess the love.
but who has the almost universal respect of the
army which he has led to one Important victo-
ry, and which he has not betrayed, like others
before hmm, into single blunder. AS he
mounts his horse, with member of his staff
beside him, and rides through the broken sun-
light among the pines, the salutes of the
guards are given to an officer too pupctilious
and Obseryant to omit one lift of the hat or ac-
acknowledgement by the hand due from the high
est In the army to it's humblest soldier. u
Tias THE aRNExsAL srAFr. 81
One does not get a look at the officers of an
army every hour in the day. Every tent about
these headquarters is an office where business
crowds the hours Of the day and night. Here
the work Of reorganization is going on-thds
Is not done yet, and before it Is completed the
country may hear Of more changes OF interme-
date commanders. The chiefs Of departments
Gen. Hunt. chief OF aftiiigry.u 4 man Without
military pomp, but fhn Of military ability and
fervor. General Ingalls,, Chief Quarterlnaste
of the arnly-a' self possessed, thorough OIL
Ger, perfectly acquainted with tie details ofthe
immense business Of his department, and con-
Quoting 1t quietly and In order, occupies car
peted cabin on the right. Gen. Humphreys
chief Of staff, Is engaged at present In the tent
Of the commanding general. It Is curious to
think that from this quiet, busy place, whence
scarcely an Iencampment Of tho vast army
around is visible, may go forth at any moment,
an order that shall with mathematical precis-
ion assign every scattered soldier to his place
ID line Of battle, which the officer who d.
reefs shall see with his minds eye as plainly
as though he stood upon an overlooking noun
TAIN, 80. 49,, ss go, s.
s. THE PROVOST MARsHAL's DKPARrMRxr.
AT the foot Of the slight decliyity, where the
woods have been partially cut away, are few
tents Inhabited by officers connected with the
provost marshals department. of which Gen.
Patrick IL chief The business of this depart
ment is manifold. II consists Of the regulation
Of interior. LIE In the army, including the
movementsof citizens, army mall regulations.
the care OF deeerters and refugees from the re-
belliCn, watching of stragglers or fatigue
men" on the march. and other minor duties Of
like order. assg 500 gss,,I ~ 81 s.a
ssfsg . THE PRISON AND lTs ocCuPANT9. 81
On the hillside just above the provnst-mar-
shal's department 10 strong. irregular stock
ade Of logo, deep ditch around. outside Of
which fonr or five guarde arc pacing with load
ed muske q One who looks through the Gre
- 1nuua .e....-~.~ IT,.