The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-07-22
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT
vAsrNRss OF TIE REBEL DRBRNsRs.

Too much stress cannot easily be laid on
the above subject, in order to bring the
reader to proper a probation Ut the
achievements of this army. AS we ap-
proach Atlanta they stea lily grow upon
us-line after line is covered by our for
word march, each more elaborate and ir-
resis,ible >istible by al save Sher-
mans a-my-thaH the last Imagine all
the country between the AllatOona noun
tains and the Chattahoochie r yer p!owed
into huge ridges, on an aver age, once in
every five miles continuous cribs built
OF rails and poles or oftener of huge
logs. twelve miles long filed with dirt
wrenche'l out from the clenched roots of
Georgia forest, four feet higt, and six
feet wide, running through the ,hickest
woods and cleared fields alike always two,
Oftener three, and sometimes even five
lines deep, and all finished perfectly and
polished (; the trenches cut down square
and true, and the parapets shaped a. il with
the square and plummet and on have a
faint conception of the mazes of rebel for
tifcatiOns through witch this army has
fought and flanked its way thus far into
the COnfederacy NJ, tent stands Tonight
within five yards OF the huge wrinkle of
earth erected by desperate rebels i'n,nedi
ately after their abandonment of K-nesaw
the second from the river-and in com
ing to it l rode for hours between their
first and second main lines, running along
On t. p of a ridge just over against that on
which were our own; and truly it seemed
more the work Of Tltans or internal gOls
than of any mere men. The pe.vading
terror with which our artillery has inspired
the rebel Imagination was we'll illustrated
by the numerous pits dug just inside tire
bre astworks anl rooted over with logs and
earth to shed the fierce iron rain which
pom ed upon them both when they slept
(?) and when they walked. The reelected
corn fields were ploughed by our sht liz a.
they had not been ploughed for weeks
and have seen, at least in one case, an
oak tree, fifteen inches in diameter and
quite sou2d, broken off twenty feet from
the ground. and the top lying on the
ground, as the effects of single shell four
inches in diameter passing through it
Who shall dispute the discretion of bnrrow-
ing in the ground when such missiles are
flying carelessly about?
You shonld hear the sympathizing re
marks made by our boys as thew pass the Q
works which they got by ''tlank," with
ont any loss, in commisera;ion Of the
"Johnnies, who worked 80 hard to make
them, and never had the opportunity +"
fire musket shot from behind them j.
is one of the humorsome phases of this
grim business of making war; and the sub
stantial effects of marching TIL men b.
such works, which were won by strsgey
and common sense, instead of hard fight
ing, 90 far to cleer the spirits of those
who are jade1 from the long campaign.
PRISONERS
Are reported to have been taken within
the past few days to the number Of 800.
This number is well authenticated, a. 800
were cnunted at Marietta at one time, and
Immediately after 500 more ON their way
tkther.
To the number of 200 were also captured
day before yesterday by the 10th corps
All other goods and chattels tle rebe.,s
have succeeded well in running Oft before
Us. ! do not recall any instance whera
contrabands have been taken, or have es
capped to US. They are hurli d out of the
country, and kept in the rear, digging tn.
last ditch" of which tn rebel. al vay-
conclude to dig just one more. after beiI g
tanked out of the one they then occupy.