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

respecting 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
familiar conversation with an old soldier is
better to one who knows how to WELD in
CURRY than dozens of formally written pages
an inveterate seeker after news in print has q
more vivid memory of a revolutionary Skin
mish narrated by his grandfather years ago.
than of the grandest incident in q cOrrespOE-
dents description of last weeks battle. Yet
in this calm before the coming storm which
now reigns among the desOlate hills of Vir-
g,nia, 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 THE 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. like a mirage lifted
in air." the mountains Of the Blue ridge, dark
beneath forest, shining above with snow, rest
under broken clouds. Ncarcr-On!y eighteen
miles distant-the tamous ThOroughfire noun
lain is spot OF gloom upon the landscape.
tain is just apparent through the mist, and far
ther to the left the crest of Pony mountain
shakes q plane Of pines against the sky. On
these heights are The sjGnati0ns Of the army.
In an unseen valley be, onl, the dark cnrrent
of' The Rapidan, swollen ~ recent storms, is
watched from uDapproachabe heights On the
south hank by the rebel army under Lee, and
palroled Oh the near eide by the cavalry pick
e.s OF tie Union Wonder. blk miles south OF
where We are standing, TWO or three brown
roofs are seen through the foliage. That is
the vii age OF Culpeppcr, where Gen. Grant
has his headquarters and where the liag oil the
Fifth corps General Warren commanding.
droops from the balcony of the Old Virginia
Hotel" The camps OF tie corps are scattered
around and beyond the village for miles, hid
den from present view. On cleft, away 10
the east and even north OF The Rappahaunock,
The Second corps under Gen. Hancock, has
its enca,upmeits. Gen. Fitzpatrick is at Ste
yensburg. Aroun6--we are in the midet--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 desOlaliOn OF great desert. Home
steals, there are none uEspoiled; no fences
divide estates trampled by the heel Of war
into one broad uudulating unproductiye waste
The paths lrod in peace remain not the for
ests, that once made this part OF Virginia beau
titul, have been-saVe where tufts OF an acre
Or more remain about some generals head
Cuarters-cut down for fuel by the troops
Even the shining brooks that purl between
the hill: sc. loose at times, aud pausing, like
weary pipers beside their reeds. are churned
into mud By hOofs and Wheels or used for
washing water by veterans with dir y shirts.
Standing here aloft, IN the pathway of the
morning breeze, the widest Apostle Of the
New England theory OF war might think Il
thought ofpeace for the sake of this seourged
soil alone.
a LOOK AT ARMY HkADQuAKrgEs.
Let us turn toward the east. Just above the
center OF au elevated woodland, about two
miles distant, the stars and stripes arc futter-
ing over General Meade's headquarters. Fit.
teen minutes gallop will carry us thither. Fol-
lowing the road that leads under q row of sigh
ing pines, past the scores of tents scattered sill
around, we come to broad, open spacs, paced
by numerous sentinels, across which u 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.
GENERAL MEADE.
The door is just opening. and the General
steps without clad for departure. Il tall, al
most slender, well-knit frame; n 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 thai move with nervous impatence
in the process of drawing on gloves is
what all observer perceves in a passing look 1t
e 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-
~, and Y hich he has not BETRAYED. like others
before bhm, into single blunder. As he
mounts his horse, with a member of his staff
beside him, and rides through the broken sun
light among The pines, the sautes Of the
guards are given to an officer too puDctilious
and observant to omit one lift of the hat or ac-
acknowledgement by the hand due from the high
est Ia the army to it's humblest soldier.
TIE GENERAL STAFF.
One does not get look ut the officers Of an
army every hour in the day. Every tent about
these headquarters is an Office where business
the work of reorganization is going on that
is not done yet, and before it Is completed the
country may hear of more changes of interme-
date commanders. The chiefs of departments
are oil around. In that tent to the right sits
Gen. Hunt, chief of artillery, a man without
military pomp, but full OF military ability and
feryor. General ingalls,, chief quartermaster
OF the army-a self possessed, thorough off,
cer perfectly acquainted with the details of the
immense business of his department, and con-
Quoting it 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. 1t Is curious to
think that from this quiet. busy place, whence
scarcely an ,encampment Of the vast army
around is visible, may go forth at any moment,
nm order that shall with mathematical precis-
ion assign every scattered soldier to his place
in line of battle which the officer who d.
reefs shall see with his minds eye as plainly
as though he stood upon on overlooking noun
tain.
THE PROVOST MARsHAL'S DEPARTMENT.
At the foot of the slight declivity, where the
woods have been partially cut away, are few
tents inhabited by officers connected with the
provost marshal's department. of which Gen.
Patrick is chief The business of this depart
ment Is manifold. It consists Of the regulation
of interior life In the army, including the
movements of citizens, army mail regulations
the care OF deserters and refugees from the re-
belliCn, watching of stragglers or fatigue
men, on the march, and other minor duties of
like order.
THE PRISON AND ITS OCCUPANTS.
On the hillside just above the provnst-mar-
shal's department is a strong, irregular stock
ade of logs, deep ditch around, outside Of
which four or five guards are pacing with load
ed muske 9. One who looks through the Gre
vices Of these logo sees strange sight Here