The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-03-18
THE NEWS.

under the direction of tue Secretary of War
and General GRANT; assigning General SHEER
MAN to GRANTS late command of the Depart.
ments of Ohio, Cumberland Tennessee and
Arkansas and Gen. MCPHERsoN to the CON-
mand of GRANTS original department, which
embraces the territory West of the Tennessee,
and south of Vicksburg. Nothing is said about
| the Army of the Potomac, but we infer from
| the statement that GRANTS headquarters are
| to be in Washington and in the field, that
he will assume immediate command of that
army with Gen. SMITH, or some other officer
of his own selection, next under him. We
trust this impression may prove correct, be-
cause that army most needs a commander who
will be independent of, and untrammeled by,
| Washington influence. Gen. GRANT, however.
will find in Gen. LEE and his army, foemen OF
sterner calibre than any he ever met in the
West. Our prayer is that he may be more
successful than his predecessors He now
stands on higher pinnacle than any other Gen.
eral in this country has ever attained, but if he
meets with series of disasters, or makes any
serious mistake, his tickle eountrymen will
dash bin down without conjunction.
The military committee OF the House have
decided to report in favor of raising the pay of
soldiers-privates to $18 and sergeants to $50
| per month.
The Herald has q report that Gen. HUNTER
is to have command of corps in the reorgan.
| lied Army of the Potomac. We can scarcely
credit such a report. HUNTERS operations in
| South Carolina were ANYTHING but creditable to
| his military ability.
"A rebel battery on the Ouchita river, a
stream which empties into the Red river in
Louisiana. has been silenced by our gunboats.
The gunboat Connestoga collided with anothe
steamer. and was sunk with cargo and ammu
| milton.
The strike of the eng ineers on the Galena
| and Chicago Railroad remains unsettled, and
the engineers of nearly all western roads pledge
| themselves to sustain the strikers.
The rebel privateer Rappahannock has es-
| capped from Brest, France, and is cruising with
picked crew and six guns.
Gen. Grant passed through Louisville on
Monday, bound for Nashville.
Sherman destroyed one hundred and fifty
miles of railroad communication, and destroy
ed such an amount of produce as will prevent
the future occupation of Mississippi by the
/ rebels.
The bombardment of the Forts below Mo
bile is progressing, with small results, as far as
we are informed. The Key West rumor that
one of FARRAGUr's steamers had passed Fort
Morgan, is doubtless without foundation.
The Tribune has story that when Kill
PATRICK approached Richmond. the prisons
were mined with two hundred kegs of powder
to blow the prisoners into eternity" When
other news is scarce we always have large sto-
ries from deserters or returned prisoners, or
reliable cOntrabands.
The rebel military authorities in North
Carolina, have hung twenty-three citizens of
that State, who had enlisted in the Union
army, and were captured as prisoners of war.
They met their fate bravely. The native Union
troops threaten, retaliation.
The bombardment at Charleston is pro-
crossing vigorously, but with little loss Of life,
if we may credit rebel accounts Only one
pesson was injured during the last fortnight
and 225O shells were fired. Nothing is said of
damage to buildings.
The British government have sent an OF
der to the Cape of Good Hope, for the release
of privateer Tuscaloosa international law not
justifying her seizure.
There is a rumor that Queen VICTORIA is
about to abdcate, and the Prince of Wales to
ascend the throne as EDWARD VII. The last
EDWARD on the throne died in 1858.
The rank of Lieutenant General conferred
on Gen. GRANT means something more than a
mere compliment for past services. L. is an
nounced that he is to command all the armies
of the Union. HALLECK is relieved from duty
as General-n- Chief and assigned to duty as
Chief Of Staff of the Army. Gen. SHERMAN is
assigned to the command of GRANTS late de-
partment. 1t is stated that Gen. WILLIAM F.
SMITH DIETER known in the army as Baby
SMIrH) will be appointed commander of the
Army of the Potomac, and in anticipation of
this has been nominated Major General by the
President. 1t is said by military men that he is
splendid officer, but like many others of his
stamp has remained in comparative security,
for the reason that from the commencement of
the war, he has condemned and utterly refused
the aid OF newspaper correspondents, while
hundreds of Others, of infinitely less merit,
have achieved fame through their influence.
He has only once been brought prominently
before the public and that was through
statement made in the Senate of the United
States, which was Immediately disproved, that
| he was intoxicated during reconnaissance be-
fore Yorktown. MCCLELLAN always regarded
him as one ofhis best Generals, and it appears
that GRANT is not insensible to his merits. Gen
GRANT has left Washington for the West, bu
it is stated that he will soon return and rear
range the Army of the Potomac, and head its
first movements in the field. We trust our
operations will now be conducted on war
principles, and that no more Senatorial dick
ering with our armies may jeopardise the ma
tional cause.
- The Committee Oh the Conduct OF the
War are investigating the Florida expedition.
The evidence establishes the fact that nobody
in Washington is to blame for its disastrous ter
mination. That is very carefully worded. JOHN
HAY, the Presidents youthful Secretary, is not
there.
L l~1An Awy(vN