The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-22
; A NEW KENTUCKY SCARE.
Forrest Sending Homo NIL the Ken
= lucky Regiments--.SOme.
thing In the Wind. .s....

Nineteen Confederate prisoners arrived
in this city from Hopkinsville, Kentucky,
yesterday morning, and by order of Gen
Burbridge, were released from custody on
taking the Presidents oath of amnesty.
They belonged to the Sd Kentucky (rebeD
infantry, and the term of their enlistment,
three years. ha ing expired, the regiment
was disbanded between Maysville and Pa
ducah, on the Goth day of March, by order
of Gen. Forrest. Three Kentucky regi-
ments were disbanded on the same day, at
the same p!ace-the Sd, Col. Thompson;
the 9TH, Col. C.ossland; and the 7th 1t.
Col. ShOckliffe. These regiments were
part of the command of Forrest, and led
the column in the late attack on Paducah.
They lost in the fight about twenty men
killed ard number wounded the whole
force ofForrest is estimated at eight thou
sand, and the total loss in the attack was
about one hundred and fifty killed, cap
tured and wounded. Colonel Thompson,
who was killed, was commanding brigade
at the time, but held his commission in
the Sd Kentucky infantry. Most of the
men belonging to the disabled regiments
returned to their homes in the State, and
will be glad to accept the privileges afford.
ed by the oath of amnesty. A small por-
ton of the commands followed in the rear
of Forests forces, and signifed their in
tention of enlisting ia some of the rebel
Tennessee regiments. The nineteen of
the Sd regiment who accepted the oath of
amnesty yesterday, are principally resi-
dents of Caldwell county. They report
that the Kentucky regiments in the rebel
service will be disbanded and allowed to
return to their homes as fast as the ten ms
of their enlistment expire. The manner
Of disbanding the three regiments by For
rest is something of novel proceeding in
military regulations, and must appear as
strange act to the candid thinker.
The movement looks to us as if it was
intended to cloak some deep design. None
of the soldiers were furnished with papers
showing that they were mustered out of
the Confederate service They say that
they were simply drawn up in line and
told that as their term of enlistment had
expired, they no longer belonged to the
Confederate army, and would be permitted
to return to their homes. This may be an
honest statement, but thinking men may
be pardoned if they are slow to place i'm
plicit confidence in the story Forrest
would have no legitimate right to disband
a regiment simply by verbal proclalna-
ton. The authority would have to come
from the War Department, and each soldier
wonld have to receive written certificate
Of his muster out, together with final
statements of bis accounts with the gov
eminent. The Confederate army is not so
strong, or the government so abundantly
able to furnish soldiers that it would per-
NIT three regiments to be illegitimately
disbanded. The wholesale CONSUMPTION
which is being enforced throughout the
South, would place expired regiments
again in the field, and we can find no rea-.
son why rebel Kentuckians should be ex-
empted from the order. We truly believe
the disbanding of the regiments by For
rest is a farce to prepare startling drama
for the stage. The Confederate authori-
ties have not given up all hopes of again
possessing Kentucky, and plan less sub
tie could scarcely be conceived to aid their
cause than by disbanding three veteran
regiments to enter the State without oppo-
sition or alarm, and, effecting an organi-
zation, in quiet moment strike at some
unguarded point, hoping to be successful.
1t would be well to closely watch the
movements of the disbanded soldiers of
the Kentucky rebel regiments, and not
place too much confidence in the honesty
of their intentions.