The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-09
The Richmond Dispatch of the 1st savs

The Richmond Dispatch of the LIST say
official intelligence of Sherman's move
ments and present whereabouts were re
} ceived yesterday, but does not meutio,
the said whereabouts. It says only four
teen gunboats, Transports and mortars wer
at Port Royal r, -.
The Charleston Mercury of the 24tl
says the enemy have 40 piects of heav,
ordnance on Morris Island bearing OF
Sumpter and Sullivan's Island. They ar,
busy mounting mortars. and they have ,
fleet of some dozen monitors at Port Roya
and somewhere on the coast These pre-
partitions indicate an attack on Charleston
and the advance of Sherman toward Au
gusta, warns US that no time is to be LOST
in preparing to meet the issue.
The Savannah Republican of the goth,
says large fleet is now assembled at PORT
Royal and Tybee. and are in preparation
for Sherman's arrival.
The Savanr ah Ners thinks that Sher-
mans destination is that city, and unless
his army is either whipped, routed or cap
tured, he will reach that place.
A Hilton Head correspondent of the
Herald, says Gen. Fisher proceeded up
Broad River with an expedition. He land
ed five miles below Pocatiligo Bridge,
marched on and captured the bridge after
sharp fighting. The rebels evacuated. A
large quantity of cotton was found and
destroyed. 1t is supposed the rebel force
along the coast has been materially les
sened to concentrate force against Sher-
man.
Naval correspondent OF the Herald
OH Charleston, states that the blockade
runner Beatrice was ashore, and DESTROYED
on the night of the 9th. Thirty of the
crew were captured.
Admiral Dahlgren and Gen. Foster are
in communication with Sherman, who is
supposed to be moving on Savannah A
joint force has been organized to co-ope-
rate with him, while other expeditions
are moving on other important strategetic
points. 1t is reported on the street that
Lee is marching against Sherman.
New YORK, Dec. Rebel papers state
that Sherman ordered every house in
East Tennessee to be burned, and the
country desolated, aud refused to recind
the order on a petition from the citizens
of Knoxville.
1t is reported that Cumberland Gap is
evacuated-the troops going to Knoxville
The latest news from Sherman is that
he was within forty miles of Savannah,
all Georgia was in alarm. The Savannah
papers of the Both ult., while admitting
this, say bis progress has been stopped.
NEW YORK, Dec. 5.-FrOm the Rich
mond Dispatch of December I'd, we learn
that cavalry fight in which we were VIC
tOriOus, took place in East Georgia on
Tuesday. The Yankee cavalry under Xii
patrick, were attempting to cross the
River, when they were attacked by Gen.
Wheeler, and, after an obstinate fight,
driven back in the direction of Millen, los
ing very heavily.
The Richmond Dispatch of the I'd also
says Shermans main army.is moving to-
wards the sea coast, and battle is ex-
pected.
From the Richmond Wing of Dec ID
it does not seem that our authorities have
any suspicion of the effect the movement
OF Hood would have; at least we Judge SO
from his getting off so easily.
A letter in the Augusta Chronicle from
a member of the Georgia Legislature, Civ
ing his experiences in escaping from Sher-
mans army. He and others having been
taken across the country, show the extent
of the devastation inflicted upon the
country
He says that, going to McCreddle's
place, We found his fine house in ashes,
and his Clubhouse burned, and every horse
and mule gone. I'm his lots were about
100 horses lying dead. They looked like
good stock, and were evidently Killed t.
deprive planters of them. Proceeding Oh
we found every plantation on the road sim
lily devastated, except that no further
7lling-houses were burned. until we
% .a'ed the fine farm Of Hon. Joshua Hill.
IL, is a perfect wreck. A large Clubhouse
full OF cotton, com cribs, dwelling, &c
were all smOuldering ruin. Hills loss is
greater than that of any other planter IN
this section. Be7ides the cotton, several
thousand bushels of corn and potatoes,
several hundred bushels of wheat ard
much other valuable property, VITA every
horse and mule and many negroes are
gone. No farm on the road to this place,
and as far as We can hear towards Atlanta,
escaped their brutal ravages. They also
ravaged the country from below here to
the OcOnee River
The roads were strewn with the debris
of their progress Dead horses, COWS,
sheep, hogs, chickens, I'm, wheat, cotton,
books, papers, broken coffee mills, and
fragments of nearly every species of prop
| erty strew the wayside
In Madison they burned the depots and
one or two old warehouses, with the jail
and market houses. They Quilted every
store and plundered more or less every lot.
They fired one store and several other
houses, and their officers, with a show of
magnanimity. asked to put out the flames.
Many families have not pound of meat
or peck of meal or flour. Many negroes
were enticed away from homes of comfort
| to share the hard fortunes of a winter