The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-05-27

General SIGEI, who was to have marched up
the Shenandoah Valley to cut the Virginia Cen
trail Railroad at Staunton, met with o severe
check at New Market, lost nearly 700 men,
and five pieces of artillery, and retreated to
Strasburg, about twenty miles south of Win
chester. This is what everybody expected
who knew him well. He was to have been at
Stanton when GRANT attacked LEE but the
last news we had of him, previous to his de-
feat, was speech he made at Martinsburg,
and the fact that he was o week in making
march that he was expected to accomplish IN
two days. SIGEL never was known to have
been in the right place at the right time. Inc
best officers of the Army consider him the most
complete military humbug of the age. How
he came to be appointed to the command OF
such an important expedition, is not SO much
of mystery as some would suppose. 1t was
done by the persistent boring of members of
Congress, under the mistaken idea that it was
necessary in order to retain for the Administra.
ton the support of the Germans. when in
reality the Germans have not one 1.-THE the re-
gard for S1GEL that they have for FREMONT,
who is to be turned out of the SER
vice, if the joint resolution passes Congress-
for dropping from the army rolls those officers
who have not for three months continuously
been in the performance of duty or service cor
responding with their respective ranks. We
have acquiesced in, if we have not approved,
most of the measures adopted for the suppress
sion of the rebellion, but the indignation we
feel at the retention of such humbugs as SIGEI,
LEW. WALLACE, BANKS, HURLBUT, and score
of Others, in important commands, cannot be
adequately expressed. The rebellion is not so
nearly crushed that the military ability and ex-
perience of MCCLELLAN, FREMONT, BUELL.,
FRANKLIN, STONE, and other good officers who
are now in disfavor with the administration,
can be dispensed with. There is no good rea-
son why these men should be driven from the
service of the country in this hour of her ut
most need, and host of incapables retained.
That partisan malignity should demand such
sacrifices is the most discouraging feature of
the war, and in the end will prove the most
disastrous.
Gen. CROOKS, who was to cut the Vir-
ginia and Tennessee Railroad, handsomely &C
complished his work. He fought three bat
ties on that road between Wytheville and New
bern; destroyed large bridge and several
miles of track and gained complete victory
over Generals JENKINS, MORGAN, LANE and
JONES, with loss to the enemy of about 900
men in killed, wounded and prisoners. JEN-
KINs fell into his hands MORALLY wounded.
Gen. CROOKS is a good officer and has always
performed all that any one had right to ex.
expect
The news from the Army of the Potomac
is very meagre. GRANT and LEE are preparing
for another mighty contest. Notwithstanding
and the mud, we suspect that GRANT is wait
ing for reinforcements. In the late battles
not much less than So 600 men were disabled,
and their places must be filed. 1t is said that
be hae already received reinforcements to the
number of 10000. Gen. LEE, in the mean
time. is not idle. He is entrenching himself
still more strongly and it is said that he is also
getting large reintorcements. As GRANT has
declared that he will flight it out on that line
if it takes all summer" we hope he will get
all the m he wants. There are at least 81, 900
men, idling away their time in the Northern
States, who should be sent to the front at once.
There is scarcely ON important city at the
North that is not crowded with soldiers.
On Friday night Gen. GRANT commenced
a grand flank movement to compel LEE to
abandon his position, which thus far has work.
ed successfully. This is proved by the fact
that our forces occupy Guinney's Station, and
are south of the Mattapony on that line east of
the Richmond and Petersburg railroad. A
portion of LEES army has fallen back.
Gen. HUNTER has superseded Gen. SIaKL
in command of the Shenandoah Valley move
ment.
There is nothing of great importance from
the redoubtable BEN. BUTLER.
Gov. SEYMOUR has requested district
attorneys to prosecute persons who were in
strumental in suppressing the World and Jour
nal Of Commerce.
STANTON announces that 25,cOO veteran
troops have reinforced Gen. GRANT. LEE has
also been reinforced to some extent.
An official bulletin from STANTON states
that Admiral PORTER had succeeded in getting
his boats over the Falls of Red River; Gen.
SHERMAN was ready to resume his march to-
wards Atlanta, having received reinforcements
sufficient to cover oil losses in the late battles
GRANTS Army is said to be fully as strong in
numbers, better equipped and furnished than
when the campaign opened; several thousand
men have also been forwarded to other armies;
and 10000 volunteers for one hundred days
have been equipped and transported to their
respective positions. This bulletin of the Sec
rotary, if it can be relied on, is certainly the
most cheering news we have had for week.
Newspaper reports from GRANTS army
state that the flank movement thus far was
successful. GRANT had compelled the rebels
to retreat while his own army had got to
GurNEA's Station and Bowling Green, which
covered his communications by railroad with
Fredericksburg and Aqua Creek.
BUTLER, it appears, is snugly ensconsed in
his entrcnchments, which are represented as
impregnable and through the aid of his gun
boats, will probably maintain his position.
SIEVE, al rebel attacks have been repulsed. Ben
don't write so often as formerly, BEN don't.
We are anxious to know what he has done
Of