The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-02
LETTER FROM CHATTANOOGA.
The Weather..Lookout mountain
Inhux OF veterans.-Appe Of
the Refugees.

1nduX OF veterans..A puearauaa Of
the Refugees.
To The Editor of the Pioneer:
AS the excitement Of the Presidential CAM
paign is over, few lines from Chattanooga
may not be uninteresting to your home readers.
We know not what sunny skies or penetrating
cold the people ofMinnesota are enjoying at pre-
sent, but from Southern rain and Southern mud
from Southern dewy ewes and cloudy morn's,
Lord deliver us. To-day may be bright and
warm, the hot concentrating its rays as it
were in focus on the valley where we are
stationed, making every living being, from the
half naked three year old darkey to sun bronx
ed veteran, revel in the presence of the God
Of day. But then tomorrow comes, cold,
cloudy and unpropitious, bringing with it rain,
fevers and mud making altogether temper
ature
''As variable as the shade
BY the light quivering aspen made"
Many are the strange scenes TO be seen in
this eventful place but strangest scene Of all
is Lookout Mountain overhanging the city,
like . Deity presiding over Temple. From
it's lofty pinnacle can be seen seven States. 1t
commands Chattanooga in about the came re-
spect as good sized mountain piled on top of
Dayton's Bluff would command Yves: st. Paul.
Yet this temple was entered and sacked, the
holy things were seized by Union hands and
the august and mighty rebel mountain Deity
could not lend helping hard to save it sher-
man quietly stole around and fanked him,
while Hooker marched straight up in his very
face and made him easy capture. To thorough
ly appreciate good generalship one must see
or know where the battle was fought or
victory won.
The present exodus of troops from Atlanta
has filled this place to overaowing. Artillery,
cavalry and infantry arrive daily, all destined
for Nashville to intercept or "gobble up"
Hood. These veterans Of many fields, how
dirty and ragged they look. What humor in
circumstances the most trying. Sleeping on
them. Down comes the rain, rain, yet the
song and Jest goes round, the campaign Is
talked over, Generals are criticised, cooks are
cursed and the days and months to elapee be-
fore their terms of service lexpires are counted,
until finally, sleep comes to relieve them all Of
care.
But who are those old women, old men and
young children? Where are the aged, the
young the lame, blind and deaf wandering?
All these are refugees. and oh, what world
OF meaning in that one word. 1t comprehends
blighted hopes and crushed energies, ruined
homes and desolated firesides. 1t comprehends
poverty, nakedness, starvation and misery.
There are no young men among them. How
they huddle together around the smoking little
fire. Faint, weary and sick they lay about on
the ground and in the tents. Great has been
their sin, probably, but great also is their pun
ishment. Some heap maledictions deep and
DltteI sho leaders UI Tic rebellion. Others,
though they shipper and smile and say the word
Union a. if it cost them pang, reveal their
belief in the cause of "the bonnie blue flag
The dark eye, the quivering lip, the white glis-
tening teeth and sallow complexion betray in
dubitably their secesh sympathes. Side by
side with the white stand also the enslaved ref
ugees. On the motley assemblage of the two
races, three quarters of whom are women,
every age, sex and condition in life is repre-
sented. At night women and men sit around
the camp fires with subdued faces and detected
mien smoking away their mstortuRes.
How, in piteous accents they will tell you if
their happy home on the banks of the Tennes-
see, or their luxurious residence in the city of
Atlanta. The cid man talks of his plantation
and colts, the housewife, of her beautiful bed
ding and carpets, her shawls and jewery They
are proud in the memory of their past glories.
What future before them
Three companies OF the First Minnesota
Heavy Artillery are stationed here. Although
new troops, they have been selected to garrison
the most important points in the defence of
Chattanooga. The health of the officers and
men is good. +.
All sorts
LIEUT.. JAMES HEwsoN, formerly of the
fist Connecticut regiment, and who has
received honorable wounds in the service.
was killed in singular manner at New
Haven, Connecticut, on Sunday He was
walking under large flag hung across the
street when sudden gust of wind de-
tached a six-pOund iron weight suspended
from one corner of the flag to keep it
UOWI, anu ClS NciSlD ldlllIlS Oh Ills noau
crushed his skull, killing him instantly.
He leaves a wife and three children in
Bridgeport.
In many of the county towns of Illinois
a day has been set apart for the farmers
to bring in their vegetable offerings to our
brave boys. Large potato aud union pro.
cessions have been inaugurated, when the
farmers have come to the shire towns,
from all parts of the county, with wagons
heavily laden with vegetables, apples and
pickles, and have been received with
grateful cheers, and music and speeches.
These vegetables have been forwarded
with dispatch to the Northwestern Com
mission, who have FASTENED them to tne
font.
IN January OF this year there were one
hundred and twenty-five quartz mills in OBJ
Grafton in Nevada, which were erected at
a cost ranging from $4,000 to 500, 900.
About three-tourths of the quartz mills in
Nevada are driven by steam, and the bal