The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-05-13
NEWS AND OTHER ITEMS.

"A special dispatch to the Chicago lT'oune
states that train belonging to General Steeies
army. of 24O wagons, guarded by portions OF
the 9th Missouri, 18th Illinois, and l3th ana otn
Indiana cavalry, and seven pieces OF artliery,
were all captured by the guerilla chieftain Mar
maduke. on the 25th ultimo, when about thir-
ty miles from Pine Bluff, on the trains return
trip for provisions. Our dispatch placed the
loss of men at one thousand captured, besides
those who fell in the fight. This is q severe
blow to Gen. Steele and may compel him to fall
back to Little Rock or Pine Bluff
Gen. Butler, sitting in judgment upon the
crime of officers living upon the rations of their
men to the extent of causing them to be on
short allowance, and of using them as servants,
has dishonorably dismissed from the service
Capt. R. w. Mclaughlin and Lieutenant P A.
OMalley of the 18th New York volunteers,
found guilty of that crime, with the loss ofpay
and allowances, and has forfeited a months pay
each of Lieut.. VIM. E. Kingsbury and Lieut..
Albert s. Russell of the same regiment, to re
place the savings of the company of which the
two were officers.
On Friday. Miss Sally Pollock, resident
of Cumberland county, Maryland, arrived in
Wheeling, Virginia, under charge of Lieuten-
ant Neidart, of the 9th Western Virginia in
fantry. The prisoner was convicted before
military commission held in Cumberland, Ma
ryland, on the 18th ult, of being rebel mail
carrier. and was sentenced to be confined in
the Western Penitentiary during the continu-
of ha Gbo 10 t1v int
ligent, and is well posted in relation to the
movement of troops in West Virginia. The
prisoner is said to be in poor health, and is
accompanied by a lady, who intended to wait
on her during her imprisonment in the Peni-
Tertiary. 1t is probable that she will be trans
ferred to the female prison in Massachusetts,.
In discussing the law and practices of re-
taliation the Springfield (Mass.) Republican
furnishes the following historical parallel:
During the war of 1912, there was no in
stance of retaliation by the infliction OF death,
though the right was repeatedly asserted in
the strongest terms. The most noteworthy
instance was when, after the battle of Queens.
town, the British selected twenty-three Irish
prisoners to be sent to England to be tried for
high treason. Scott threatened retaliation,
and an equal number af British prisoners were
set apart to await the fate of the Irish. The
British thereupon imprisoned fOrty-siX Ameri-
cans, and forty-siX British officers were i'm
mediately selected and held as hostages for
their safety and protection. The matter finally
subsidized, with no execution on either side.
Mr.. Sumner is not the only man who has
altered his opinions about war. Mr.. "Hosea
Bigelow'-(Professor LowelD is the author of
the following lines:
LAS for war, call it murder;
There you have it plain and fiat:
don't want to 90 no furder
Than my Testyment for that;
God has said so plump and fairly,
It's as long as it is broad;
And you've got to get up arly.
Efyou want to take in God"
Mr.. Boutwell,, member of Congress from
Massachusetts,, has come to the conclusion that
liquor is neither food nor lodging. Ifhe kept
his old grocery store now, he would say it was
both-at any rate it provided him with both up
in Groton.
= At the n. Y. Fair Scene: Very pretty
girl pinning bouquet on Young Swells coat
Young Swell" Twenty-Five cents for the bou-
1uet, l think you said: here's Two-Dollar
Greenback." Young lady Yes; twenty five
on your coat; and seventy-fve cents for the
pin. That's just right; thank you. Can't 1
show you something else!"
"A special to the Commercial Washington
9th, says: "Chase has prepared an amend
ment to the bank bill, which Sumner will off
er to-day, taxing the National Banks annually
two per cent. on their circulation, one per
cent. on their deposits, and one per cent. on
their capital stock beyond the amount invest
ed in United States stocks. This is all to be
applied to the payment of interest and princi-
pal on the public debt. Real estate held by
the banks is alone to be subject to State coun-
ty or municipal taxation.
Gen. Wool in a recent celebration at Troy,
being called on to speak, alluded to the danger
of civil war. which he had foreseen and of
which he had fOrewarned President buchanan
-modestly speaking of his services at the out
set in arming nine States, until he YVES order
ed to Troy, by President Lincoln, to "take
care of his health" which was never better
than at that date. Up to the present time every
stranger asks, General how's your health? ?"
1t has been decided by the Committee on
Elections that Frank Blair is not entitled to a
seat in the House of Representatives, the po-
sition being awarded to the contestant, Mr..
Knox. Now, if the Senatorial resolution re-
fusing to recognize Blair as Major General
and recommending his dismissal from the mil
itary service, should be adopted both strings
to Franks bow will be snapped,-o which
misfortune Secretary Chase will probably expe-
renee no very poignant regret.
Richmond has almost come to be synony-
nous with the rebellion, and no one sees this
more clearly than the southerners themselves.
at Richmond is taken, says the Examiner,
"no corner of the country will be exempt
from the ravages of the Yankee. Over all the
plains, down every river, through every city,
village, hamlet, and up to every selfish plant
er's door. will the torrent of lava stream and
devour.
-Philander Webster, of this place. while
out hunting near Crystal Lake last Monday,
shot pelican that measured eight feet from
the tip of each wing. Its bill was thirteen
inches long. j. G. Haupt bought the bird for
one do lar, and intends preparing it Tor his
show rooms -MdnkatO Union 9Th.
"A gallant officer in one of the Iowa reg
iments, who never quailed under the fire OF
rebel bullets fell an easy victim to a pair OF