The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-02-24
J GREAT CAVALRY CAMPAIGN.
Extraordinary Movement Through
the Cotton and Gulf States. o AZ
Clouds Of Cavalry Sweeping to the
Gulf Of Mexico. .c :, i.
Special Dispatch to the New York Times.

r'----------- tit- 10 s'i'.sitt
Special Dispatch to the New York Times p! ~" ,s,.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 8, 1866.
1t was anpeVsseda month ago, that the
veteran and vtcterious army Of General
Thomas, which had then lust inflicted such
q series of disasrons defeats upon Hood,
would at once takenp it's march after the
remnant of the rebel army, which had
found refuge in Mississippi, at Tupelo, q
station on the Mobile Railroad, some fifty
miles south of Corinth. Our army, in un-
dertaking this moYement, would, necessa.
rily have to prepare itself for campaign
extending through the State of Mississippi,
and as far as Mobile, for Hood would
simply retreat from Tupelo and other
points as we advanced upon them, and
would thus draw our forces on indefinitely,
without result. This would have been a
campaign of great difficulty, and required
considerable time in preparation.
In the meanwhile there were two things
which materially altered this plan:
1. Lieut.-Gen. Grant ordered to other
fields great part of Gen. Thomas in
fantry. 4
2. 1t was definitely ascertained that
Hoods defeat in December was of such q
complete character, that an army of the
magnitude of that of Gen. Thomas was
not required to operate against it, or to do
any other part Of the work that remained
to be done in the Southwest. In fact q
limited body of infantry, with superb
bundance of cavalry, are all that are now
required in all the vast range of country
between the Ohio River and the Gulf of
Mexico. .. -...E
A new campaign was consequently re.
solved upon, and by the time this is print
ed, a cavalry movement of the most gi-
gantic character, and promising the great
est results, will have been begun. The
army, in fact, is in motion. The main
circumstances have already been an
nOunced in the papers of the West and
South. ....
The starting point of the campaign is
Eastport, in the northern corner of the
State of Mississippi, where Thomas head
quarters have been for some time located.
The Columbus (Miss) Republic has re-
Gently published the information that large
Federal forces were concentrating at
Eastport and Decatur for the purpose of
moving on Selma ard Montgomery as soon
as the roads are in suitable condition" Of
course they can stop neither at Selma or
Montgomery and the alticles that have
been telegraphed North from the Mobile
Tribune show very clearly that the rebels
know the point aimed at to be the great
commercial city of the Gulf The Rich
mond Wing of Tuesday informs US that
Gen. Candy has sent large force of in
fantry from New Orleans to Pascagoula,
close to Mobile; and the city is so weakly
defended that the idea is universally ex.
pressed in the South that it will be aban-
doned by the rebels.
The number of cavalry engaged in this
great expedition is stated in the Western
papers at 10000, including mounted in
fantry, but the force may not be as large
as this. The distinguished cavalry leader,
Gen. Wilson, is in command. The dis
lance from Eastport to Mobile is about
800 miles, through country easily trav-
ersed; and Gen. Sherman has stated UNI
der his own signature, for the information
of the army, that sufficient forage can be
had on the line of march The cavalry
can probably make twenty to twenty-five
miles day, and the campaign if contin-
uous, would thus occupy from fifteen to
twenty days.
1t is by far the largest expedition of
this character of the war, and its condi-
tons and prosperity have been so
thoroughly canvassed in advance, that no
doubt whatever is entertained of its COM
plete success.
The demoralized condition of Dick Tay-
lor's (late Hoods) army at Tupelo, not
over 10000 strong, takes it away as an
element of danger. 4'1
The intense animosity of the people of
Alabama and Mississippi against the rebel
government and authorities, known to
amount almost to revolution, makes the
prospect of the campaign good in that re-
spect. 1t will probably be even freer from
harrassment than Shermans campaign
through Georgia.
The opening of the Alabama and Tom
bigbee Rivers, and the occupation of Sell
ma, Montgomery and Mobile, will virtually
complete our military work in the cotton
States of the Gulf
On the same subject, and on the mill
tary prospect, a Nashville letter, dated
Feb. 8, in the Chicago Erening Journal
says:
The war may be considered as practically at
an end now in this section. True, the $4,000
cavalry under Thomas and Candy will sweep
over the States of Mississippi and Alabama as
soon as the weather will permit, and many
places now nominally held by the rebels, will
fall into our hands, and numerous railroads at
present useful to the enemy, will be destroyed,
win be opened to our gunboat fleet but all
this will require no serious fighting; it will not
be war, as that term has been understood the
last three years; only a mere raid will be re-
quired.
Gen. Grant has said recently that
with 100,0 900 fresh men he can close the
war in three months. The draft, it is