The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-03-10
WILMINGTON.
FULL DETAILSOF ITS CAPTURE.

Four Hundred Union Prisoners
Found in Terrible Con-
dition.
New YORK, Feb. 26.
The World has a letter from Wilmington,
the 2Sd, giving the particulars of the capture.
1t saws: "The city has been secured without
a general engagement and with slight loss.
We have captured over thirty pieces of artille.
nv, 200 prisoners, considerable amount OF
cotton and other stores, and released over 4OC
made by the rebels after the capture of Fort
Anderson was a strongly entrenched line four
miles below Wilmington, extending at right
angles from the river on either side, on the
main land west of the river. Their defences
behind the town were a creek, very deep and
narrow stream, running from large swamp
twenty miles inland and guarded in front by an
bel works reached out from Fort Strong oppo-
site, and also terminated in extensive swamps.
On the morning of the goth, the advance up
on rebel rifle pits was made by Gen. Ierry
forces. Paines colored troops being thrown
out as skirmishers supported by Abootts DriRg-
ade on the right, and on the left by Ames ~
vision. This movement was entirely succeeS-
full: ri D a-aisui a.i,' =,
On the same day Gen. Cox, across the River,
effected brilliant movement. ne louno on
the left of his line single approach through
the swamp to the creek, and having secured an
old fiat boat he commenced 10 throW ms tIOops
across while the enemy were reSting IN Ianclea
security. They had NOT aleamed u nnS p4 sxa
and Il was not until large proportion OF Coxs
. forces were over the stream that the rebels be-
came aware that they were being fanked. A
nrecipitate retreat by the rebels ensued, Cox
b. capturing 375 prisoners and guns with trifing
loss. on Tuesday Cox pressed on toward
Wilmington, and Schofield, who was led to
Relieve that the enemy, reinforced from Beau
regard, were about to attack Terry, sent to
recall Cox, but he had pressed on beyond reach
of the order till late in the afternoon.
The brigades of Gen. Easement and Colonel
Henderson, having already crossed the Bruins
wick River to Eagle Island, were in possession
of the railroad to Charleston and within range
of the city. These troops effected the crossing
on captured ponte0ns, the bridge having been
set on fire by the rebels. Gen. Cox feeling
confident from appearances that none of Beau.
regards forces had come up and that his adj
vance would necessitate the retreat of the en-
envy in front of Gen. Terry and hasten their
egress from Wilmington, instead OF returning
sent back one brigade and wrote to Gen. Scho-
field, informing him of the importance of re-
disobeyed his order. Gen. Schofield approved
his course, and sent the returned brigade over
in boats to reinforce Gen. Terry, at the same
time instructing the latter to make a recon-
noissance to the left of his line for the purpose
of ascertaining the strength of the enemy. The
LIST and I'd brigades of Ames' division were
sent under Col. Doggett. They returned be-
rently strong force. We lost one killed and
eleven wounded in this movement. On the
morning of the 22d, Gen. Terry found the en-
envy had fallen back from the works in his
front, and ordered ON immediate advance.
At the same time the feet, which during
the three previous days had bombarded
Fort Strong from below, proceeded up
LITIGATION. General Terry's command on
nearing the city came up to the last line of
rebel defences. They are works, of immense
strength, mounting heavy siege guns, and pro-
tected In front by a long narrow pond. Gen.
Terry's command passed into this line over o
narrow causeway' across the pond, and then
were massed preparatory to marching through
the city. Having reached the outskirts, at nine
o'clock he was met by the Mayor and City
Council. The Mayor expressed his desire to
formally surrender the city to our forces. After
brief conversation Gen. Terry went on with
his troops, who continued their march through
the town in pursuit of the retresting rebels.
There were decided and general manifestations
of Union feeling by the Inhabitants as Terrys
command passed through. These demonstra.
: tons to large extent were from the less
wealthy portion. The stars and stripes sus-
pended from windows of dwelling houses or
raised on stats in font is not an tnfrequent
sight, while the ladies looked smilingly from
Z the windows and doorwaya The general Joy
Of the occasion was mared by The sight of
Union prisoners scattered along the streets,
who had Just escaped from rebel clutches.
, They presented every phase of starvation and
misery, and many had become idiotic.
= A correspondent OF the Chicago Tri-
5u,,e gives further details of the terrible
sufferings of the Union prisoners. We
hope for the sake of common humanity
that the account is exaggerated. The
g Tribune says: ..sl,1 - '"-
The Union prisoners had been confined at
Camp Lamb, about nine miles from the city,
and their treatment was worthy Of fends from
hell. Though agreements for general ex-
change had been completed at Richmond, the
starving process goes on. For three days be-
fore the evacuation these prisoners had not re-
ceived mouthful to eat To the credit of cit
liens, many attempts were made to- relieve
them, but food in all cases was taken away
from them by order of the officer in COM
mhnd and t-edden' into the ground before the
eyes OF prisoners ana cit1zcnS. IL was tnOugnt
that 700 were recovered, but many in dying
condition. All which has appeared in the
public prints in regard to this matter utterly
fails to prepare one for the awful reality.
After nerving myself for the visit, and try.
ing to picture all Its horrors, while riding
slowly over mile to the house where they
had been collected, my brain reeled tor q mo-
ment as the sickening reality burst upon me.
An officer came In, and those who had never
ouailed on the field of death, whose cheeks
had never blanched, stood aghast with tears
in their eyes, grinding their teeth, clenching
their hands, and thanking God that there was
q hell Pale, haggard, and emaciated skele
tons glared on Us from CLASSY eyes, whose
light Of reason was just expiring. With mat
ted hair and skin blackened with smoke,
scarcely covered with the flthiest shreds of
cast off rebel clothing, without blankets, and
most of them without coats and shoes, they
gazed on us with almost idiotic stare, while
the majority could with difficulty be reused
ftom their listlessness. g..
Many had forgotten their names. Some
could be aroused by asking them of home,
wives and children; these magic words bring
ing them back from the grave into which they
were sinking with hands clutching the bread
our soldiers brought. AS they lay there dying
80 ENN1 -.A11 wAvr NVan n