Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-07-20
Tho Advnnoe d he Grand Army.


The Advance Of the Grand Army.
From the N. Y. Herald's telegrsphic re-
ports Of the advance to Fairfax and beyond.
we quote the following particulars nom Ty-
lvr's column, in which are the Cleveland 1
Grays:
At noon everything was IN readiness, ana
precisely at two o'clock the fifty thousand
men composing the grand army about enter
ing upoa the great work o. sweeping seees-
sion out Of the Old Deminionl were moving
from their different positions towards their
respective destinations. M
As the twelve thousand men composing
the three first brigades moved solidly and
measuredly on, they presented most mag
niRcent spectacle, when gaeed upon from one
of the many elevations overlooking the road.
The seemingly endless forests of glittering |
bayonets, undulating With the aseents and
/ descents Of the road the dark mass OF hui
manity rolling on slowly Out irresisiibly, like |
q black stream forcing lis way through |
narrow channel; the waving banners, the |
inspiring strains Of the numerous bands, the |
shouts aud songs of the nen, formed most
inspiring and animated scene, which was
.N /
TOR by the nnprepared country people along
the road.
Lieutenant Tompkins c! the cavalry COM
pany, went ont reconnoitsring this evening,
and discovered obstruetions on the road
s,ort distance from town The half demOl'
ished train Of platform cars that carried the
Ohio troops on their unfortunate recOnnOis-
ance of this point, ssme weeks since, is still
standing where it was fred upon from the
masked battery.
From Gen. McDowelrs column We have
these particulars
Up to this point abcrt one mile from
E Fairfax Court House, the people living upon
e the roadside were at home quietly pursuing
their usual avocations The first house be-
yond this third barricals Belonged to man
named Goodwin, who lad hastily leG the
, | premises when the rebel cavalry retreated.
: It was here ascertained that the division
. had reached neighborhood thickly popula-
ted with the most rabid rebels in the county,
j. prominent among whom is one Esquire
: Brosdwater a county magistrate; and also
. that about half mile ahead the rebels had
a fortifcation erected, and battery planted,
which was defended by force of TWO thou
4 sand men, and that the rebel force in and
, around Fairfax Court House, guarding the
# different approaches amounted toirom ten to
fifteen thousand men. Tie fortifcation was
= encountered about hall a mile from the
Court House. II consisted of q simple in
s trenchment excluding FOR about four hun
dred yards on each side Of the road. II was
pierced for eighty The embrazures were
. formed OF sand bags, and so placed ss to
command the road. The sortifcation was at
D. the top ofa steep hill, ct the foot Of yhico
: meanderrd q small muddy creek. The trees
e IN the hill side for a distance Of an eighth
:, of a mile had been cut down, so as to allow
o no cover from the gins OF the fort. This
], fortifcation had been occupied for about
Il three weeks By the ID and Sd South CarOli-
= na regiments, under Gen. N. L. Bonham, the
+ successor in Congress Of the notorious Brooks
and the commandant Of the advance guard
e of the Potomac. In approaching this point
:, our skirmishers bad a brush with those of
e the rebels, in which corporal of the Second
d Rhode Is,anl regiment received a flesh
e wound in the thigh, and rebel officer was
0 captured by Capt. Dyer.
: The advance of Burnside's brigade reached
} the fertilization in time to make one prison
= er, a South Carolina officer, who surrendered
: 10 Major Mission, Paymaster of the Second
Rhode Island regiment. The inside OF the
fortifcstion presented abundant evidences OF
the haste with which it had been abandoned
by its late occupants Sacks Of four meat
1 clothing, arms equipments, and camp uten-
i sils, were everywhere scattered over the
N ground, and the camp fres, probably pre-
!, pared for tne noon mesl, were still brightly
Il burning. The main body Of this force had
l. left with haste only about two hours before
o the arrival OF the head of our column. The
=, fertilization itself was rIdely constructed =
It De rs no comparison to the splendid works
> acienti6cally planned and erected by the
'e Union volunteers on the banks of the Poto-
It mac. Il could have been easily taken by a
p. flank movement, for which there was abun-
- dant opportunity, without exposing the as
u sailants TO the FIRE Of the guns in position be-
i hind the entrenchments.
= Az the head of the division was approach
ing the entrenehment sharp firing was heard
on the left, which was afterwards aseertsined
to have been oceasioned by skirnlish be-
tween The advance Of Col. Miles division
is and AlabamiAns who were in position
"a there about two mllss tGom the Court House.
The intrenchment encountered by Col.
Hunter division was ereVted upcn farm OF
at Mr.. Seegur, an emigrant to Virginia from
le New York. When It was first discovered a
= halt was called, and the advance brigade,
:. under Colonel Burnside, was formed in close
u column and ordered to load This was done
y with alacfity, and the men. when ordered
le forward, pressed on eagerly, singing Dixie
n. aud g The Star Spangled Banner" e was
cheering TO observe tie enthusiasm exhibit
le ed by these volunteers, and quite amusing 70
le hear their remarks snch IS, eve are going
re to open mail route from Washington to
II Richmond y 1--WE have come 70 Virginia q
find a place 10 settles; 1--WE mean to bag
le Beauregard and JEFF. Davis" "We are the
Z. | ..o;Enotn-, % @ Ihar unnlA wait for rs &c