Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-07-29

sAiiS PeSO ~ HOm our 6aguT
- day Afternoons Edition.
THE BATTLE BY a CLEvELANDRR.
Personal Etpsrinees Of he Dsy-TAs Pam
-StoRPiag tas Roui-Sspsa men 5rsastia
GR Army.
= We publish below some extracts nom
private letter Of q gentleman Of this cit
who was upon the 6sld Of battle upon Sun
day last. II gives very graphic narration
Of the events which fell under the writer
own observation;
WASHINGTON, Monday Evening.l
July "a, 1861.
Although about 10 o'clock.
think l may as well eommeuse giving you
= some detail Of what saw upon the battle.
field. I shah attempt no account Of the
battle. for that was the strsngesl and most
unaecOuntsble transaction ever heard Of
and 1t would seem as if our men, after beat,
ing the rebels, started and run away from
them and thus nearly destroyed our entire
army.
Mr.. Blake and Mr.. Norris Of the House,
Thomas Brown of the Ohio Farmer, and /,
:. started ~ about 4 O'Clock yesterday morn
ing with passes from Gen. Scott, to 20 to
our army, whose headquarters we're at
Centreville, about 81 miles towards Ma.
nassas. We had baskets Of provisions and
a heavy armament Of navy reyOlvers, 9
carriage and driver Sc. After We had
been at Centreville an heur or 50, e heavy
eannOnading vas commenced somewhere
on the ground that cur right occupied
Schenok and his brigade-at first ct inter
walls very long and about three miles from
ms, pat although We were on very high
ground, that overlooked everything, the re
gion was heavily wooded, sud We could see
nothing hnt the smoke as ii rose We, al.
though 50 rear, could hear nothing Of the
details, and towards four We started Rith
our carriage towards the battle feld pass
ed an innunsrable baggage train thsn con-
monoing . move, aud so on, we began to.
meet soldiers and others coming back, who
told us We had driven the enemy of. IA
- Atteree miles or 90 We appreciated the
ground where the battle had commenced
under echenek, opeaed By the Grays. who
skirmished splendidly, as Twas tOid. We
finally came up to farm house, used as a
temporary hospital, where Athe wounded
we're brought in, aud then we begun 10 see
the frightfnh marks Of actual conflict be
yond this Was 9 wood half or tkree-oaar-
ters OF mile through, and in it was posted
fhn ID lfhTu Nho 1-fv r..
eSohenek and Sherman's Battery. Our main
army that had fought we're still further
on, and on lower ground. We saw group
of prisoners taken by the ID Ohio. We
understood our batteries Of them
were Just through these woods, and We vent
forward. The battle seemed over, and We
had driven them. A few cannon were
fired at intervals, one Of which to our left
seemed not very far Of, which I supposed
was one Of ours. As We went forward,
word reached as that Just ahead and near
the fire, two men were just killed bya can
non ball, and ! went forward and examined
them, and still did not suppose that they
were killed BY the gun nearest US, for
supposed that to be ours.
They we're New York men, badly man.
gled, and we're just drawn near each other,
With their caps put over their faces. H
While ct this point, several times heard
huge, sharp, rushing noise, swiftly cut
through the air, coming from the direction |
Of the nearest gun, and began to think il /
was our saemys battery osnnonading that |
particular place, and 80 it vas; but why /
1t vas Left alone ct that point did not
then know, nor do l now. only know
that the balls came nearer and nearer. till !
one came that thought must pass where |
Blake and / stood, lit was lust q few feet |
forward Of US, and struck Just 10 our right. !
Thinking We might have beea seen, and our |
little group made q special mark, We With !
drew 70 a more sheltered point; and soon
.9fter returned back towards the Hospital, |
near which vas cur carriage
We went back 70 that-the Hcspilsl-l
and looked about at the wounded, heard |
strange stories, and saw strange sights.
We observed that the soldiers seemed drift. 4
ing rather than marching in any order, |
SAX towards CenterViile, and remember ]
ed that 1 saw Sherzan's guns in The woods, /
iimbered up and headed the same way. IL
also heard It several Zines remarked that |
the soldiers in he woods had been ordered /
baCk, Why knew not, but supposed for |
(belter quarters through the night perhaps /
for wafer. We began to think and feel |
that We had better return, but could not |
find one Of 0nr party-Horris. In fact, |
our waiting for him liked to have been per- |
petual for US all We finally found him,
got into our carriage, and began 10 70
back got just opposite the hospital, when |
sitting On the front seat, and looking out /
o the South, saw q body Of dragons |
dash around corner Of the wood, snd
wheel and plangs down towards Us. Just |
ct this moment half dozen Of our sol |
diers, moving on without order or officers, /
rushed up TO the fence 70 ere at them. I /
knew then they were Rebel cavalry. On |
tLsey came to about fifteen rods Of rs per- |
hapN. They drew up, and delivered q rat
ding Volley from their oarbines among US,
We beil Ng exactly in their front. Whether |
hey hit sny Of our folks know not. Our |
boys, that mentioned as running up TO |
the fence, 'sturned the ere, and, from their |
deliberation, must have hit some Of them. |
The rebels, 81 ter firing, wheeled, and ran
back the way hey came. There we're per-
hanr Forfv N N am-not mnra