Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-11-09
REPORTED GREAT VICTORY I
important and startling news
1900 REBELS CAPTUREDg

We have reports Of a most glorious victory
ct Columbus Ky. The latest reports BY els.
patches to the Associated Press represented
Ovr for,es successful In two engagements at
Belmont Just above Columbus, upon the Mis-
souri, side of the river. A private dispatch
passed through the Cleveland Office last even
ing to the Pittsburgh Chronicle, from the
editor who is st Cairo, saying that our troops
had captured Columbus and taken srVsH thou
sand prisoners, This Seemed altogether too
COED news to be true and was received with
great deal Of caution. Later in the even
ing, however, gentleman who lsft Mans
Geld at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, In
formed Us that Senator John Sherman re-
osived q dispatch from his brother,
General Sherman, commanding the forces
in Kentucky, giving the same news as posi-
tive. An Mansfield was wild over the news,
As well 1t might be. If this report is true, ii
is glorious victory, such as viii give undy'
ing honor to our bravo boys who were fortu'
nate enough to participate in 1t, and will re-
store all the prestige ttat was lost at Bun'i
Run and Balls Bluff. OF course we do no
vOuch for the truth of these reports, bui
coming to Us in the way they do, they arr
certainly probable. Itis probable that Whil'
a part of our forces engaged the enemy uPOr
the Missouri side of the river, another forc'
descended from Cairo to Columbus on th'
Kentucky side, captured the town and sur
rounded the entire rebel force. Glory enough
for one dsyl
Columbus Is RboIt twenty-five miles be-
low Cairo, and was first made important q
the terminus Of the Mobile and Ohio rail
road. From q village of hundred inhab
itants 1t thus grew to something more thai
q thousand. Upon the outbreak OF the wa
it further became important and famous q
almost the only remaining door OF inter com
munication between the North and tn
South. For several months, indeed, after ou
occupation Of Cairo, the boats ran regularl.
between that place and Columbus. Thel
Gen. Polk, of the rebel army, TOOK posses
sion of it and has since held it. We hav
had about $4,000 troops at Cairo, Bird
Point Fort Holt and Paducah, the Who'll
commanded by Gen. Q. s. Grant; while Ger
McUlernand commands at Cairo, Gen. Smitl
at Psducah, Col. Oglesby at Birds Point
and Col Cook at Fort Holt. The troops ar
sll well equipped, and are the veterans Q
the Western service. They have lonl
been in need Of something to call them out.
A gentleman who left Cairo Thursda.
morning and reached Chicago that evening
says that the expedition was admirably plan
ned. Gen Eleazur Paine formerly Of Paines
ville) commanding one of the brigades unde
Gen. Smith at PaducRh, moved overland to
wards Columbus, on Wednesday, with 300
men, leaving Paducah at IL A. N. The dis
tancs is some s5 niles, and the road is good
although several bridges have been burue,
along the way. The two divisiOns-frou
Cairo and Paducah-were to cooperate il
the taking of Columbus The rebels hav'
some sixty mounted guns at Columbus, seve
ral Of them OF large size, and they presented
formidable front along the leves.
Il viii be remembered that dispatch pub
lishBd in yesterday mornings LRADER stated
tha9 Gen. Buckner has been reinforced BY
Gen. johnson from Columbus with 20. OOC
men, only leaving 1000 at the latter place