Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-07-25

he right of the road The enemy drew up
o oppose him, but he speedily drove them
20 retreat and followed them up with the
greatest VICAR and rapidity. Meantime, Tor
some three hours previous, we had seen long
lines Of dense dust rising from the roads
leading from Manassas and, with the gl'ss,
We could very clearly perceive that they were
raisad by the constant and STEADY stream OF |
which continued to pour IN |
nearly the whole day. The sixty-Nlnth, |
Second and Eighth New
York-the First Second and Third Oonnec-
ticut. and the Second Wisconsin, were
brought forward In advance Of the wood
ani marched across the Geld to the right to
90 10 Col. Hunters support. They crossed
he intervening stream ana drew up In s
small open field, separated from Col. Hun
ter's column by dense wood, which was
filed with batteries and infantry. Our guns
continued to play upon the wood which tnus
concealed the enemy, and aided materially
in clearing them for the advance. Going
down TO the extreme front Of the column,
could watched the progress Of Col Hunter,
mArkeS by the CONSTANT ioar of artillery and
the roll Of musketry, az he pushed the rebels
hack from point TO point. At o'clock he
had driven them ont Of the woods and
across the road which was the prolongation
OF that on which We stood Here, BY the
side of their hatteTies the rebels made
stand. They planted their tag directly IN
the road, and twice charged across It upon
our men, but without noving them an inch
They were met by destructive FIRE, and
were compelled 10 fsll still further back
Gradually the point OF 6re passed turther
away, until the dense clouds OF smoke which
marked the progress Of the combat were at
least halt a mile TO the left Of what had been
the central position Of the rebels.
It was now q o'clock. | was at the ad-
vanced point Of the front OF our eolgmn,
some hundred rods beyond the woods, IN
which the few troops then there were drawn
IN, when decided 10 drive back to the town
for the purpose of sending you my dispatch.
As | passed up the rood the balls and she'll
from the enemy began to fail With more than
usual rapidity. did not zee the point from
which they came; but meeting Capt. Ayres,
he said be was about TO bring up his battery,
i supported hy the Ohio Brigade, under
Gen. echenck, 10 Eepel rumored attempt OF
cavalry to oltaank this colHmn. As ] went
forward be passed down. Gen. Schenok'
Brigade was at once drawn up across the
ro4l, and Capt Ayres' guns were planted OF
knoll ct at the left, When powerful body
of rebels Wilh 8 heFyy battery, came doWT
from the direction of Bulls H9u, and en-
gagged this force with tremendous effect.
Went to Centreville, sent of my dispatch
and started with all speed to return-intend
ing to 20 with our troops upon what haC
| L Ill Al GalA Nnuhfinf
for a moment that it would remain ia thei
hands. had gone but quarter Of mil
when Ee wst great number OF fugitlyea
and our carriage soon hecsIpe entangled in
mass of baggage wagons, the officer in charg
of which told me il was useless to 60 in thR
direction, IS our troops were retreating. No
! crediting the story, which was utterly in
consistent with what | had seen but littl
whils before, continued to push on. sOol
met 9uE;termAster Stetson, Of the Fire Zou
aves, Who told ne, hursti4g irto tears, tha
his regiment had been utterly cut to pieeel
| that the Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel wer
| both killed, and that our troops had actuall
been repulsed. / still tried to proceed, bu
J the advancing columns rendered It impOssi
; bic, and l turned about Leaving my cal
} risgs, went to high point of ground an
! saw, by the dense CLOUD Of Dust which ros
/. over each of the three roads by which tL
three columns Of the army had advanced
2 that they were all on the retreat. Shar
) discharges of cannon ip their rear indicate
/ that they were being pursued. I waited ha
f an hour or 30, to observe the troops AMI ba
8 teries as they arrived, and then started tC
: Washington, to send my dispatch and writ
r this letter. AS came past the hill on whic
t the Seeessionists had their intrenchments le'
4 than q week AGO. saw .onr forces taking .
2 sailed.
Such is a very rapid and general histor
. of yesterdays engagements. am unsb
e to be precise or profuse in matters of d.
tail, and must leave these 10 future lette
/ hear nothing, en- every side, but II
warmest and heartiest commendation OF OF
troops They fought like veterans. Th
rebels did not in a single instance, stand b
fore them in charge, and were shaken b
every volley of their muskstry do nc
mean to praiss any one. at the expense {
another. The Sixty-ninth fought with spler
did and tenaci rs courage. Thsy charge
batteries two or three times, and would hav
taken and held them but for the reinforce
ments which were constantly and stsadil
poured in. Indeed a ipGs to This fact aloH
that The comparative success Of the rebels
due We had not over 26, ,OOO men in action
the rest being held behind as reserves at Cen
treville; while the enemy must have mum
hered st least so, 600.
The Fire ZouRves before they had fairl,
got into action, were terribly cut up by
battery and by musketry, which opened OF
their flank. They lost a great number o
= their officers and men.
Col. Hunter, who led the main column o
attack, received severe wound in his throat
be was brought to this, city, but ! under
stand that he cannot recover, If indeed he il
not already dead LhaEe heard the name
of many others reported killed or wounded
but deem it best not to mention them now
as the rumors may prove to be undoubted.
About a mile this side Of Centreville (
stampede took place among the teamsters anC
l others, which threw everything into the ut
most confusion, and infected some very seri
I. Gus injuries. Mr. Eaton, Of Michigan, il
trying to arrest the fight of some OF thes,
men, was shot BY one of them-the ball t.
king effect in his hand. Quits q number O
Senators and members of the House werl
present at the battle.
shall be able TO ASCERTAIN tomorrow th,
cause Of the retreat of Col Hunters column
after the splendid success it achieved.
would gladly, though in the face of evidsnet
unable, believe what is rumored here, tina
this column did indeed hold ground, end that
the retreat was confined to theother columns
fear this will not prove to be the fact
H.J. R.
DIasrp1r Styles q Fighting.