Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-03-31


the vocilercOs and prolonged cheers which
proceeded frum their lines The attack was
not now long delayed. Theenemy advanc-
ed his army, which now consisted Of six
teen regiments Of infantry, numbering II,
600 men; Eve batteries OF artillery, with a
total of twenty-eight Held pieces, and three
bsttalions OF horse, under Ashley and Stew
art. Bis line of battle extended about a
mile on the right Of the village of Z, rms
town, and mile and three quarters on the
left Of IL, and the village lay on the road
between the rebel right and center. There
Ia mud road branching from the turnpike
a mile or 30 from Winchester to the right Of
the road as you 60 to Srasburg. This road
passed through the lett of the enemy's CEN
ter, and was one OF their points OF defense.
Beyond that there is q grove of trees, and
farther q ridge of hills with q stone wall
running along its summit breast high. This
was the rebel line OF offense and defense, on
the right of our line. Our most advanced
regiment was the Eighth Ohio, Of General
Tyler's brigade, and on It the rebels made a
furious onslaught about half past 10 o'clock,
A. N, on Sunday, with the intention Of
turning our right flank. The Ohio Eighth
met them gallantly, withsring them like
sutumn leaves before the breath of winter
by their deadly fire Of rifles. Five several
times did the enemy emerge from the woods
and from behind their stone parapet, with
vastly superior numbers, and try vainly to
accomplish their object. Our LETT wing,
consisting of the Thirteenth Indiana, Seventh
Ohio, and battery Of the Fourth regular
artillery, under Capt Jenka had q felnt
made on 1t while the real attack Of the enc
my was being directed against our right
wing. The feint on the left was heavy
FIRE Of artillery posted on bOh sides of the
village and the turnpike, which however,
did trifing damage. Our battery replied,
silencing those of the enemy, though the 6r-
ing was well maintained for long time on
both sides. Our center consis cd Of the
Fourteenth Indiana, the Eighth and SIXTY
seventh Ohio and the Eighty fourth Penn
sylvania, and two artillery batteries belong
ing to the First Ohio Artillery, and the cav
airy, consisting of the First Michigan and
First Ohio, were drawn up in the rear. The
whole of our cavalry amounted to no more
than 800 men, and this arm played very
unimDOrtRnt part In the action on either side
Our right wing was made up of the 9th,
Tsh and sth Ohio Regiments and battery Of
the First Virginia Regiment. The reserves
consisted Of the Twelfth Indiana, the Thirty
ninth Illinois and a squadron of the Michi-
gan cavalry. General Shields was unable to
appear on the fed in person, and the COM
mand in the field devolved upon Acting
Brigsdier Kimble, who led our center; and
our right was commanded by acting Briga-
dier General Tyler, while Colonel Sullivan
directed the operations on our left The
battle ragged along the whole line, with great
fury, from IL A. N. till half.psst 2 P. N +,
when General Shields, who received accounts
of the progress of the fight on his couch,
ordered the right where the contest ragged
the hottest to charge upon the enc
my. That was an awful charge. The left
of the enemy prepared desperately to repel
our gallant troops, but their rush was a. ir-
resistible ss the tide in the bay Of Fundy =
Previous to this time, our line of battle had
been somewhat changed. The eighty fourth
Pennsylvania reinforced our right, and Slso
a battery of artillery. Our whole force now
engaged was about six Thousand men, while
thst Of the enemy was, st the lowest esti-
mate, eight thousand. The rebels had also
changed their line, and extending both their
wings, presented concsve front to our army
They had also reinforced their LETT wing, and
the charge 70 be made by our right was all
important in its consequences. On Il, at 8
o'clock, depended the fate of the entire bat
tie. The gallant Tyler led the charge, sword
in hand, at the head of the line. The rebels
6red from the woods With artillery and small
arms, while our men advanced against their
murderous showers Of lead and iron, return
ing few shots and reserVing their FIRE. Up
to this time the armies had not been much
nearer to each other than three hundred yards
unless than in some few instances. The
wood was soon cleared ct the point Of the
bsyonet, our men discharRing their pieces ct
twenty, and even i've yards distance from
the rebels, end then dashing at them with
the bayonet. The rebels fought well, how
ever. They contested the ground foot BY
foot, and marked every yard of 1t with
blood. Retiring behind their stone wall, on
the ridge, our men jumped over after them,
and drovs them along in the greatest cOnfu-
sion and with fearful slaughter upon their
center. The panic communicated. Kimble
ordered charge along the whole line, and
for short time the fighting was most des.
perate. The roar Of the cannon was no long
er heard, unless in occasional bursts of fifnl
explosions, and the rattle of muSketry was
more boisterous than ever, and sounded like
the noise of q very close thunder clap, ex.
cept that it was sharper and continuous.-
The rout of the rebels had fairly commenced,
ov.a Srzn nf fhasw nA
were now ours, and though many Of
them turned and fred again and again at our
pursuing host, many more threw away mus
kets and bAyORets without hssitati n. Dark
ness and the extreme fatigue OF our troops,
however, saved the enemy for the time, and
we retired about two miles and bivouacked
till yesterday morning. At dsybreak Gen.
shields ordered the rebel position to be at
tackled, and the enemy, after replying by
few shots from his artillery, continued bis
retreat. Meantime Gen. Banks, who had
been at HErpeF's RerTyJ arTfV5di uzzd -tsIaritsE
Of the troops In person, is now
continuing the pursuit with about ten thou
sand men, and ct the latest accounts had
pressed the men beyond Middleburg, cutting
OF many stragglers, and pressing the enemy
very sorely. The object iSto capture his
whole force If possible. It was not till yes
tsrday morning that any Of the force Of Gen.
Williams arrived on the 6eld, and then they
we're too late to join in the action. They
Ioined In the chase. The loss Of the enemy
in killed and wounded will foot rp about
BOO men, Of which 226 were killed The
number Of prisoners taken from them Is 236
These figures are independent of what they
have lost, and will lose in the pursuit The
regiment which lost the most on the side of
the rebels Is the 9th Virginia.
Iur loss in killed 50 fal as sscsrtained Is
less than 100, and about 300 of our men are
wounded. Though tee enemy hsd q much
larger foice, four pieces Of cannon more than
our army, the selection OF fighting ground,
and every other advantage, yet all the tro-