Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-26

verse method. Their dead on the field were
in such numbers as TO sicken even the vet
Grams of Richmond and the Shenandoah
Valley they left 1000 dead, rotting clay,
and almost innumerable wounded. Their
discipline and night saved them from q
rout. They retfeatedin tolerable order to
Centreville. Twas decisive; their whole
army engsged-only two corps Of ours,
and their loss, think, ten to one on our
side.
Starkes Louisiana Brigade and the Sec
ond Brigade of Jackson's Division, their
ammunition being OUT fought with the
stones from the ground. This know to
be a fact. Lewis Randolph, it is said, was
seen to kill one man with stone. We lost
many valuable men. v was shot ear
ly, in the breast. found him at the hos
pital, very dirty in dust and blood, but in
good hands. l took of my shirt and gave
it to him, and sent him on his way rejoic-
ing, toward Middleburg. l happened to
have on a clean shirt, having bathed in
Bull Run on Friday morning, and changed
my clothing On Saturday l had the mar
rowest escape yet; two cannon balls, with
in minute of each other, passed so near
me as almost to take away my breath
Strange to tell, it put me in the widest
spirits.
On Monday our corps moved to Ok Hill,
between Chantilly and Fairfax Court
House, where, in the afternoon, we had,
under driving thunderstorm, smart but
indecisive fight with three divisions of the
enemy. In it were killed Gems. Kearney
and Stevens, valuable officers both; worthy
the battle.
Thus the corps fought six days out of
seven. after enormous marches. On
Wednesday, the Sd instant we marched to
Drainesvile; on Thursday to Leesburg
where we met D. H. Hills corps, Ripley's
division, and perhaps others. On yester-
| dav the army crossed the Potomac, d. H.
Hill having crossed little earlier IN the
dav than we, and at a different ford. We
marched till l24 last night; started to-day
before daylight and reached this town by
P. n, or earlier. 1t is twenty-fOur miles
from Leesburgh, and within eighteen of
Pennsylvania. Of the scene at the pas
sage Of the Potomac, I have not time to
speak, nor Of the battle field of Leesburg.
Saunders, coming on in an independent
way, captured the telegraph operator,
turned him over to General Jackson, and
heard him send message to old Abe, af-
ter which the telegraph was destroyed and
the track of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road torn up. Stuart yesterday sent a
message to Abe by another line. l have
seen the Baltimore Sun of to-day. They
are puzzling themselves as to whether we
have really crossed.
wish, my dear mother, | could better
tell you of these great matters. But it is
easier for you to imagine how tired am
than for me to tell you. In the last thirty
six hours have slept two.
am proud to have borne my humble
part in these great Operations-tO have
helped, even so little, to cOnsummate the
grand plan, whose history will be text
book to all young soldiers, and whose mag
nifcent success places Lee at the side Of
the greatest Captains, Hannibal, Caesar,
Eugene, Napoleon.
Ihope you have preserved my letters, in
which have spoken of my faith in Lee.
He and his round table of Generals are
worthy the Immortality of Napoleon and
his Marshals He moves his agencies like
a God-secret, complicated, vast, resist
less, complete.