Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-04-25

The following letter, which we End In the
AshtAbula sentinel, win relieve the terrible
suspeass Of The friends Of this battery, bu.
shows that The fears felt for Ils safety were
we'll founded Nobly did The brsve boys
stand ct their post, as their casualty list tes-
tiass. The gallant Captain Burrows was
wounded. May he speedily recover and re-
organize his command, for the service cannot
spare such men. The annexed letter was re-
oeived by Aaron &. Austin, Esq, OF Austln-
burg, Ashtabula county, from bis son, mem-
Der Ofthe battery; and was written on board
ahOspital boat (does not say which one,
coming down the tennessee
We have met the enemy, and have whip
ped them, but we have suffered iearfully.
The l4th battery has gone up; we can mus
ter only about forty men Ct for duty. From
cur deiachment Robert Mcmillan was killed
instantly, J. s. Reed, VIM. O. Hail. Luoian
Waters and II, F. Gaylord, badly wounded /;
Arthur Henderson and myself slightly. Fred.
Pierce was just touched on the shoulder by a
ball. l am taking care of the boys.
Our guns are all gone. We were ordered
10 take such a position and hold It, and we
did so as long as We could, and would have
done so until this time, If our support had
not run. The regiments on our right and
left supporting IA, did not fire two hundred
shots from both regiments; but as soon as
the enemy were in musket range, they ran
like dogs, and we stood at our guns receiv.
ing the whole ere Of the enemy, who tried
to silence our guns. When we were ordered
to timber to the rear, the rebels were not
over sixty ysvds of, and before we could get
our gun limbered, Eve Of our six horses were
killed and the sixth wounded. The order
came to leave our gun, when we fred the
load we had in at the devils. At that time
I was hit on the head and knocked down.
Daniel Simms started to put down another
load, but P erce made him leave. Our boys
behaved like veterans-nOt man left until
be was ordered. No Six fred the last shot,
and the rebels were not over thirty yards of
when we left. Our guns are retaken, but
were dismouuted and spiked, and the wheels
knocked to pieces. The l4th Illinois were
our rear support to cover our retreat
Had it not been for them we should all have
been killed. One Of their Captains, wound
ed, said to me, "You can never be accused
Of cowsrdice, the only fault was, you stood
ground too long. never saw guns handled
50 lively in such q fire. We could see the
bullets strike the ground at your feet and
the trees at your heads" he said that he
wondered that any of US escaped alive. Our
Captain was wounded the first fire. His
right arm was badly shattered. We wentinto
battle at a quarter to eight, and came out,
what was left Of us at eleven. The battle
ragged all day, and they made desperate eff
fort to take us at night, but were repulsed.
On Monday we drove them off; and l sup.
pose they are now in Oorinth The loss on
both sides is terrible. Our killed and wound
cd must be six or eight thousand. Theirs
must be greater still They fought like tie
gers. There are over a thousand on this
boat wounded. I writN this by the Cap
tain's bedside. Hsis doing well. an still
in fighting order. Yours,
CHARLIE.