Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-10-14
THE GREAT BATTLB OF PERRY
WILLIE.

a determined attack from Braggs army,
and routed the enemy. The correspond
ent says that for ferceness of fighting this
was the severest action of the war Our
army achieved victOry-nOt brilliant
triumph, not a complete success, but
victory, and one which, if it had been fol-
lowed Iup might have been final, so far as
Bragg's army is concerned. Regarding
the conduct of the Federal officers, he says:
ain the battle of Perryville, there was
certainly no cowardice displayed by any
officer, from Major Generals McCook and
Gilbert, commanding corps darmee, down
to the Second Lieutenants, who never re-
tired from the presence of the enemy ex-
cept when it was necessary to rally their
men. Never did men show themselves
more worthy the emblems of authority
which decorate their shoulders, than did
the officers of the Union army who fought
at PerryviIle. There were, Of course,
few exceptions, but they were very few in
deed"
The enemy intended to defeat part of
our army before the others came up. His
ground was well chosen, and his forces
well disposed. He had planted his batter
les upon a range of low wooded hills in
front of Perryville, overlooking and com
pletely commanding long line Of open
ground lying Immediately at the foot Of
the range. His infantry was massed be-
hind and around his artillery, and his
---'------- -----,a- -ad to charge down the
easy slope of the hills, ana sUo,r ----,
living thing from the comparatively level
ground below Here was his trap, and
into this he expected the advanced pOr-
tions of the Union army to fall.
But fortunately our Generals supposed
that Bragg whole army was about to make
a desperate stand at Perryville and there
fore our troops were advanced with the
utmost caution. The battle began early
Wednesday morning, by the light Of the
moon. The rebels planted battery upon
the crest of the hills, and poured shot and
shell into our ranks.
GAS soon as the position Of the rebel bat
terry was ascertained, a section Of Captain
Barnets Artillery, consisting Of two ten
FOUNDER PARROTS, was brought to the top
of the hill and by a few well directed
shots the rebel battery was silenced. But
the rebel artillerymen were again rallied
around their guns, again opened fire, and
again we're driven off by the two formida-
bic PARROTS. A second time they returned
to their pieces, only 10 meet with the same
fate, and then the firing from the rebel
battery ceased entirely"
A severe preliminary action ensued, en-
ding about ten o'clock A. NJ, in which the
Both Brigade had more than a hundred
killed and wounded, while the ID Missouri
had nearly as many more. But the rebels
had been driven back with loss of at
least three hundred.
About eleven o'clock an artillery fight
commenced upon the left where Captain
LoOmis's Michigan battery and Captain
Simonson's Indiana battery were posted.
The correspondent says:
"While was watching with intense in
terest the effect of our fire on the enemy,
shell came hurtling through the air and
exploded in the very midst of Captain
Simonson's battery, killing two of his
horses and wounding a couple of his men.
The next moment case shot tore away the
head of another horse, entered his fore
shoulder and ranged through the entire
length of his body"
A terrible fight ensued as Bragg himself
TagT Nor.
which gallantly and successfully resisted
the desperate onset. The attack was then
made upon Jackson's division upon the
left. An immense force was advanced
under cover of the woods, until they were
near our lines, when they rushed forward
with demoniac yells.
The soldiers of the Union fought with
courage never surpassed, and again and
again were the advancing rebels checked
and thrown into confusion. Regiment Wed
with regiment and man with man, to see
who should longest sustain the repeated
and terrible assaults of the foe. Occa-
sionally portions of the line would waver
little under the murderous fire which the
enemy in overwhelming numbers poured
upon it; but even while their comrades
were falling thickly around them, the
men would rally, reform, and again drive
their bullets in the face of their desperate
enemies.
At length our troops were forced back
by the overwhelming masses hurled against
them, and the entire division retreated
perhaps quarter of a mile, only however,
after its commander, General jackson, and
one brigade commander, General Terrill,
had been killed, and another, Colonel Web
ster, mOrtally wounded.
And now began, says the correspondent,
one of the bloodiest passages at arms
which has occurred during the war. The
18th brigade formed the right of Rosseau's
division aud against this an immense
force was directed.
Their appearance, as regiment after
regiment, and mass after mass, came forth
from beneath the woods and advanced
down the slopes of the hills, was imposing
in the extreme. Distance concealed the
rags composing their uniform; the bright
sunbeams glancing from their bayonets
flashed like lightning over the field; and
the blue flag with single star waved all
along their lines, as proudly as though it
were not the emblem of treason, Slavery
and death. At their head advanced GEN
eral mounted upon a white horse, and sur
rounded by a numerous staff, all having
horses Of the same color. However one
might hate these traitors, he could not but
admire this conspicuous and daring valor,
for each one Of these 'pale-horse riders
instantly became mark for a shower of
bullets, several Of which sped not upon