Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-15
CLEVELAND, Sept. u, 1862.
The Rebel Retreat from Cincinnati.


The Rebel Retreat from Cincinnati.
The recent raid upon Cincinnati has end
ed, and the rebels are in full retreat to-
ward the Tennessee line. The immense vol
unteer force which rushed to the defense
of the city, has turned back the enemy
which menaced Ohio and he is fleeing in
confusion. The Commercial says that the
roads are strewn with eamp-kettles and
other articles with which soldiers dispense
when in q eathurry. Anumber of pris-
oners were taken. Ia squad Of eight
who were picked up, were men from Ar
kansas, Texas, Georgia and Alabama.
They say the force which advanced upon
Cincinnati was about twenty thousand
strong but had only one battery Of six
pieces of field artillery. That was La
borde's Louisiana Battery. The rest of
their guns were light thOwitEers, ineffective
except at short range. The rebel prison
ers say that they retreat because they
they have not heard anything Of General
Bragg, whom they expected to support
their movements, but they did hear that
General Buell. had massed his forces at
Bowling Green, and was attempting by
forced marches through Southern Ken
lucky to gain their rear.
The Gazette gives this summary Of the
situation in Kentucky:
"The understanding now is that Bragg
crossed the Cumberland river on Sunday
last with 10000 men destined for Ken
lucky. 1t is also believed that Bragg and
Kirby Smith expect to form q junction, Ell
ther in central Kentucky or south Of the
Kentucky river. General Buell. having
fallen back to Nashville, Bragg saw that
the whole of his army would not be likely
to remain there; and he discovered that
Kirby Smith was in danger Of having his
retreat cut off. Hence Bragg's movement
toward Kentucky. General Buell., we may
remark-for the rebel Generals are fully
advised of it-also crossed the Cumber-
land river on Sunday, leaving General
Thomas with an adequate force at Nash
vile, and yesterday General BuelPs rear
was this side of Bowling Green. We have
thus, at the present time three columns in
Kentucky-one with its base at Cincin-
natl; another at Louisville, and Buell.
coming in from Tennessee. A glance at
the map will show that Kirby Smith, un-
der these circumstances, which are all
known TO him, will not care to remain in
central Kentucky. He will be likely to
march out more rapidly than he marched
in, and it is not improbable that he may
find a retreat far more hazardous than was
his advance.
ain this grand movement on the militia
ry chessboard the rebels have, we think,
been out-generaled. The rebel plan was
to throw a force into Kentucky, while it
was expected Buell. would continue to
maintain his long line Of defenses in Ten
nessee and Northern Alabama, held in
check by feints that Bragg would keep up
with portion Of his forces, while another
portion would cooperate with Kirby
Smith. This plan worked very well until
Buell. suddenly withdrew from Northern
Alabama, concentrated his forces, and fell
back on Nashville. Bragg did not antici-
pate this movement; hence he was forced
to push forward to the assistance of Smith,
or leave the army Of the latter in danger
of being cut off. He moved accordingly, |
but General Buell. having also moved in
the same direction, and having the advan-
tage of roads, has doubtless come in ahead
of Bragg, and has probably gotin between
the latter and Smith. Thus, it is seen,
the situation is an interesting one, and
promises to result to the advantage Of the
Union armies That the rebels will soon
be driven from Kentucky hardly admits of
a doubt; and if the rebel invasion does
not result disatrously to their cause, we
mistake the signs. The indications are
that we are on the eve of events that will
more than reverse our recent disasters in