Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-08-21

not Immediately engaged in defending Il.
self, il was occupied in throwing percussion
shell into the enemy wherever the COM
manding officer found a good opening. II
is impossible 10 particularize the conduct
Of all the batteries; they did most excellent
service, Lieut. Eyerett's Battery partie-
ularly distinguishing ITSELF
The battle had now ragged from 4 to 9
o'clock, five hours. All this time was oc-
cupied in constant fighting, artillery and
musketry mingling in the continued din.
One company Of the Indiana regiment, who
purchased with their own money, their
arms, the Morrell rife, fred between
seventy and eighty rounds each, when in
no case those who used the ordinary
Government arm fred more than thirty or
forty rounds. In this FIVE hours Of fear
full work, our men fought with the hot
burning sun in their faces, giving the
enemy an immense advantage. The artil-
lery of the rebels, some fifteen pieces, did
very little damage; it was badly wrought,
was never in good position, and the shot,
with few exceptions, was solid; not more
than two or three men were killed by the
artillery. Col, Dudley commanded the
right wing, where much Of the hard fight
ing was done, and took entire command
after Gen. Williams fell, which was about
o'clock The fall Of the Commanding
General created, of course, great confusion
in his immediate vicinity, but Col. Dudley
rode 10 the spot and shouted out Boys,
keep a stiff upper lip, the day will soon be
ours As soon as the enemy were re-
pulsed, Col. Dudley drew up his lines, so
as to give the gunboats a chance to assist in
the engagement which movement was
done in a splendid manner. Expecting
every moment to be charged by the enemy,
he posted his batteries so as to support the
infantry aS they retired.
While the general action was going on,
Lieut.. Craig, Sixth Michigan, and Mr.. Da-
Wis, Of the Keneo, United States gunboat
No. 8, were on the tower of the State House
to signalize the gunboats.
Night finally came on, though it was as
bright as day, from the full moonlight,
when the Keneo and Cayuga commenced
shelling the woods in the rear and north of
the town, which was now filed with the
rebels they had evidently come back.
Early in the morning, a reconnaissance,
made by two officers beyond our pickets,
failed to discover any signs Of the enemy,
though the negroes said they had moved so
as to come opposite the ram, which was
still visible on the opposite side Of the river.
Whele these were prospecting" some Of
our soldiers brought in Lieut.. Yerger and
the Doctor belonging to Gen. Clark's staff,
having yielded themselves prisoners of
war, for the sake of attending to General
| Clark's personal wants. These gentlemen
] II -hol Inn n
/ of the American officers, has been quite
communicative. He said it was the inten-
ton of the rebels to open the fight with
the ram, the land forces meanwhile to carry
the town by storm. He regarded the Ar
kansas as invincible. Heavy firing, while
this conversation was going on, was heard
up the river. Col. Cahill and staff rode to
the redoubt near the arsenal, where they
saw the Essex pouring broadsides into
something round the point, the Cayuga ly-
ing idly off the point. Soon q small boat
was seen TO put off from the Cayuga, bear
ing down the river. One Of the staff rode
up the banks of the river and net the boat
and received communication from the Of
fcer on board, that Com. Porter had en-
gagged the ram, crippled her and set her on
fire, and that her crew had taken to the
woods. Col Cahill then ordered his aid to
ride alOug the lines and announce the fact
to the different regiments, which called
forth a response which made the welkin
ring. Nothing more occurred Of exciting
interes THAT day, the remainder, being oecu-
pied in the burial Of the dead. Towards eve
ming Breckenridge sentin flag of truce, de-
string the privilege Of burying his dead
aOithin our Ines an acknowledgment Of de-
feat. Col. Cahill promptly replied, that his
soldiers had been already engaged in the
work, and that he preferred to complete
the labor he had begun.
The morning Of Thursday was signal
lied BY the arriYalof Col. Payne from New
Orleans, who, as senior officer, took COM
mand; he was accompanied up the Missis-
slppi by the flagship Hartford, Commodore
Farragut, Brooklyn and several gunboats.
A contraband also came to town, who
stated that the rebel army had retreated
beyond the Comite, on their way to Camp
Moore.
The force of the enemy consisted of
probably twelve skeleton regiments, rang
ing from six to ten thousand men, COM
manded by Major General John G. Breck-
inridge and two Brigadiers, one Of which,
probably mortally wounded, is now pris-
oner in our hands. They were Mississippi
regiments, two Alabama regiments, one
Tennessee, two Louisiana, and one Ken
lucky regiment, many of them veterans Of
Shiloh and Corinth. Although there we're
comparatively so few men, the regiments
considered, it was apparent in the action
that the entire number Of officers demand-
ed were on the ground, many Of whom
fell on the field, their dress in many cases
negro clothing, scarcely making them
when dead distinguishable from the file
which lay around.
Throughout the action, our men were in
the very best of spirits. After repulsing
the enemy and waiting for another charge,
thev amused themselves with making jests
of mistakes, and telling amusing incidents.
Remarks like the following could be heard:
" Now boys, we give it to them that last
time, but it amt patching to the way we
have got to give it to them when the var
mints come back" In fact they seemed
to feel as if the whole affair was holiday
frolic. One of the most significant facts
developed of the demoralizing effects Of
living still in camp was shown in the fact
that after the battle began G large nunlbs1
of the patients in the hospitals got of thsn
beds and fastened to the field. The excitement
reused the sinking energies and paved
the way to returning health.
The moment the new line was formed
volunteers, regardless Of the possibility o.
an attack by the enemy, went out on th'
field and commenced bringing in theil
wounded companions. The dead anC
wounded were in heaps, and this was par
: ticularly the case in the Indiana and Yer
, mont camps, and in the cemetery, wher'
/ the enemy fought behind the tombstones
, and also where the fence fight was so fear
fully carried on. The field was literally