Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-10-24
Correspondence OF the Cincinnati Gazette.
The War in Kentucky.
escySesv oE sac EE,ssp.In Eii.l ssaa,ge.
BATTLEFIELD OF CHAPLIN HILL,
NEAR PEREYyILLE, Oct. 10.

IN command was guilty of great Grim
inality, in allowing two divisions of the
army to be overwhelmed and over
powered, while lying idle, within mile,
lay over $4,000 men, clenching their
fists with rage. and weeping with vexa-
tion at having to retire without engag-
ing in it. The blood of nearly five
hundred kilIed-slain while desperately
engaging a vastly superior force, with
idle thousands in sight and hearing
calls for the punishment Of the guilty.
Flanked and driven back, and falling
by hundreds under murderous cross,
fire, leaving their gallant commander on
the field, the brigade of Lytle demands
invest CATION. Lying il the woods, not
five hundred yards distant, actually
Witnessing the fanking movement Of the
rebels which SO nearly destroyed Us,
were the divisions Of SchoeptF and Sher-
idan. the first Injured to danger at Mill
Spring, and the second fresh for the
conflict. Within a mile and half all
the rest of Buell's army lay idle, while
Rousseau fought alone, his noble men
dying uselessly. For seven long hours
they fought in the presence and hear
ing of the grand army of the Ohio, and
only night and darkness came to their
aid. The guilt lies with one of four
men--kosseau, who commanded his
Division in she field; Alex. McCook in
whosecorps was Rosseau' Division which
fought, and Jackson $, which fed; Gill
bert whose corps lay idle within hear
ing, or Buell., whose headquarters were
but a mile and half distant. With
which of the four lies the guilt?
ROUSSEAU
Attacked while waiting for orders to
go into camp surprised by the rapid ad-
vance of before masked enemy, Gen.
Rousseau was forced to make the posi-
ton of his halted column his. line of
hattie Forced to be with his front
line, to sustain his men against the
double attack Of their flying comrades of
Jackson's Division and that Of the
enemy, he had scarcely time to leave
the field; tut he did for moment. to
report in person to Gen. McCook, who
came on the field after the engagement
had begun. Throughout it all Rous-
seau displayed the most reckless disre-
gard of life, riding up and down his line
with his hat upon his sword, lending
energy and determination to his men
| Where the fire of the enemy was hottest
there was he to be found. and there was
the resistance most desperate. All his
officers unite in saying that no General
ever conducted himself more gallantlv.
He was present under the hottest fire
all the hot day, and no man has won
! the right to honor, distinction aud pro
motion more deseryedly than Lowell |!
Rousseau. | watched him throughout
the bloody day, and there is no particle
Of fear in his manly com position. An
acting Ma G Generai, with division
Of fourteen regiments, ten Of which had
never seen Skirmish, aud three Of that
ten raw recruits under the last call. Gen.
| Rousseau conducted the battle alone.
and sustained his position when the ua
fortunately disposed troops Of jacks IN
| had Droke and fed through his line of
battle. With less than eight thousand
men he has defeated an enemy who ad-
mits himself twice that strength, and
who was doubtless three times as strong.
And when his right was hankei and
forced to fall back, he, warned Of it by
Gen. McCook, improvised ii support fo'
Loomis' battery ont Of stragclers whom
lie forced to his aid, and enabled the
10th Ohio and 10th Wisconsin, with the
loss of not less than fifty men, to safely
bring off Simonson's battery from the
field.
MCOoK.
OfGen. Alexander Mcdowell McCook
| have but word to say. | came on
the field prejudiced against him, and |
watched him with interest. lie is a
brave man, cool under fire, but he wants
the eagle eye to behold, and the quick
mind to plan. lie is not man of de
cison; he is not a man Of energy. Brave
gallant and spirited: his virtues are all
of the heart. Slow and undecided, his
faults are all of the head.
General McCook and General Buel
disagree in one important particular OF
time, which must influence investig cations
into the subject. General McCook
states that at three o'clock he Informed
General Buell. of the engagement. This
was nearly four hours after the infantry
had been engaged. General Buell.
states that he knew nothing of any
general engagement until five o'clock
six hours after the engagement had be
gun. He then sent re endorsements OF
Steadman's Brigade, which came in or
the right, and led the rebels to believe
they were being fanked.
While the engagement was most des-
perate Gen. Gilbert ordered Gen. Sher
idan's Div sion to the rear mile, and
while Rousseau was still fighting Sher-
idan was going into camp.
In all probability the last chance to
engage Bragg in a general engagement
has been thrown away, and Bragg will
doubtless escape. From all the infor,
nation can gather, Bragg came for
ward with the intention Of giving gen
eral engagement, but defeated and driven
back by single division, he is not
likely soon to hazard another engage
ment 1 learn at headquarters that ii
is suspected that he is now evacuatina
Harrodsburg and flying to Stamford
and Somerset. Gen. Buell. needs spur
lie lacks decision Ii will not precip
itate himself upon the rebels. Had t
brigade or division Of Gilbert;s corp:
) pushed forward the whole army couiG
have become engaged and the rebel:
! terribly defeated. But the hour ha!
been thrown away.