Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-05-13
GTNEHAL sFoNEMGNs GHRNTHAIn
Fun particulars BY a Participant.

Of this great q suOOeS
ton, from the correspondent Of the New
York Times, who accompanied 1t;
TT .pou.prrRs s~rosENAN's CAVALRY CoRPs,
MAY g, 1851
will take up the thread Of narrative st
The lime when it may be said the command
first entered the enemy's lines by crossing
Kelly's Ford. This was effected without
damage, on the morning Of Wednesday.
April %, the Eleventh, Twelfth and Fltth
Army corps crossing on the same day
One division, however, Of General stone
mans command, that commanded BY zen
eral AverilI, forded the river near the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad, and soon
after crossing encountered q small force OF
the enemy's cavalry, and q fight in which
artillery was employed for q short time,
ensued-the enemy retiring after g orlei
contest. The loss on either side was email.
General Ayerills orders were understood
TO be to proceed along the road towards
Cnlpepper and Gordonsville, and by q
dashinc flank movement to keep the enc
mv's troops, known 10 be located IN that
vicinity, employed, while detachments
from the main column we're engaged IN
the most important duty Of cutting on the
rebel army Of the Rappahsnnock from Its
base of operations. Unfortunately, Gen
eral AveriIrs command did not protect the
right of the main body, and, as q conse-
oSence. the operations at different points
we're materially interfered with. His
guns were heard on Thursday, and from
prisoners subsequently captured, we
learned that a force had been encountered
| at Rapidan Station, on the Orange Alex
andria Railroad, and after q short hght
General AverilI retired. At all events he
was not seen, nor his sn1iously listened
| for guns were not heard again.
General Buford went to the left after
crossing Kelly's Ford, and had a skirmlsn
with the enemy. The enemy charged n
were repulsed before they advanced again
an abattis was formed of trees, the enemy
charged, received a volley and retired,
| leaving one dead man on the field.
General Stoneman with the bulk OF his
command, remained near Kelly's Ford
until nightfall, when the order to march
was given, and the whole force crossed
and bivouacked a short distance beyond a
little riyulet-now much swollen by the
recent raius-known as the Fleshmans
River. Here in an open plowed field, the
troops slept soundly, without other protec-
ton from a cold, pitiless rsin-storm that
prevailed all night than that afforded by
their blankets and rubber cloths. The
4w1fe prohibited, 81 bugle calls were sus.
pended, and orders were delivered soto
Uoce, SO that the enemy should have no op-
%portunity whatever Of judging nf ~
number or position of the force. These
precautions were carefully observed dur
ing the nine days campaign, and to this
may be attributed in part the success OF
the enterprise with so little loss.
Thursday morning, April Both, the
whole command was aroused from slumber
before daylight after q little shaking and
wringing, Boots and saddle" was whis-
pered to the different commanders, and we
we're soon upon the road again. The fs-
! cility with which man adapts himself to
any circumstances-particularly if a little
disagreeable in point Of fact-was exem-
pli6ed this morning. The night had been
! cold and wet just about as disagreeable
weather as one meets during a lifetime,
and nearly everybody was drenohed to the
skin, and yet not a man could have been
found willing to own that he was in any
way uncomfortable.
In fact the comfortable nights rest OBJ
tanned in three inches Of mud and water,
was the boast Of every one. Never slept
better in my life said a gentleman of the
medical persuasion, who had just wrung
the water out Of his blankets and seated
himself in a soaked saddle, and who the
day before was suffering the torment Of
rheumatic pains from head to foot. What
The worthy doctor expressed, all evH"
during the night by strOlling rebel cavsl-
ry, but the camp was not alarmed in fact,
the affair was lot generally known in
camp. The same movement was repeated
at early dawn, without damage. Our
troops are quite conscious of their strength,
and will not easily be scared from their
purpose. The command, which had before
been oulled Of all sick men and doubtful
horses, was culled again to-day, and all
pack animals ave about twenty, all weak
horses, and all sick or weakened troops,
were sent back across the river.
"The command was at last in light
marching order. To-day, being well with
in the enemy's lines, great caution was K
ercised; proceeding a few miles through q
pieces Of woods in parallel columns, q large
open space of rolling ground was reached,
when a halt was made in the woods, and
the whole district was pstrolled for an
enemy. These precautionary plans were
carried out during the whole expedition.
The exercise Of caution was particularly
necessary to-day, because ca~nROnading
could be heard on the right-supposed to
be in General AveriITs command. The
advance Of General Buford's column ar
rived near Minot's Ford, on the Rspidan,
at l o'clock P. n. Lieutenant Penn Gas
kell, A~id-de-Camp, with a squadron Of the
Fifth cavalry, crossed, and dashing up the
river, caused some 1000 rebel infantry
assembled to protect the crossing at Rae
coon Ford, two miles above-to leave in
great haste. They succeeded in escaping
with a piece Of artillery which they had
intended to use upon the head Of General
Greggs column. Lieutenant Penn Gas
kell followed the flying fugitives for five
miles, on the road toward Orange Court
house, Capturing a Lieutenant and nine
men, mostly s~rtillerymen,) and General
Gregg crossed the river at Racooon Ford
without difficulty. At night the whole
force encamped on a hill commanding the
ford, with orders to be in the saddle at 2
An.
Friday, May 1st, another cold, wet night,
was passed in the open air, and all pre-
tended to enjoy it hugely, and the men
we're standing to horse at the hour indica-
ted, but the march was not commenced till
after daylight guide was wan ed. Ma
jOr Falls, Of General Gregg's staff, fOraged
to supply the deficiency, and soon after
caused much amusement by dsshing along
the line at the head Of the column with a
reliable contrabsud astride his horse be-
hind. To-day, at Orange Spring, a Lieu
tenant IN Jackson's staff, named Mount,
was captured while returning from Fau-
quier county, where he had been on a short
leave of absence. He alleges he was cap
tured only when his horse became unmsn-