Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-12-17
Letter from "Leman."

Letter from fLeman."
The following letter, from an old and
mueh-valued correspondent ofthe LEADEE,
gives an excellent description of the bat
tie Of Ringgold, and other recent news
from the Seventh. We are glad TO announce
that the fsSile pen Of this correspondent
Is regularly engaged In writing for usr
and that frequent news from home regi-
msnts may he expected through him.
CHATTANOOGA, December 8.
RMoooLD.
EDrToRs LEADEE :-Ringgold, which is
destined 20 be immortalized In our ns-
tion'0 annals as the fheater Of the recent
desperate struggle, and oonsecrated 10
freedom By the pure, precious blood Of lib
erty's defenders, which sadly dnge its
erisped sutumnsi leaves, and mingle with
It's base clay, is situated about fifteen
niles Southeast Of Chattanooga, on the
Dalton Road. Before the raysges Of war
depopulated this Tursl locality it contain
ed sbout ave hundred Inhabitants and
few elegant residences; but the destruction
attendant on the strife Of war has blotted
Il from existence, and now sll that remains
70 mark this once quiet little burg are
huge piles Of smoking cinders and naked
towering chimneys, lasting monuments of
the ubiquitous folly and ft retribuion for
the crimes Of its denizens.
BATTLE OF RIEGGoLD on, TAYLoR's RIDGE.
Hooker took the Dalton Road, in pursuit
q Bragg's flying, disorganiEed army, i'm
msdistely after the brilliant victories Of
Lookout and Mission Ridge. Geary's d.
vision, In advance, met no formidable op-
position till within q short distsnoe Of
Ringgoli, where the enemy were discover
ed in considerable force occupying two
precipitous hills, densely covered with un-
dsrbrush, commanding the road from each
Asnk. Between those hills yawned deep
Rulch. along the brink Of which the road
was excaYeted, rendering 1t necessary for
rs to possess the hills before passing up
the road. Here fatal bluEder seems to
have occurred,-one, too, thst will long be
remembered throughout Ohio, for her pa
triot sons paid its forfeit. II Geary, in
stead Of charging the eneny's chosen, i'm
pregnable position, hsd obliqued mile
either TO right or left, this serious obstacle
might have been avoided, and doubtless q
more fruitful victory gained, without tho
irrepsrable loss Of many of our noblest
men and brsYest soldiers.
cREIoHToN's Onset.
Colonsl william R. Creighton's indonit-
able brigade, which has played & oonspio-
uous part in sll the great and tragical dra-
mas in the East gsining q reputation as
imperishable as the land which they
fought to save, consisting Of the 9th, 7th,
29th, and 66ih OHIO infantry, wss assign
ed the perilous duty Of driving the foe
from his covert. Creighton was too good
9 soldier, too brave 3 man, to hesitate 8
moment in executing an order, though he
sTidentIy foresaW the foolhsrdiness Of
suok an attempt He led his men gallant
" forward amidst shower Of deathly
rain thst told fearfully in the ranks,
sweeping awsy scores ct every step.
In scaling fence which extended
around the hills base, every man present
ed q plain target, and officers were easily
distinguished from men, owing to the prox.
Unity Of the enemy. Here blood flowed
fruuiy,y yet these heroes VI many hard con-
tested fields bore brsEelF onward. Creigh-
ton and Crane, ahead, led the onslaught.
Catering narrow clearing there belohed
from the opposite side q sea Of flame,
which for a moment rolled them back
ward, but instantly rallying, they re-
turned to the upequalscontest unquailed.
Then eusued q terrific struggle, lasting
fully thirty minutes. Our line suTged to
and fro advancing, reeoiling and vsvering
beneath the overwhelming numbers thrown
against it, and the murderOus fire that
soourged its ranks.
RETREAT.
Colonel Creighton saw that in 8 few
moments more his entire command would
be annihilated, or literally trampled down
By the masses opposed to him, and wisely
ordered sretreat Still fighting valiantly,
inch By inch, they retired to the fence.
Creighton stood facing the foe, waiting till
his men had crossed the barrier, when the
fatal shot pierced him through. He was
borne of the field dead. His men retreated,
not his brigade-s s9uaa-the balance lay
dead, or ebbiDg away ife's tide along the
purple spattered fence, on that little
plstesu, and underneath the brushwood Of
that Wild, lonely valley. Why were those
noble selfsacrihcing fellows thus reckless
IL thrust forward into a slaughter pen
why left to be murdered unsupported,
while twenty thousand men lay within re-
fnforcing distance, yet not one came to the
rescue7 Is it not an enigma2 I fear
thsre Is one BrigsdieT- General whose
thirsting ambition oVerreaches his judg-
ment-Whose conscience will sting him in
after days, and before whose vision will
forever float the appalling ghosts Of the
murdered Creighton, Crane, Baxter, Jones,
Oryne, and hosts Of other lamentsd desi.
KILLED AND WoUEDED OF THE sEvEsTH.
= The rebels having decsmped during the
sight, after the sickening scenes Of Geary's
repnlse, the wounded were removed to
Chattanooga and placed in field hospital,
beautifully situated one mile south oftown.
Under the skilful supervision OF kind and
attentive surgeons, the boys are doing
finely, though somewhat depressed by the
loss Of their excellent officers, whom all
seemed to have regarded with the deepest
affection.
On Tsylors Ridge, near RinEgold, rest
the glorious dead. There let them repose
on the field that witnessed their vslor, be-
nesth the earth that drank their ehivalrous
blood Let their heroic names rank high
in ne catalogue Of liberty martyrs. Let
them be konored and remembered, and let
the memory Of their deeds grow dcubly
brilliant with the lapse Of time.
PERSONAL ITEMS FROM THE SEVENTH.
I visited the Seventh, short time sinea,
at their camp in Wahatohie Valley. ak
miles below here, for the purpose Of tax
ing former scquaintanees by the hand.
But fsW Indeed are left Of the numerous
talented young men that sWslled the rAzks
Of Company c thirty-tWe months ago. Ser
= Y -