Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-09-24
Fhe se.h Ole a CumberIand eap.

A correspondent of the State Journal,
writing from Cumberland Gap of the occu-
patton of that stronghold, pays high com.
pliment to the officers and men of the Seth
Ohio, which was organized at Camp Cleve-
land. We quote the following:
"The rebel defences were almost stimuli
tsneously invested on the Knoxville road
by General Burnside, on the Kentucky
side by Colonel DeCourcey. The latter sp-
Pesred in front Of the enemy's works on
the morning Of the 9th inst, and at once
sent in flag Of truce demanding o sur
render. General Frazer, in command Of
the rebels, assented with an attached pro-
Viso that his forces be Immediately psroled.
This not being acceded to he was further
given till II o'clock NJ, to make an uncon-
ditional surrender. Colonel Lsmert with
his regiment Both o. v. L, lay in the
meantime within short range of the ad-
vanced rebel battery in readiness for an
assault upon it should our terms have been
rejected. Tbs residue of our force was
properly disposed and awaiting the criti-
cal moment that should signal tho attack,
which latter was happily obvistsd by the
timely appearance Of the rebel flag an
nouneing the surrender. Tne forces cap
tured number 2,029, consisting Of the 1st
Tennessee, 64th Virginia, 62d and Gath
North Carolina, and 55th Georgia. They
left here yesterday on their weary way TO
Camp Chase. An event which was mate
rial in effecting the speedy conquest of this
place was the burning Of mill situated in
the heart Of their stronghold; this mill,
which contained large amount Of grain,
constituted their main reliance in this par
tieulRr. The enterprise which resulted in
its destruction is not excelled in bold and
successful daring by any incident Of the
war. Il was effected during the night of
the 7th inst, by detaehments from the End
Tennessee and 9Th Michigan with but the
loss Of two men. A fart yet more imme
diately explaining the promptness Of the
surrender was the exaggerated estimate
the beseiged had Of the strength Of our in
Vesting force. This Misrepresentation wns
occasiol ed by successful Tus' Of De Cour-
cey, who caused the men accompanying
the flag demanding the surrender to trans
fer the figures on their caps to represent
differens regiments, for instance the in
verted and trsnsposed 49, Of the Seth rep
resented 49, Similar alterations Erans
formed our two regiments Of infantrv into
q multitudinous host. The rebel officials
expressed no little indignation, when after
our possession, they discovered our re-
dgesd str ngth. In this connection per-
nit me to state that the commander Of the
66th Georgia was SO appreoistingly i'm
pressed by the daring and skillful maneu-
Vering of Colonel Lemert's regiment, prior
to the surrender, that he personally re-
quested General Burnside to commit the
charge Of the Georgia battle flag to the
keeping Of the 86tb Ohio. The General re-
marked to Colonel Lemert that be would
willingly assent to the desired disposition
Of the flag, but for prohibitory Genera
Order Of the War Department, the object
Of which is to prevent a repetition Of emu
lstory contention between regiments for
the possession of like trophies. An init
mRtiOn was, however, made that it would
be sent to Governor Tod and credited to
the sSth Ohio"