Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-09-26


leles became a mass Of struggling, eurs-
dg, shouting, frightened lie. Every
Lhing aRd everybody appeared 70 dash
Aeadlong for the narrow gap, aud men,
horses mules, ambalanees, baggage Wag'
anA ammunition wagons artillery car
rlagss and eaisaona we're rolled aud tum-
bled together Ia confused, inextrieAble !
and aually metiohless maas, oemplelely |
blocking up the mouth Of the gana, Near |
" All this booty subsequently, fell luto the |
hands Of the en, NY. slekeRed and dia
gusged by the spectacle, | turned away 70
watch the operations af GENERAL ThomAs
e'Fpa upoR which alone depended the
safety Of the army,
General Thamas had Withdrawn hia men
alaest eAtlTely frem the valley, aud taken
up position oa the side Of Miasieu Ridge,
Hts len still reaied up0R Lsfayetle road,
aud his right upen the ridge near the gap
have already tp,keR eL lleFe were col
leeied the shattered remnants of The pow
erfel corps which bad 10 long breasted
,ee aeTee assaults Of the enemy In ne
teFeAeaa,
Not long Was the new lac of battle per-
mhled 10 femaln idle, Cannon believed
against lg mistlles Of every Kind we're
hurled Into u, shells hurat above lg tiae
halla vent tearing through II but etill u
remained hrm,
II was certain, however A. truth ITSELF
that unleaa assistance aheuld reach u FROM
some quarter and ihat right speedily, u
must ~ length suoeumh, for the rebel lead
era emhuldened by the roul ~ MeCoek
aRe Ctitienden, we're gathering heir hosts
10 hurl them Ia = last ulgAly effort asainat
the feeble baud that confronted ,hVm,-
whence ahould thst 6ucoor comet
Suddenly a vast cloud Of dust was reaa
10 rlee above the trees away 70 The leit
and few minutes aflerward long iues Of
men emerged from the woods, crossed the
Lafayette road aud began advancing b.
ward ne over the zelda Their discipline
seemed very perfect, and u vhsan impoa-
ing pageant when aa they gaml On, their
bannera nultered above their bepis and
their altering arms flashed back the nun-
light through tho thick clouds Of dust.
Captain johnson, Of General Negleya
staA, who, on being severed from his own
division, had Immediately reported 70 Gen
eral Thomas for duty, had already, At great
personal risk, asooriained that the advuno.
log battalions were inhntry, aud nov the
question arose, was Il our own or the enc.
mys Hope aud fear alternately agitated
our bosoms, until Al last locking through
our glasses, We could clearly distinguish
the red aud blue, with the white crescent
Il was the battle A.g Of General Granger,
aud the troops We saw were two hrigadea,
Mitchelrs and VIII takers, OF steadman's
strong division. Thess were comparative
ly fresh troops True, they bad marched
some weary miles over roads ankle deep
with dust. True, they had hurried Along
rapidly TO sueoor their comrades aud par
llolpato In the aght. But they had not as
yet been engaged that day and hence they
could indeed bc considered help 10 the
battle SCARED veterans Tho held the hill
As aoou As General Granger had report
cd 10 General Thomas for duty, he Was sent
by the latter 70 bring over an ammunition
trAin from the Rossvllle road. The train
had iallen into tho handsof the enemy hu,
the march IN search Of Il brought Stead.
man al once into contact with the rebels,
aud . desperate conflict INN, diatoly en-
sued. Il was now that the brilliant eour-
age Of Colonel John @. Mitchell, command.
ing one Of General Stoadman's brigados,
became conspicuous. Now General Whit
aker had an opportunity Of baptizlng In
glory the star reo'ntly placed upon his
sh ,ulder; and now the troops Of the Re-
serve Corps, comparatively unused 70
battle, had An opportunity Of testing their
mettle. Nobly did all pass through the or
deal, aud although once thrown into oon-
fusion by the concentrated FIRE from = score
Of rebel regiments and half as many bat
teries, they "a lief Hader ths fre ard drove
the enemy from hill almost as formidable
as that which formed the key Of General
ThomAss position. The rebels made one
desperate endsavor 10 rstake this position,
but were bloodily repulsed, and almost for
the fret time since the hght began there
was n iull in the fearful storm.
An hour passed By, aud Il became evil
dent that Bragg would not be foiIed in his
attempt 10 annihilate our gallant army
without another effort. Polks corps, as
sisted by the Georgia State troops, by
Dabney Maury's division, and by various
detached fragments Of the rebel army were
| 10 try their hands upon tho heroic band
who, as the forlorn hope Of the army still
| held the hill. Our feeble ranks we're gath
cred up. The thinned bsttalions were
brought closer together. The dozen pieces
Of artillery were planted to sweep ell aP-
proRshes to the hill; aud each man looking
At bis neighbor vowed, some mentally, aud
others audibly, to dis right there II II we're
necessary for their country, for freedom
( and for mankind
All along the woods skirting the cleared
| felds at the southeastern foot Of the hill
/ in the hollows and ravines 10 the right
and away TO the left upon and beyond the
Lafayette road the rebel legions were seen
gathering for the onset.
Just before the storm broke, the brave
and high-souled Garfield was perceived
making his way TO the headquarters Of
G,neral Thomas. He had come to be pres
snt at the fnal contest, and in order TO Dc
so had rode all the way from Chattanooga
passing through hsry ordeal upon the
road. His horse was shot under him, and
his orderly was killed by his side. Still
he had come through, he scarce knew how
and here he was TO inspire fresh eourag
into the hearts OF his brave soldiers wh,
we're holding the enemy at bay, 10 brinl
them words Of greeting from General Ro
secrans, and 20 inform them that the llttcl
was re organizing the scattered troops
and, as fast as possible, would hurry then
forward to their relief.
At last shell came hurting through
the air, aud burst with loud explosion
over the hill. This was the signal for Teb
el attack, aud At once the bullets aev
thick aud fast amongst us. Ny oompan
ion, the correspondent OF tbs New Yorl
Herald, was struck by a spent ball LnC
tumbled from bis horse, and although hotl
he and thought the chances were ba.
sRAinst our living TO decide the contest
We felt that We could not do Aught thar
watch Il TO ils close,
JuA, dpon the side Of the hill to the left
and ia the rear Of the still smoking Tuini