Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-05-14
FROM THE POTOMAO ARMY.

ATtLsfy az HoTk-heeHtesS''sSS " '
RsBsl-T6ey Try to Seize our Supply
Train-TAev are FoiIed, the Trains Sc
cure the Fight OUsr for the DGy-Lss
in a PsriLOus PosiaOn-He Makes his
Slightly Wounded go into the Ranks
Care of our Wounded-Heroism Of Cur n
Troops We have Lost thuI far 40, 10000
Especial Dispatch to the New York Tnbune)
WAsHIsGTOE, Msy II, 1854.
Your correspondent Bet left the front /,
this morning at o'clock. His swift steed
bore him to Bell Plsine in time to catch
the afternoon boat, and had just arrived, /.
bringing for The Tribune again the latest
intelligence from headquarters.
HEADQUARTERS Army OF THE PoToNAo,
Wednesday, May lis A. N. !
At II o'clock yesterday, the most des-
porate Of all the battles yet fought was
commenced l. continued up to nearly 8
o'clock. In dogged stubbornness, Water
loo and Solferino pale before the terrific
onslaught Of Tuesday afternoon on the
banks Of the Po. Two divisions of Burn
sides Corps held the right, the 9th and 9th
] Corps the center, and the I'd Corps the left
| Our line stretched six miles on the north
east bank of the Po, the rebels occupying
the southwest bank and the village Of
SpottsylVsDis.
At our artillery gained good range,
and poured shot and shell, grape and can
lister into their ranks, as they with franz
tic recklessness Of life, charged forward |
upon our infantry lines. The enemy used |
but little artillery in reply. Prisoners |
state that they were deficient in ammuni- |
ton, and could not
The i'm ression prevailed at hesdqusr-
ters during the fore part Of the day that /
EWelps corps had left for Richmond on
Monday. All prisoners taken were from
Lopestreets and Hills corps, but before
J yesterdays battle closed, EWell returned.
If he had left, as is probsble, aud Lees en-
tire army and our whole force were pitted
for three hours at 8 hsnd-to-hsnd struggle
without parallel in history
/ Generals Grant and Meade were in the
saddle constantly personally directing
> movements. 1t was arranged that the en-
tire 9th corps charge the enemy's right
flank, but pending the seyerest onslaught
t made by Lee just before dark, it was dis
, covered that be hsd advanced around our
!, right flank and was moving down in dense
columns for last and after dark struggle
8 to break through our lines and dash upon
e our supply trains, then known 10 be pack
ed on the plank road to fredericksburg.
This changed General Burnside's pur-
pose, and he securely held his ground aud
threatened the enemy's extreme right,
e while the 9th corps charged his right CEN
10 ter, and let o'clOck) drove him from his
n frst line of rife pits, capturing five guns
and between two and three Thousand pris-
:, oners.
Il The quick eyes Of our chieftains, howev-
l. er, saw the rebel maneuver. Our men
J. were faced about, our trains all moved to
the rear, new positions instantly secured
for our artillery, and the enemy's expect
d ed coming patiently awaited during all
r, the long hours Of last night. No demon
stra;ions were made, however, and except
a. the occasional shouts Of pickets, all wst
quiet up to o'clock to-day, when left.
4 1t was believed that the enemy had suit
q fered so severely that he could not in hii
zb | crippled condition avail himself of the
=. eided advantage he had gained. By 9th
ers it was supposed he had attempted an
ne other flight, but as his communication will
nd Richmond is believed to have been severed
ty By Sheridan, and his fsnks and rear con
ia stantly harrassed by our forces, he mus
surrender or kill his "last man in bat
on tie as he seems determined in frantic rag
We TO do.
To In go horrible strife 1t must not
,c. supposed that we escape the severest pun
ishment. Oar losses in yesterdays fgh
=" we're much greater than in any Of tn
OIL battles OF the previous week. 1t is tru
30 there is 8 smaller percentage Of killed i
,la proportion to the number wounded than i
any previous battle, and very lsrg
se number are but slightly wounded Road
ng fields and woods are literally swsrmin
a with these suffering heroes, who have dt
!, fed wounds and death that the nstio
= might survive.
oh So incessant have been the marching an
rty fighting that many are being overcom
! a with fatigue, and several have been sur
n struck; yet never was seen so cheerful, {
resolute, and even exultsut body Of me
rs- on any of the worlds great battle field
md All honor to this sublime heroisr
ere which go nobly welcomes death an
wounds.
Rebel prisoners assert that Lee orderC
all his wounded men able to hold musk
en- to take their places in the ranks again 4
cod yesterdays battle.
lrs But for the tender regard for these di
- sbled heroes, abandoned to their fate al
burning up in the woods left on fire {
rlsl the rebels also leave their dead unburied
l. our army before this would have be-
With thunder nR before the rebel Capital;
,bo we can afford to wait. Men who hs
faced musketry and cannon for wee
ni'9 and fought better each succeeding day, 8
UNI invinciOle, and they will soon win t
for complete triumph their vslor so rich
That merits.
Time after time did they hurl back
ing disorder the solid massed columns Of
tone foe and if perchsnce they staggered wi
hall the shock, it WAS only for more superb
low. man energy to charge back upon the
The old guard at Waterloo psles befl
these men.
iked Our entire losses thus far, in kill,
Lee wounded, missing, SC, must reach ne
back 10000.
per- The enemy's loss in killed is mU
pse' greater than ours; his wounded about
heh same. he is supposed to hold some 2,C
OF our prisoners, and We must have
not least 5000 Of his men, while our SEQ
are report the roads literally alive with
ould strsgg!ers. 1t is mathematical quest
'ala- requiring only few more days TO det
racy mine the limit Of his endurance.
As your reporter nesred FredericksbI
un- shout 10 o'clock this morning cannon
y ing had been resumed, and our army '
that unoueationablv engaging the enc
ouio again.
we We crossed the river Pc on Tuesd
peo- but withdrew. We charged across 1t az
p. last night, after the enemy had weaker
his right in order to mass sll his force
os, our right
Q ten nus iSI - H'T 5oSs % =