Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-27
SHERMAN'S ARMY!
The Rebel charge on Gen. New.
toms Lines.
The NOn-COmbattantS Stream
Backward.
Captain GOOdsPeed plays upon
them with ten Gums! .-
TERRIBLE REPuLsE!!
From the Commercials correspondent
ne. ,,,,l-, Il, =, f,II<,,,,.. 4,,.

At the same moment cheer arOse-a wild
tumultuous, shrill cry, from thousands o
throats-falling on the ear like a suddel
and unsuspected clap of thunder. Gu
skrmishers commenced firing and falling
back at the same moment With light
ming like CELEBRITY heavy columns of rebel:
appeared in front of or rather tumbled
out of the forests, their columns seeming
to be endless, and carrying themselves
with a certain indescribable re5se in the
onset which made every one who beheld
| it from our lines trembe "How will that
fearful wave be brokeI?D was the pierc-
ing fear that filed every bosom, which
was not allayed to see our lines in appar-
ent confusion-the confusion of men
grasping their muskets, taking the
touch Of the elbow and facing to the
front. Words can not describe
| the crushing suspense of the first five
minutes of the charge. Newton's lines
were so thin they looked in some places,
like skirmish deployments. They opened
and the section of artillery in position
opened, but the momentum of the dust
colored phalanxes was hatefully steady.
Their colors snapped saucily and streamed
on steadily. Soon every musllet in New
tons division was blazing; for at the in
slant Walkers rebel division attacked
Blake's and Kmballs brigades, Bates
rebel division appeared on the flank
and confronted Bradleys brigade, aiming
for the bridge on Peach Tree Creek They
seemed to spring from the ground and to
continue springing.
A stream of non comhatants commence
ed flowing across the bridge. Pack-mules,
imprudently taken close to our lines by
fortuitous darkies, came scumpering back
the latter turned tawny brown with fright,
and reeking with perspiration. Ambu-
lances tumbled over the bridge in demoral-
lied columns. A few armed stragglers
stalked sheepishly along, the consciousness
that every one who met them would faith
ON their meanness, on their faces and in
their movements. The curtain of pickets
guarding the interval in our lines came
rushing along, bedaubed with mud and be-
draggled with water, having arely escap-
ed the rebel rush with their liberty. Ga
derlies dashed up the road yelling for am
unition trains. and teamsters climbed
trees for lookouts, and reported that the
Johnies were charging by the acre, that
our troops were in confusion; and finally
summed up the first aspect of the situa-
ton, announcing it as d-d sealy.
There are some things happen in battles
which go to show that Providence does
not always favor the largest batlalons
Napoleon's own military career disproved
his favorite maxim. Il falls to the lot of
some men to, do the lucky thing at the
lucky moment; and when Captain Good
speed, Newton's chief of artillery twenty
minutes before the charge, ordered ten
guns from the north to the south bank of
Peach-tree Creek, he probably little
thought that be was to contribute so much
toward crushing the rebellion-to the re-
pulse of what mlny think the most recll-
less charge the enemy has made during
the war. 1t was the work Of a moment
to hurl the ten guns, already near their
destination, to the proper point on New
tons flank the work of another to unlim-
Der. As the enemy reached point with
in seventy-fve yards of our lines these
twelve guns opened What exquisite
music was in their crash How ioyous
was the whirl of the blue glamour from
their throats. How iercely flew swab
and rammer. How ceaselessly the Ian
yards were jerked. How hotiy the cart
ridgebearers shot back and forth from
their caissons; and how, notwithstanding,
the lOoker-on felt like goarding them to
efforts still more desperate. There was some
thing satisfying and reassuring in the ear
splitting din. We could tell from the pc
culiar whistle that our gunners were firing
canister, and we breathlessly waited for
the smoke to lift for a moment, that we
might see its effect. The moment came
With ragged front line the rebel column
had halted and were firing wild, but tre-
mendous volleys. Colors disappeared and
aliguments were lost. COlOnels rallying
their men became tangled up with the
swaying and disordered lines, and melted
out of view like Edgar of Ravenswood.-
Riderless horses plunged across the field
with pnzzled gallop, swaying from side
to side, snufing the terror of the moment
and screaming with fright. Four guns Of
Smiths lstMichigan Battery went into ac-
ton hastily on Newton's right flank, aud
added theirs to the intermingling detona-
tions. Portions of the assanlting lines
made shiYering little. efforts to advance,
and the next instant fell to pieces In
twenty minutes-nO more-the rebel col
umns were reunited and flying back to the
forests from which they came forth, with an
almost complete loss of organization. 1t
was the last seen of them in that portion
of the field, and the stirring cheers that
went up from Newton's men were the
charmed peroration of the history made by
the unfaltering lads in blue on that field
"Wasn't it dusty" exclaimed General
Newton, as he came riding back, his face
aglow with triumph, and his horse labor
ing for breath. Up and down his division
he had ridden during the fight, Just as gall
liant Phil. Sheridan used to ride, when he
marshaled the same battalions Whatev-
er of regret there may be in that division
for the loss of the little corporal now at
the head of our cavaliers, and whatever of
'coldness n new commander encounters af-
ter replacing an universal tavorite, 10th
were dissipated that day by General New
ton. Such courage as he displayed is a
carte blanche to the affections of his com
mand. He may have won it by other
means He bought it that day in good
sterling martial coin. .-ra. ..
A Specimen of COppeFhead lying in
behalf of Mcclellan
General Grant lost nearly one huudred
thousand men, without any compensating
advantopa yvhatavar bv D1rsfIinor bx- or