The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-12

Colonel Smith, in person, captured the first
piece of artillery. At this time, hearing
the attack on the right, the whole rebel
line broke, and our forces commenced
vigorous pursuit, driving them through the
town, killing and capturing many of them.
The town was entered 81 8 o'clock, and
about twelve hundred prisoners, with nine
teen pieces of artillery, and large stores,
were the fruits of their victory. The work
of destruction commenced st tina prison,
where so many of our brave soldiers had
languished and died The filth and mis-
cry of rebel prisons have been 30 often de-
linested by sbler pens than ours, that We
will not attempt to add our mite thereto,
IS the last act in the Salisbury drama of
prison life has been played, and Stoneman
has let fall the drop curtain over the smOul-
dering ruins Of those walls which echoed
and re-echOed TO the suppressed sighs and
groans of gallant pstriots. The "jaws of
hell" have been broken, and will no more
open 10 receive either sufferers for libertys
sake, or hspless members of the press.
One of the papers was out with morn
! ing edition, stating il was reported that
StonemRn was approaching Salisbury, and
exhorting all TO fight for their country and
their homes. Some wsg of typo among
our cavalry got up small extra and con-
tinued the editorial, showing the different
stages of uncertainty, fear and final exit
of the editor.
Two fine armories were found in run
ming order, and the old factory buildings,
formerly used as prisons, we're filed with
splendid machinery, recently shipped from
Richmond. All machinery, printing Off
ces, and large quantities Of material and
stores of various kinds, were destroyed, of
which no account could be taken. The
value of the machinery n alone must have
been very great, as it was of the finest de-
scription, and in large quantities. We are
under obligations to Captain II. s. Cham
berlsin, Chief Qusrtermsster, for the fol-
lowing Ia f.
PARTIAL LIST OF ARTICLES DESTROYED AT
SALISBURY. ...a
10000 stand of arms.
100000 rounds of ammunition, small.
10000 rounds of ammunition, artillery.
5000 pounds of powder.
3 magazines.
depots.
10000 bushels corn.
10000 suits of uniform clothing.
25O,OO0 blankets, English manufacture.
2O,O0O pounds leather.
5000 bacon.
100000 salt.
10000 sugar.
All rice.
10000 saltpeter.
10000 bushels wheat.
so barrels tuTpantine.
$15,OOO,OOO confederate money
A lot of medical stores, which the Medical
Director ssid Was worth over one hundred
thousand dollars in gold.
RESUME. ...
Thus, since March q, has General
Stoneman's headquarters moved five hun
dred and ninety-fOur miles, and the greater
portion of his troops have marched much
further. His command has crossed Stone
Mountain once, and the Blue Ridge thrice
-forded the Yadzir, Dan and Roanoke
rivers several times each-destroyed all
the bridges and supply depots for eighty
six miles, and burned the ties and bent the
rails for twenty-five miles along the line of
the Virginia and Tennessee railroad, cut
communications between Dsnville and
Greensboro, from Greensboro to the Yadkin
river, and, from Salisbury toward Charlotte
30 damaged the North Carolina railroad,
that months of labor and large e1pendi-
ture of materials will be required TO make
it available for use-captured Sails
bury, with a large number of prisoners,
and stores, and is now in position to sd-
vance against Charlotte, or hsrrass the
Asnks of an army moving through the
Carolinss either to the north or south.
During the expedition the torch has been
applied to seven large manufactures and
nearly ten thousand bales of cotton. Five
engines and trains have been destroyed,
and over 1000 hale and hearty negroes,
ready to grasp the musket in defense of
the Stars and Stripes, have been sent to
Knoxville. An immense number of horses
and mules have been captured, so that the
command is now better mounted than when
it started. The men and animals have
been subsisted from the supplies gathered
at the tithiRg depots established by the
confederate government, and when the
quantity found was greater than they
needed it has either been burned or given
starving women and children.