The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-05-30
LEADER.
~RTONENAK,a RKTBses
General stoneshans Last Haaa-lM
POriRhee and Bueeeis or the ~.
P~edttiOn--I1a beaHfIs--Ehez
Assess nstioH- -Chasing
Observation-Disclosures.
cANF l2rH oHIo OAvALzf.

; EDTyoRs -hEADER.-Th last messag
! should be newest At this late day I can
not hope TO relsts .nsvss only observation
of : participator in the last grand raid o
the war. Il has no battles or ahsir
breadth 'scapss9 by which to he identified
but it Ess, nevertheless, immense in extern
and results. s~ %
General Stoneman,s chsracteristic is re.
t~icsnce. His " t~rusiisss officers know
nothing of where or when be is to move,
and are soon taught by his strstegy-ss
incomprehensible to his command as his
enemy-to forbear surtnising. When,
after leaving Knoxville, March 10th, we
found ourselves in North Carolina we
knew only the fact. AT C~BristiansburE,
Va, tearing up the Lynchbnrg Railroad,
We Arst began to discover his object That
railroad was already destroyed between.
Strawberry Plains and Abingdon, in this
wise. Parties of Yankees and rebels care
fully approached each other on the railroad
line, repairing it, and when they met near
Bulls esp, both began ~retreating and de-
stroying the road as they went 10 forestall
pursuit. o 30
BetrosPecting, We discover that our et-
peditiQn wss in cooperation with The two
grand armies in hemming in the two
grand rebel armies aud compelling their
surrender. By rapid, strstegS Singular
movements we cet the Virginia and Rast
Tennessee Railroad, April 4Ih, and the
Danville Railroad both at Greensboro and
Salisbury, N. C, destroying the only chan
mel left for either Lee or Johnston to
escape. Salisbury was captured BY
strategy. A small force cut tie railroad al
Greensboro April 18th, which drew. rein
forcen ents from Salisbury. Cutting the
road again behind them-thus shutting
them up in Greensboro, with all its Gov
eminent stores and its cruel importance
was taken on the morning of the 18th
with only 8 skirmih-Salisburyi
TIE worst reports we have ever seen in
the North regarding the treatment Of
Union prisoners there areno exaggerstion.
-Four thousand of our noble dead are there;
buried altogether in immense trenches the
victims of starvation and cold murder ,
while regiments have enlisted in the rebel
army for the promise Of enough to est,
compelled by the instinct of self preservsl
ton. We saw the prisons burn with a
feeling Of less emulation than horror, for
our mind dwelt upon the misery they had
witnessed. Said q colofed lady al told
them Providence would never prosper a
Government that was so wicked and cruel"
Yet all this time, their presses denied IT.
and published letters ESQ the citizens told
puIporting TO come from Jchnson's ISL
and and Camp Douglas, which related that
prisoners there ate rats and mice to keep
from starving. Unfortunate political facts
they are, these are truths for his
tory. 500 rrv
Moving thence South, Destroying sec
tions of branch roads TO Morgantown and
ButheIfOrd, and the D4nYille s. Columbia
Railroad south of Charlotte, our work
seemed done. Msjor MOderRel, Of the
18th Ohio Cavalry, went thirty miles into
South Carolina and destroyed 8 railroad
eleven hundred fett span across the |
OahaWba river without q skirmish. For
this bold and successful exploit he was
complimented in s letter by General Pal
mer commanding Now came the newsof
Richmond, Gen. Lee, and soon after of
General Johnston. None could feel deep
sr Joy than We experienced 1t the prospect
0f thatt1ahalda No mona y TnKbss IoH5-f--
we Jidiculed the vague report that Presi-
dent Lincoln had b,en asssssinAted. We I
were constantly hearing e~xtrsVsgant ru-
nors through rebel sources. We had reach
Rutherford, returning, wheni official con-
drmation Of President Lincoln's death
us. Homes and peace were OVER
looked, and profound mourning for that
great man whom sill soldiers loved satuptn
avery co~untenanoe. Orders were coubter-
nsnded. And when it became known fhat
jeff Davis was trying to Escape, and We
to follow him. eloquenee was never
more powerful than was the ~eloduence Of
his mourning in firing the soldiers hearts,
Henceforward we were part of the ma
by which the Prince Of Traitors
70 be captured. In doing so the 1zths
Ohio passed through South Carolina, Geor-
yis, and Alabama, capturing, meantifna
Generals Bragg and Wheeler; the latter
sndeayoring 10 escape with q forged pa
role. ,- n-grr II
The escort which first started from Char
NC, with Davis, nearly all desert d |
him or were captured by General Wilson's
1r our cavalry. jeff Davis enjoys the
hatred OF the Southern heart He has fail
I'd 10 please the people or the army. -Heis
now cursed as the agent Of their misfortune,
General Lse is their admiration, and could
have swsyed them snywhere. JEFF. Davis
has lost their entire confidence and incur
red displessure by disregsrdIng thepopular
will The Confederate government has
lever been the embodiment Of the South
sTn purpose. While unanimously cup
ported per force in appearance, the major
~ Of hearts have never sympathizsd with
rs principal measures, and Davis has pros
his own psrtizsns to conservatism.
There are many Union men South '4 %
Msnyrebel conseTiptS ven siders and
Abettors, have all along been with US st
leaIt. The reports that we have 50 fre=
heard Of the persecution and
ynchiDg of Union men for their princi-
pies are authenticated BY ample facts. The
has been to convert or rob and kill.
Full amity there will come more naturally
han may have been supposed, although
he ambitious and chivalrous demigods OF
he p4st must suffer gOading and untold
as they pass out of public favor
down 70 historic infHmy.
Since General Lees Surrender we have
0een passing hundreds of psroled soldiers
our lines. Flags of truce are con-
passing both ways, and under their
protection armed enemies passed each
other and held conversation, in the depths
# the woodlands OF North Carolins, IS
at first we csptured very many
soldierssnd officers trying to escape paroles
and government authorities. Latterly,
however, there seems to bes general desire
10 become paroled.- Everybody hsils with
glsdness the new order of things. fHf on
Besides the immense quantities of CIV
srnment stores at Salisbury and other mil
AIRY posts, the rAtions and forsge pressed
all along our route, we have captured fully