Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-23
"The Siege OF CineinnatI.-

We publish elsewhere an article under
this heading, from the Cincinnati CONNER
ciaL, detailing the rebel General Heath's
version, given, during recent visit to
Cincinnati, of his military movements
against that city in 1862. 1t will be seen
that Heath is guiltlsss of modesty, claim
ing the city to have been entirely at his
mercy. BE evidently ATTACKED no import
ance to the strong line of earthworks
stretching across the Covington hills from
the river above to the river below, and
behind which were at least sixty thousand
muskets, whilst the defensive army has
been placed at one hundred thousand men.
Heathls command numbered, of all arms,
only eight thousand men. A writer in
the atlantic Monthly, year or two since,
purported to describe this memorable
'tsiege," but devoted himself to panegyric
of General Lew Wallace,s '"masterly in
"activity'' in avoiding an engagement.
Whether General Wallace, commanding
the defences of Cincinnati, or General
Wright, commanding the Department of
the Ohio, was responsible for the manage
ment of the Federal forces, we do not pre-
tend to decide; but it is well-established
fact that the immense superiority in num-
bers of the Federal troops would have
enabled them to march out as policemen,
armed with clubs, and bring in Eeath's
whole force as prisoners.
While on this sub ject, we will state
circumstance which we have never seen in
print but which is nevertheless fact
When Heath advanced upon Cincinnati,
he came down the Lexington pike, which
intersected our works at Fort Mitchell, e
very strong work about the centre of our
line. Instead of advancing in line of bat
tie, as discreet commander would have
done, General Heath marched by the right
flank to point within one and half
miles of the fort the guns of which were
shotted and bearing upon his column,
when he halted and deployed into line.
Had our commander known of this at the
time-as he ought to have done, and as he
would have done, had he moi, tortoise like,
drawn himself into his shell under the de-
lusion, created BY the stories of excited or
disloyal Kentnekians, that an overwhelm-
ing force was coming down upon him, and
that his only safety lay in defensive
poliey-it would have been one of the
easiest things in the world to attack the
enemy in the flank, throw him into dis
order, and capture his entire force. 4
Prisoners and stragglers subsequently
reported that General Heath was drunk at
the time, which accounted for his appar-
ent rashness. He must have been lin
asanely enthused" from some cause, or
else he had correct idea ofthe command
ers opposed to him. After forming his
line of battle, he advanced to within a
mile of Fort Mitchell, and then threw his
skirmishers forward, through the timber,
and established line not more than a
half mile distant from our main works,
which was maintained in the open field
two days and night, when the whole
rebel force was voluntarily withdrawn.
During this time General Wallace was
at Covington, four miles to the rear, and
General Wright at Cincinnati, sending up
orders to ado nothing that would tend to
"bring on an engagement" whilst the
commanding officer at Fort Mitchell
begged to be permitted to open his heavy
guns on the rebels in his front, who were
quietly and comfortably feasting upon