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the gunboats.
I could say a great deal more, but have not time.
Yours respectfully,
Cleveland herald account.
Cleveland, July 27, 1863.
We have already mentioned the fight that took place at Springfield, between Steubenville and Salineville, on Saturday evening. That fight was in reality a blundering attack of one portion of our forces upon another portion of the same.
A plan had been laid for the capture of Morgan's entire band.
The militia were stationed on a hill overlooking a road which Morgan was expected to traverse, and the cavalry and other regular forces were to occupy positions that would have enabled them to surprise and “bag” the entire rebel command.
As the Ninth Michigan cavalry, under Major Way, were moving along the road to take up the position assigned to them, they were mistaken by the militia for the rebels, and were fired into.
This of course compelled the cavalry to fall back, and before the error could be retrieved, Morgan and his forces had escaped.
General Brooks, commanding the department, had gone to Wellsville and established his headquarters in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh depot, where he was assisted by the managing officers of the road, who had placed the transportation and telegraphic resources of the road at his disposal.
Finding that there was a probability that Morgan would cross the road in the vicinity of Salineville, a train of cars was sent up the road about six o'clock Sunday morning with a regiment of six months Pennsylvania infantry, under command of Colonel Gallagher.
These were disembarked at Salineville and marched to a point about two miles distant, where the rebels were expected to cross.
The infantry were posted on some rising ground commanding the road, with orders to prevent Morgan's passage.
At this time the utmost, alarm existed among the people of Salineville.
The houses were closed, doors and windows locked and barred, and women and children stampeding into the country with whatever portable property could be carried along.
The men who had weapons and courage turned out to resist the progress of the dreaded rebel, while all the others fled with the women and children.
In a short time the expected rebels made their appearance, coming around a bend in the road.
On catching sight of the infantry they halted, and turned their horses' heads in another direction.
Before they could get out of the trap they found themselves in, Major Way, with two hundred and fifty men of the Ninth Michigan cavalry, dashed among them and commenced cutting right and left.
The rebels made but a brief resistance.
A few shots were fired by them, and then the whole party broke in utter confusion.
The scene that followed was almost ludicrous, and could only be matched by the previous stampede at Buffington Island.
Men dismount.
ed, threw down their arms and begged for quarter, whilst others galloped around wildly in search of a place of escape, and were “brought to time” by a pistol-shot or sabre-stroke.
Morgan himself was riding in a carriage drawn by two white horses.
Major Way saw him, and galloping up, reached for him. Morgan jumped out at the other side of the carriage, leaped over a fence, seized a horse, and galloped off as fast as horse-flesh, spurred by frightened heels, could carry him. About a couple of hundred of his men succeeded in breaking away, and following their fugitive leader.
In the buggy thus hastily “evacuated” by Morgan were found his “rations,” consisting of a loaf of bread, some hardboiled eggs, and a bottle of whisky.
The number of killed in this fight was much less than at first reported.
The number of killed rebels was set down as from twenty to thirty, but this must be overrated, as we cannot learn of more than five or six dead bodies having been found.
There was a considerable number of wounded, and about two hundred prisoners taken, together with horses and arms.
A special train was sent to Wellsville in the afternoon with about two hundred and fifty prisoners, captured in the fight or picked up in the neighborhood afterward.
A few of our cavalry were wounded, two or three seriously.
Lieutenant Fiske was shot through the breast.
His wound is dangerous, and he has telegraphed for his wife to come from Michigan.
Morgan and the remainder of his scattered forces pressed three citizens of Salineville into their service as guides, and continued their flight on the New-Lisbon road.
One of the impressed guides made his escape and rode back, conveying intelligence of the route taken, which it was believed was with the ultimate design of reaching the Ohio River higher up. Forces were immediately despatched from Wellsville to head him off, whilst another force followed hotly in his rear, and a strong militia force from New-Lisbon came down to meet him.
About two o'clock in the afternoon these various detachments closed in around Morgan in the vicinity of West-Point, about midway between New-Lisbon and Wellsville.
The rebels were driven to a bluff, from which there was no escape except by fighting their way through or leaping from a lofty and almost perpendicular precipice.
Finding themselves thus cooped, Morgan concluded that “discretion was the better part of valor,” and “came down” as gracefully as the coon did to Davy Crockett.
He, with the remainder of his gang, surrendered to Colonel Shackleford, who was well acquainted with the redoubtable “John,” and is said to be a distant relative.
The prisoners were brought back to Wellsville, where their arrival caused great excitement.
Morgan retained his side-arms, and moved about freely, although always accompanied by Colonel Shackleford.
Last night (Sunday) 