The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1861-11-07
The. battle OF Edwards, rcrry.


New York Tribune, gives the following &C
count of the battle of Edwards Ferry, which |
is the most complete and connected that has
yet reached us;
A gentleman attached to Colonel Bukcrs's !
| Brigade, who witnessed a part of the en- !
gagement, furnishes the following pMticu.
lars; Two battalions, 1000 men Of the Cal
ifornia, the Tammany and Massachus,tt,
! 10th Regiments, crossed on Monday morning
az Conrad's Ferry and landed Pickets were
thrown out, and q large forco of rebels dis.
covered. About 3 o'clock Baxtet's Owens
and Morehead's regiments, OF Bakers Brig
adc, arrived at the Ferry, but lailc to cross,
the only two scows used in tho morning
having been sunk, ono in the morning While
| taking cannon across, and tho othor in re.
treating after the first repulsc, with about
a hundred mon, jumped ON board in the
widest confusion, many of whom were
| drowned
I Colonel Baker was killed when making
| the first charge after successfully rallymg
his mon, M
! No cannon was used by the enemy in the
engagement and tho Union forces got but
ono across. There were seven in position
on this side, two at Conrad's Ferry and five
at Edwards Ferry, about six miles apart.
/ At the latter, two sCows aud Il cannon boat
were used to convey troops across all day.
A considerable number had assembled ON
the Virginia side of this ferry when the
battle commenced, but it was not considered
safe to re enforce Col Baker from that point.
1t took each scow, with fifty men, over an
hour to make trip: so that much valuable
time was lost, owing to the lin ted meats
of transit
Col. Devins of the Massachusetts Regiment
Ak e;1 I,, r;.,
and many Of the troops follwel his example.
Several were drowned in the attempt, the
river being fifteen feet deep.
The enemy was seen IN and around forti-
ication opposite Edwards Ferry in the
morning. and the guns on this side were
| opened upon them under the personal dircc'
ton of General Stone. At tho first fire the
rebels struck thoir tents and fed.
The loss on our side is uuquestionably
very arge--!arger than that of the enemy
| Co! Bakers remains, escorted by squad
| of Van Aliens Cavalry, under command of
| Capt. Young, and accompanied 10y deceased's
son, Lieut.. Baker, and his brother, DR.. Baker
both of whom were in the engagement, ar
rived at the residence of Col j. w. Webb
this evening.
The funeral will take place to morrow.
The arrangements have. been assigned to
| B.fgadier Casey. Tho body Will beintcrrcd
/ beside that of Gen. Gibson, III the Con res
sionol burymg ground. -.
| 4 preseutjment of Col Bakers dea' h
came to Am on Friday. A. night he made
! will; in the morning he told Mr.. Webb thlt
/ he shoul be killed within forty 'ght hours,
and asked him to take care of his body
| HIS wife is on her way to California.
! Lieutenant Colonel Wista,' ,If' Colonel Bl-
! kcr's regiment 'vrs nrought trom the nelu
! 4. 4. ,.,l,..
ell. Assistant A,ijute vt General Harvey Of
the brigade. aud Captain Mnkco, were cap
tarol. The brigade returncj to its former
encampment, ave m;ios from Conrad Ferry,
the sama evening. Scores OF men, nearly
naked, arrived at the camp yesterday. haV
inc thrown away their C.o.hcs 10 SWIM the
river. Upward of 600 We're missing yes
| terday
A telegraph from Gen. Mcclellan at Ed
ward Ferry this morning, says that all is
secure, ana that no new attack has been
made.
No additional particular touching the
killed and wounded had been received.
The conduct of our men was excellent, and
the disaster though great, was not 50 great
as at first supposed.
Capt. f. q. Young of New York, aid to
Col. Baker, and who was with him when
he died, gives the following account:
Gen. Stone ordered Col Baker, Oh Sunday
evening, to have his brigade ready to move
at O'clock on Monday morning. The brig
ade was then stationed five miles from Con-
RAIDS Ferry. At 8 o'clock in the morning,
however, a messenger from Gen. Stone or
derod the first battalion, under Lieutenant
Colonel Wistar's to move Immediately so as
to be at Conrad's Ferry at sunrise, which
they did, and reported themselves to Gen.
Stone
Orders were then Gent from Gen. Stone to
the battalion, to stand fast until they should
hear heavy firing in front and then to cross
About an hour afterwards, musketry having
been heard previously, dead and wounded
began TO be brought over, At 10 O'Clock
the number of killed and wounded brought
in was increased. Gen. Stone ordered Col.
Baker to take command Of the forces on
both sides of the river at that place, and to
bring up his brigade and the Tammany reGi-
ment, commanded by Col. Coggswell, which
was in camp about three miles distant, and
to cross Immediately. . .
Capt Young carried tho orders to the
| Tammany Regiment, and the whole force
proceeded about a mile down the river
ready to cross We found two scows, each
could carry from forty to fifty men, and
managed to get from the canal dug-out
which would take sixty or seventy more.
Six companies Of the first battalion O. the
California Regiment, three pieces of artillery
with men and horses, belonging to the Tam.
many Regiment, with Col. Baker, Col Coggs-
we'll Lieut.. Col Wister Assist. Adj. Gen.
Harvey, and Capt Young, got to the island,
where we were jere1 by battery of the
Second Rhode Island Artillery with two
small howitzers. The passage to the island
was very difficult, with our insufficientmeans
of transportation, the distance being quarter
of a mile and the current swift. We poled
! ourselves up the eastern shore a long dis
tance, thence were drifted down TO the land
ing. From the island to the Virginia shore,
our only means Of transpGrtion was one
scow and a metallic boat of little or no SER
vice. We landed under steep bank, 100
feet high, covered with rocks and jungle.
Scrambling up the bank, We found an
open field OF six acres, With thick woods on
| three sides, out of which came constant,
rreguler firing from the enemy. .a-.
Here we're Col. Downs 18th Massachusetts
Regiment on the right in line at the edge
! of the woods, having been driven in after
proceeding mile and half towards Lees
| burg, We formed on the left, and presently
advanced two companies Of skirlnishers to
the woods in front. The concealed enemy
drove them baek with n heayv telling Voll-