New-York daily tribune., 1861-11-05


"Col r. ID, 'SAKER Commonder eJ Brieade.
"colowsL In Of heavy firing 20 iron, Of Hari.on's
sdr, y, se the regiments under Cola Lee aud Deyins at
yoaf sisere'ion, assuming eomn,nd I'D on arrival
"Yonr mos. obsdien, s'rvsl, ,c,
"BngtJieT-6enefel, Commanding"
The following was doubtless the one that came 20
him on tue battlefield and which having been read
and commented upon by Col. Coggswell, with the
word "all right" the Colonel bad passed into his
bst without perusaL.
"HEADarhBTRRs CoRPs oy OPsERvsrsoN, I
| kdwardss Ferry, Oct z-ll;59 q. M
" Col =. D. BAKBR. Commanding Brigade.
"CoIoSRI: em Informed that the force Of the enemy l.
sbo1, 1900 all told. u push them you may do
far h-vo strong position Leesbargii ,oa
keep them befo syou svodng their batteries II they pss
Lee,ouIs and ke the Cum Spngs road you win not low
FAR bat he good position that rosA Their
de.ign draw they obliged retreat fer
booe Creek where they be enforced from Masaa
sas. aud bave strong position
"BePsh f'qn'niy that, when they pushed, Cor
Yours respectfully ard truly,
"CHAs. P. sl0NE, Brig. Gen. Commanding
II il evident from these orders, both verbal and
written, that Gen. Stone, having himself made 10
investigation as to the tuciency of means Of trans
Jor,ation took it for granted that there was enough;
and il was likewise evident that Col. Baker too
cheerful and bigh-spirited soldier to make a
plant on the very brink Of battle, the cause Of
which no one at that hour, could remedy any better
than himself. lie therefore, TO use again the words
of stones report, he, "this gallant and energetic
officer, left about halfpast 9, and gailoped oil
quickly to his command"
II has been raid in the newspapers, on the author
ity OF Lieut. Col Coburn Assistant Adjutant-Gen
t. Mcclellan, that Gen. Stone told him lieut.-Col.
Colburn That part of hs orders TO COL Baker were
that he Col. Baker, was not to crors TIE river on
any account unless the means Of transportation Tas
syGcieni 10 cross has enire force, but we do not ud
this in the printed cory Of Gen. Stones report and
it certainly s Inconsistent with the written orders
which Gen. Baker already had received; incoDsitt-
ent also with tie subsequent declarations Of Gen.
Stones report, for in one part Of that document
lie dtfenGs the means Of transportation sufficient,
had ney Teen properly used. Indeed, the General
goes far to estal sh the sincerity Of that opinion by
stating further in q subsequent conversation wito
Ledt- Col. Colburn, that when in the afternoon he
heard the heavy firing from the Virginia side, lie
suppcsed that all OF nearly all OF Bakers troops had
gone, and was surprised to learn, after COL Bakers
death, that only about 200 men had made the
trannt. We are reuinced at this point that Gen.
Stones headquarters at Edwards's Ferry was only
about three miles from The Coonrads crossing, and
be certainly bad facilities TO inform himself of the
progress of aairs this main point Of operations nt
every hour, for messengers were going TO and fro al
day. That be did not make Tn inquiry Of any Of
them on the subject should be taken as proJf at
least Of his Ligh confidence Of the experience and
fidelity which Col. Baker would be suIe to bestow
urcn bis tusk. With these explanations, We must
regaid all Of the orders Of Gen. Stone subsequent
TO Ike iir.t one directing Col. Baker, IN case he
heard leayy firing front Of HaTrisons Island to
cross with bis California BaftahOH or " retire Tie
companies Of Lee and DeveDs," as being predicated
entirely on tie fuppoftiOn thai he was already on
tie Virginia tide, with his entire brigade. Let us
now see low " this gallant and energetic officer"
performed his duty.
Col Baker returned TO Courad's Ferry from Gen. !
stoue's Headquarters, accompanied by bis son, aud
on the road back he nionled Lieut. Bakert that the
Gsnefal had ordered him TO and take command.
-as 10 o'clock when father and arrived back
~ me California troops. The Grst iling which Col
Daler then did wAs dispatch ess..esr to hurr,
along tie rect of tho brigade aud bic next was to
order the California battalion TO begin TO cross ]
have already described the means Of transportation,
and ave now TO add that 1t required both the
soows 10 embark a single company. ! must say,
moreover that tie river at thin point was about 400
yards aorots in "a d Get line. In consequence, how
ever Of The stiffness Of the current. the distance
considerably ueieased by the route required for the
men were Obliged to pole the scows some distance up
tie Maryland shore in order that they might strike
the ferry on the ether. They werc also obliged to
role them all the way across; and sometimes when
they did not hit the bank they were forced 10 make
q .eeoud crossing. Not being members Of the Min
resota ls the beet therefore they could do, wss to
average a trip every three-quarters of an hour.
While tlir tedious and provoking process was going
On, aggravated aud delayed the more by the embar-
cation Of the artillery horses, the Colonel dscerned
lar,er teow IN canal a II OFT distance up the rivers
bank and gave d ection that it should be got ont
once, and while this was being done he called for
axes 10 construct raft. But Of axes there |
were none, and nearly two hours were ex.
pended in dngging the numbering boat from |
the canal While this was going on and at little |
after eleven, there came the sudden sound OF firing
from tie Virginia SIDE. The instant Col. Baker
heard this signal his eye dilsted aud his face took
light like that of the wsr-horse ut the trumpet, and
pointing to u lite shallow skif nodding at the bank
that would hold only about three persons, he called
for The strongest man in the battalion to row him ut
once across. lie was consequently soon afoat aud
when be landed on the issnd he dispatched orders
back for the 1anmany Regiment and BuntiDgs Bat
terry to follow the California Battalion, without loss
Of time Ms they were much nearer than the remain.
ing troops Of his brigade. He knew by the firing, OF
course, that the troops of Lee and Deveos were
gagged, snd it wns necessary they should be quickly |
Iercued from their peril. Every prompting Of cour-
age, duty. and humanity, as wei! every obliga.
tGn of Gen Stone rst order reanired him 70 hurry