Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-11-05

posile EdFafdss Ferry, shopM ba, reipforc, q.
and that would make every effort 10 utiab
t3ormsn's troops carefully forward 10 discover r
the pest line from that ferry to the Loesbu,
and Gum spring. road, alre6dy y men TONED = ard
tne poeltion OF the breast Woi ks and hidden bet.
Iery, which prevented toe movement oflhoops
W.. oreg.iy from Left to fsht, were also pointed
= The I means Of transportation across, Of The
sunclenoy OF which he (Bsker) was 10 be the
Judge, was detdiled aud atholit !, oiyan nj n, IA
make use sofi the guhA of Z secpion each of
ovaughan's and nBdndDg's batteries, together
VIVA rfenchs mountaih 10 WItxefs ali the 1Fo00s
oi hle brigade and.she Tamhi any feainspt.
oeSiaeine Nineteenth and part OF the TaentIetii
neglments OF Massachusetts volunteers, ard I,
eitlt 10 his discretion after viewlngthe ground.
20 oretlrsffom the Virginia ehofe dndes the Gov.
er of bis guns and the fire Of che large infant
~ iofce' or to pass Our reinforce hents In case-
ne iouHd it practicable and tie position on ftbe
other side favorsblei Iststea thst vlsted 10
aavAnce made unless the enemy were OF infeFi.
or iorGe, aud under no circumstances to pass be-
yosa Leeaourg, or a sRong position betweenoiti
ssu 1oosel creek, on The Gum Spring, I. o.. the
HisnasSas road Col Baker was oauIiohed iin
aud begged 10 he did do 60 60 Zee il veil sno
ported by good infantry The General po,n,ed
out 20 him the position of'some bluffs On this
side Of the river, from which srtillery could act
win elect on the other, and, leaving the mat
yer OF crossiDg more troops or retiring ghat we're
aireaoy over 20 his discretion, gave him entire
control OF operations on the right. The gallant
and energetic officer left me about 8 A. M. or
hali-pAss y, and galloped of quickly to bis
command. 80 ! -
:, keinforcements were rapidly thrown 20 The
Virginia side by Gen. German, at Edwards's
Ferry, and bis sklrmishers and cavalry scouts
advanced cautiously and eteadily TO the front
and right' while tie infantry lines were formed
10 suoh positions as TO act rapidly and in con
cert 10 case OF an advance OF the enemy, and
shells were thrown By Lieut.. WoodrufR's Par.
rott guns into the woods beyond our lines as
tney gradually extended, care being taken 70
annoy the vicinity of the battery on tue right
messeDgers from Harrison's leland informed
me, soon after the arrival of Col. Baker oppo-
site the leland, that no was crossing his whole
force as rapidly as possible, and that be bad
caused an additional fAtboat TO be RATED from
tne canal into the river, and had provided q
line 70 cross the boats more rapidly. Nai
In the morning sharp skirmish took place
between two companles Of the Tsendeth Mas
sachusetts and about one hundred Mississippi
rihemep, duing which body of the enemys
cavalfy appeared. Col Devens then fell baot
In good order on Col Lees position. Presently
heagain advanced, his men behaving admirably,
nghung, retiring and advancing in perfect order,
and exhibiting every proof OF high courage and
good discipline. Had the cavalry scouiiDg party
sent him In the morning been si.h him, then be
could have bad timely warning of the approach
Of the superior force which aitefWard over
whelmed his regiment. Thinking that Col.
m he
dispatched 10 him two additional pieces, support
cd by two companies Of infantry, with directions
tocome into position below the place of crossing :,
aDd report TO Col. Baker. Col. Baker uggesteo
this himse.f, later in the day, just before the
guns on their way arrived. ,-, ......-... .. 4
After Col. Deveus's second advance, Col.
Baker vent TO the field in person, and il Is a
matter OF regret to me that he left no record
OF what ottcers and men he charged with the
care OF the boats and insuring the regular pass.
age Of troops. II any were charged with this
duty, II was not performed, for the reinforce.
ments, as they arrived, found no one in com
mand OF the boats, and great delsys we're thus
occasioned. Had one Ufioer and company re-
NAMED At each landing, guarding the bOAls,
their full capacity would have oeen made ser.
VioeAole, and sufficient men would have been
passed on 70 secure succeSs. The forwarding
OF artillery before it's supporting force of IN
fantry alec impeded the rapid assem- bling of an
imposing force on The Virginia shore. II the
infzn,ry force had first crossed, difference "
one thousand men would have been made in the
infsnry line Of the time of attack, PROBABLY
enough to have given Us the victory. -,
Between IL aud 2. NJ the eoemy appeared
10 force In ifout of Colonel Drvens, and sharp
ekirmish ensued, and was mail tanned Tor come
time BY the Fifteenth Massachusetts. Unsnp.
ported and hoding he would be ou q mixed,
Colonel Devens retired shors dat moe, ana
took up q pOsltion near the wood, halt a mile
In front Of Colonel Lee, where he remained un.
I'll tEo O'Clock; when he again fell ack with the
approval of Colonel Baker, aud took hia place
with the portions of the TWentieta M4ssachu.
sets and Fret Cal fons, which had arrived.
Colonel Baker nov formed his line, and wait
ed the attack of the enemy, which came upon
him with great vigor about three M, and vas
we'll met oy our troops, who. though pitched
against much superior numbers, three to one,
maintained their ground under most destruo.
tive tre OF the enemy. -'
Col. CoggsWtll reached the Geld amid the
heaviest Ere, and came CALAMITY into action,
With a yell which wavered the euemS e line.
Lieut.. Bramhall, OF Buntings battery, had
succeeded, after extraordinary txertons and
labor, 10 bringing up piece of the Rhode
Island battery, aud Lieut.. French his two
hoWitEers, but both officers, after we'll directed
firing, were soon borne away wounded, and the
pieces were hauled TO the rear so that they might
not fall into the enemy's hands. = '.is -
At 4P. M. Col Baker fell at the head Of his
column, pierced BY a number of bullets, while
cheering his men, and by bis own example sus-
tainiDg the obstinate resistance they were max.
ing The command then devolved on Col Lee,
VINO prepared TO commence throwing out forces
TO the rear, but sis was soon found that Col.
Coggswell was the senior In rank, aud be, taxi
ing the command, ordered preparations 10 be
made for marching to the left, aud cutting a
way through to EdWafds's Ferry. Bat just as
the fret dispositions were being effected, a reb-
el officer rode rapidly In front and beckoned the
Tammany Regiment toward the enemy. 1It Is
not clear whether or not the Tammaay men
supposed this one Of our oficere, but they 70.
spondsd withaa yell ana charged forward, car.
ryipg with them In their advance the rest OF the
line, which soon received destructive fire
from the enemy at close distance. The men
we're quickly recalled, but their new position
frustrated the movement designed, and Col.
Coggswell gave the necessary order TO retire
The enemy pursued to the edge Of the bluff,
over the landing place, aud pouredsin q heavy
tre as our men we're endeavoring TO cross TO the
leland. The retreat was rapid, but according
to orders. The men formed near the river,
maintaining for nearly half an hour the hope.
less contest rather than surrender. 3F tef,
The smaller boats had disappeared, no one
knew where. Tue largest boat, rapidly and
too heavily loaded, swamped at fifteen feet from
the shore, and nothing was lett to our soldiers
but 10 swim, surrender, or die 's4 -Ae =
With a devotion worthy of the cause they