Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-11-07

ty rounds used were fired, doing more effect
than all our musketry volleys. When the
enemy was making his fifth charge on the
left, the cannon had just been loaded, and
was pointed at the woods in front. Capt.
Betral, of the Californians, who was with his
company supporting the piece, exclaimed to
Coggswell, Look to the left look to the
left!!" Coggswell saw the dark column of
the Confederates sweeping across the spur
of the field, wheeled the terrible gun around,
and discharged it square at their centre.
The shell opened lane through the charg-
ing force, score of traitors falling to fight
no more, and the column shut itself up on
the main body behind.
DEATH OF TIE GENERAL.
But the end was fast approaching. Our
thinning forces were assailed by four times
their number. From every side death
stormed upon their unsheltered bodies
Half their line officers were wounded or kill
ed. The undaunted leaders were also fall
ing. Ward, Lieutenant Colonel of the Fif-
teenth, had received frightful wound !;
Coggswell was shot through the wrist: Lee,
Devens, Harvey and Stewart were still fight
ing sadly and in vain; ball shattered Wis
tar's sword arm-he dropped the weapon,
picked it up with his left hand, and Gen.
Baker himself restored it to the scabbard.
Alas, that the chivalric leader should never
again do such kindly service for brother
in arms. The yelling enemy began to brsS]
| from the wood and through the smoE~~Pon
our confused lines. The crisjsse%a.; oo'ne, .
There was some hand to n';ns =;
own ~ f. forces m 81 VIZ TX prisoner and passed
him him to the,<T; they took dozen. and
madeIdarge after charge. just then
10y of men appeared, pressing down from
the left
The General ordered the troops around
him to stand firm, and cried, "Who are
those men ?" Confederate troops, you
ID Yankees" was the reply; and they
rushed almost within bayonet distance
| One huge red-haired ruffian drew revolver,
came close to Baker, and fred four balls at
the Generals head, every one of which took
effect. and glorious soul fled through their
ghastly openings. Capt. Beiral seized the
Slayer by the throat and blew out his brains
the hero and the traitor falling within the
same minute, and face to face. In second
1.-The enemy sNarmedl owes the spot eases
aaas 6. ss R9Ea @ag aEisa 4 Aais aigtass 25ss
1t them have iIs 6sasssls 9s5
angry howl was the answer, and dozen OF
our fellows charged, with set teeth and
bayonets fixed upon the enemy, who recoil-
ed from the shock and surrendered their
priceless trophy This was passed down the
bluff, and safely conveyed to the island
But now our lines were hopelessly disorder
ed. The Confederates came through both
field and woods in final force. Coggswell
saw that the day was lost, and that the des-
perate, impossible retreat had come. So he
ordered our men to retire for embarkation,
and the field was yielded to the foe.
THE RETREAT.
The writer describes the retreat in man.
ner similar to other correspondents. After
referring to their arrival at Harrison's Is
land. he adds:
The very skies were pitiless that evening.
Oh the misery of the black, tempestuous
night, when the rain poured down upon that
narrow Island where those who escaped the
flood and field were bivouacked, huddled
together, bereft Of comrades in arms Scores
of the dead were guarded by sullen watch
ers; the wounded were tended in every pos
sible shelter; the river swelled in kind of
savage triumph over the havoc it had made,
its current darkling and murmuring on the
east aud west; while high on that fatal op-
posite steep lay those whose occupancy even
traitors could not then forbid, with pale
faces upturned to the darkness of the hea-
vens.
Next morning the island was evacuated,
in view of rebel preparations enforcing such
movement. First, however, boat loads of
dead and wounded were brought from the
battlefield under flag of truce.
THE LOSS.
The Massachusetts Fifteenth lost in kill
ed, wounded and missing, 322, including
Lieutenant Colonel, (wounded, and Il out
of % line officers who crossed
The Massachusetts Twentieth lost in all
159, including Colonel, Major, Surgeon
and Adjutant, prisoners, and s out of II
line officers who crossed.
The Tammany companies lost 1853, in
Guiding Colonel and 7 out of II line Off
GERS who crossed.
The Californians lost 300, including their
Colonel, (the General Commanding, Lieu
tenant Colonel, (wounded,) Adjutant, and
Is line officers out of II who crossed.
Total engaged in the fight, 1853; total
losses, 953; field officers crossing, II; re-
turning uninjured, 5; line officers crossing,
"a; returning uninjured, 30.
Laziness begins in cobwebs and ends
in iron chains. It creeps over man SO
slowly and imperceptibly, that he is bound
tight before he knows it.
~-:'You lost two legs in the army you
say; what did you gain by ?"
Single blessedness, sir; for, after that,
no woman wouid marru mo