, 1861-10-26
THE BATTLE ON THE POTOMAC.
Our Repulse at Edwards's Ferry.
GALLANT ACTION OF THE TROOPS.


DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE.
Poo11syu1E, Oct q, 1861.
The following report Of the battle at Ball's
B:ufI, midway betweenC nConrad's and Elwa1ds's
Ferry, and opposite HarTison's lsland, which
occurred yesterday, has been CLEANED from
On Sunday night, Colonel Devens, Of the
18th Massachusetts, who had for some time
guarded Har1lson's Island with one company,
e1ssdsq o1a2ta1@a5te4 naRsa HOVE of lis eta viii de-
taehment Of twenty men, to scout the virginia
shore in the direction OF LeesbuFg. Ihey
crossed from the island to the shore and exc
cuted TIE order by approaching within three
their starting point about ten O'Clock at night,
discovering, Is they supposed. small camp
cne mile Of more from LeesbuEg. On report
ing to Colonel Devens, the latter, with about
900 men, pushed forward, by direction ct
to destroy the camp at daybreak and return,
and Col DeTeus remained with his command
concealed and sent word that no enemy was
in sight, Capt. Philbrickfs company taking an
advanced position, while the Remaining com.
panies were concealed aS reserve, in case Of
n attack on the advance. When about mile
and half from the river, and five hundred
yards in advance Ct Col. DeTens's reserve,
Capt. Philbrick, accompanied BY Col: Devens
pany Of Mississippi rlhemen, and then fell |
back to the reserve, concealed in the rear, on |
the appearance Of body OF rebel cavalry.
In the skirmish Capt Phi1brick had difficulty |
in getting near enough to the enemy for his |
smooth bore guns to have much effect, where
| as the other used long range titles on Our
t forces.
| At daYbreak aud st the same hour that Col.
Devens's command left the shore to make the
advance, Col. Lee, Of the Twentieth Massa.
chusette, sent over one company of his regf-
| ment. which remained On he shore to cover
The return Of Col. Deyens. Col. DeVeps main
tanned his ground, and was reinforced during
the morning by three hundred more Of his
regiment, under Lieut.. Col. Ward. About
! O'Clock he Was attacked BY considerable
body Of 1idemen, who attempted to outdank
him. Fearing they might be successful, and
after resisting them for some time, Col. Day.
ems slowly retreated In perfect order to the
river, where General Baker had arrived with
ba.alion of the California regiment, command
ed by Lieut., Col. WistaE.
Gen. Baker then took command, first con-
plimenting Col Deyens for his successful r.
sistaree to superior force, and giving his
command, now 1ees than Elk hundred, the
right Of tie line Of battle, the center and left
wing being formed Of about three hundred Of
the Massachusetts 20sh, under Col. Lee, and
II M humber, Under Leut-Col. Wistar. Two
mountain hoW1tze1s, commanded BY Lieut..
French, and one piece Of the New FORK bot.
, | tery, commanded by Lieut. Bramhall, were in
front Of the center Just previous to the com
|
, The stack was commenced BY the enemy
! | On CUT right, but Was soon directed mDre
! b. .aVily to the centre and lett. For about two
hours the battle ragged terzit1cally, complete
several times the left Of the line made On ad-
vance, but were compelled to return as often.
r The right Was better protected and held their
? position.
An order c-me from General Baker to throw
two companies Of the Fifteenth Massachusetts
| IN tho rkyffA yEhirh 1mmF6i3fQlV GThcu
ted. This produced th: impression that the
!. battle wae going again: Us, but caused NJ
~ a confusion or dtsmay. The left was hard press
% ed, bus remained firm About this time tht
- While In the act Of pushing cannon forward
" " with his shoulder to the wheel he WAS pieFcei
~ by Elk balls. He Was evidently the object 0
~ y the eneny's sharpehooters,
- After this there Was eeasatonsot hre Tor
" " few minutes, during ~hich Colonel Cogswen
o nf of the Tammauy regiment, arrived with tWi
of companies, and he, being the senior officer
~ the command deyolyed on him. In q shor
~ ~ time it became evident to Colonel Cogawe
u oa that the day was lost, and he thought 6 bea
So to Gu. his way through TO Edwards'a Ferry
L. where General German Was in charge, throw
ing over 1eintorcements, by direction OF Ger
erM Stone, who was in sight Of the battle fal
at Edwar9s's Ferry, directing the generi
"a, movement
de An order HBs now issued to transfer II
air Fifteenth Massachusetts from the right to tt
~ left, which was executed as calmly: D. q batta
ny lion drill
ICE Colonel Cogsweu soon became satisfied
is the impossibility Of reaching Edwards's Fe
+ha ~, and gave an order to tall back toward II
'uo river, which was executed as well as the q
IL cumstances would permit. They reached Il
Ma river hank about twenty minutes before nlgt
hs, fall. Here the Fifteenth deployed as sk
~ mishers along the shore. The only means
lei conveya1 ce to the ieland was d large DO:
rho capable Of carrying shout forty persons, viii
was ove1crowded and ewamped. The troo
mn remaining on the shore made desperate
~ ~ eisiance, and it is believed that the enel
ass 1as took comparatively few prisoners in com
M. de' queuce. Those who could swim plunged
ee ae the water, those carrying their arms Y
ant could, and others thIoW wing them into the III
oat O. to prevent them falling into the ene9
- = hands. Some escaped BY availing themsel7
Ky ~ Of the darkness andthe heavily wooded ban
'nn 10 but several are known to hare been droWr
~ In the waters Of the Petcmac. The behaT
Isy, Itn1 Of our troops before superior number Of
nns raas enemy was marked as noble, brave and
.;"~ during.
ssa slon Nesr the close of the action, and after
- - day was irretr1evably lost, the t#o recsn
!iEo !;so a1Iiys companies Of the Tammany reglm
3erS 'erS made desperate charge on, but were !
n1n BILE that rebel officer Was mistaken for on
our COZ msnders, who appeared In front I
gavethe order to charge.
NJ Tie brave Lieutenant Bramhell, OF the \
d. York Ninth battery, lost one Of hts guns,
sede htrnst If was wnundet serers ;, but not fara
lest, ;. Ine gauant L1s9tenan1 flensn VI ~ !
ople shnts after ;fa daV vas % i,sf. and tis n1e1
sub tered, He was eho: in the LEI: breast and ~
4 Of but rot MORALLY wounded.
,eso- On reaching the island, which be did
throwing his sword and revolver intothe n
snd swimming across, Col Devens at G
tiers posted thirty Of his men to prevent any
lera1 t:n,pt Of the enemy at pursuit. This II
nent | WAS eubse quent1y augmented, By the ait
the there Of other companies from the Mar1l
ainat ehcre, under Col Hiucks, Of the 18Th Ms
ctueetts. Col. Devers received o slight
city fusion in the breast from musket bsll.
dis. ,1,,,re or, m,7r r~111rn
the N0alN9 of AA1 1A'D-
inter-. The following are the killed commiseie