Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-28
SECOND EDITION.
THKKE O'CLOCK u. n.

II
army, undertakes 10 throw grstuftous mpernen
upon the editor ofthis journal, upon the strength
Of the following alleged dispatch. pubIished -
justification for the movement OF the late Colonel
Baker which cos, that gallant but Indiscreef gen
tlemsn his life, and the arms Of the UnIted States
CALLING defeat: nd r. ... ~ .-.rrr
.a "2pm.
"To GENERAL BAKER Sir: Soon as YOU ge,
i your forces In position make DISH az Leesbarg
| and shoot down sny lawless depredstor that may
| leave the tanks. Gen German 10 moving up on
the len, and expect 70 be 10 Possession of Lees
| burg to night. SroNRo
The RepHblioaH's comments on this purporbed
dispatch, 80 far as they reflect the editor Of the
| Star, are as follows:
| "In this connection we cannot ,efr,,p f,or, ON,
pressing the general indignation at the attempt Of
the Star, without pa rticle Of evidence 20 throw
| tne blame OF our defeat upon Col Bsker az having
Vlolated the orders given him This 4, acting
with a vengeance, upoa the theory that a n Wing
Dog Is better than dead lion. But while mer-
cenary editors may be ready 10 do anything 20
| curry favor with the living the true in,fInrS ~
the people will demand that Justice shall be- done
to brave soldier who has fallen with his fropt 10
| the foe"
In reply TO the above, we have to state thu, W..
had evidence on which we based our intimst,ou
that the disaster was the result OF Col Bakers
disregard Of the orders Of Gen. Stone First, we
| had statement from Col. Colburr, an aid "A
4
| spot, investigated the matter AFTER the action.
which statement was, substantially, a, follow,
| viz:
| Gen Stone having information that the ,ehsl
| Gen Evans had 1000 men near Leesbung and
that he had sent his baggage over Goose Creek 10
.ne soath, that be might not be impeded In re-
| urng 10 Manassas IL attacked by a superior force
and perceiving that the coast was clear Concluded
| 70 attempt the capture Of Evans whole force
| Sodo BAKER took command Gen Stone gave him
1 $40 men. Eeinr Col IRako
| the IammanY Regiment with cavalry and ss
1 much artillery as the enemy had and the rexidus
OF the Fifteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts
oeinS The best regiments be had. Col Bakers
| orders were TO cross at HarrisonH Island: NOT 10
90 beyond the island unless hs means of transpor-
tanon were am LEI not to move from the Virginia
side OF the river until his whole force was over:
| when he advanced 20 be careful I'm sending oaIt
| scouts and skirmisbers; In protecting his tanks
aud guarding his rear; and on no account 20 make
| success
Col. Baker, however, moved forward before
more than seven or eight hundred had crossed
| With that number, leaving no guard at the river
aud keeping up no communication with t. 90
that three companies which 81 bseQ uently crossed
were unable 70 join him-after he had been Joined
by the nine Massachusetts com p>nIes under com
| mand Of Col Deyens he, with about sao
| men, was attacked by Gen Evans, whole force.
with the exception Of his battery, which remain.
| I'd on hill opposite Edwards Ferry beiny
threatened by Gen. Stone, who made feiut OF
| crossing In order to keep Il there.
we learned from Col. Colburn further that
| Col. Baker failed TO send out scouts In advance
| OF bis main body, or on his right flank.
I'd We also had Information that Capt Young
COL Bakers Quartermaster, whose grandiloo uent
accounts Of the affair have been published far and
wide, had saidto officers here that on the receipt of
the last despatch or order from Gen. stone, Col.
Baker put IT in his hat without stopping TO read
1t even, and pushed bis command ahead; though
1t turns out to have been second caution per tele-
gram, against his doing 90.
Sd. We knew further from two or three inteuI
gent persons just from the scene Of SETON, that
the following statement, which we take nom the
New York ErsHiag Post Of Friday Last, was sub
stantially correct: - ~.
"During the day General Stone received rp<s-
sages from Colonel Baker that all was progressing
finely, that he had no difaculty In crossing ana
The impression was made that be had crossed his
whole command, and was able To drive the rebels
before him, until the news came Of the death of
him.
=" Ii was then AscertaIned that Colonel Baker
had crossed the river with only about seven hun
dred men, and that Colonel bsvens was falling
back In good order, but closely pressed by the
enemy in superior numbers. Without waiting
for the crossing OF his whole command, be pressed
forward with bis seven hundred men, and, with
out sending scouts TO the 'front.' or upon the fanks
he rushed cut and engaged the whole force M 4 W.
or six thousand Of the enemy The men, who
were then about seventeen hundred ia ait, fought
like lions. They disputed every inch Of ground,
but Were driven back. The endorsements,
coming up from across the river in detached com.
panies were attacked by the flank, and there was
no alternative but 10 fall back, which was done
In good order until the river bank was reached
arrived there the mans Of transportation Was
insufhctent. Some Of the boats were overloaded
and swamped, one Of them containing ffty men
Ioe rebels Were pouring plugging IRE down
among them from the bank above them, aad
called out that they would cease firing Ii they
would surrender; but they refused 20 surrender
they were ordered to throw their arms into the
liver aud save themselves. This order was
cOollv Obeyed. Muskets and swords wefe cast
into the river, but still the refused 70 surren-
der Those WHO could swim took 90 the wster,
others avaled themselves Of logs or plan Others
scattered up and down the river, and while some
must have fallen into the enemVis hands othefs
have escaped many Of whom have since managed
TO get back 10 camp.
Now, as to the alleged dispatch, upon which
the R'pH5iieaH undertakes to asperse the editor OF
the Star, purpOriing to be signed a Stoas,nwe
have to say that 1t lisa FoRsERY from beginning
to end. Gen. Stone has tslegrsphed to General
McClellan's headquarters tina; it iss sweeping
forgery, and nothing else. I At
The atrocity Of forging such paper, even TO
screen the mistake Of gallant dead ofhcer, re-
quires no illustration from our pen-spesfing 40
II does for itself 50 that all military men viii 81
glance understand IL. -
AProPOs Of the charge Of being ''mercesary
editor" with which OUT cst-faced abolition go
temporary assails us In this onnectioa.--wehsve
to say that we defy any man 10 specify an Impu-
tation upon the Star Of having ever asked ofre-
ceived sixPence from any person in the manner
indicated In the Republicans insinuation. Such
charge against us. comes with bad grace In
deed, from an Individual whose recent sttsek
upon the National IntslligeseeT, ostensibly be-
cause it has been allowed claim OF $4,000
by tke Secretary Of the Treasury, IL attributed,
upon Pennsylvania avenue, 20 the refusal Of It's
managers to accept his proposal to pay him.one
thousand dollars for the vote Of Senator Fessenden
In favor Of that or some other like claim. go:
1t Ia due 10 Mr. Fessenden that we shoafd sdd
that he is said TO have Indignantly reprdistedthe
authority Of the RspHbliean's editor 10 cfseS 10
barter his vote on any terms. -
Taught further were waiting to prove tAsex-
ceeding bad taste Of sseA a charge m n. ar,