Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-26

brigade who witnessed part of the engage
ment, furnishes the following particulars
Two battalions, one thousand men of the
| California the Tammany and Massachusetts,
| Fifteenth Regiments crossed on Monday
morning at Oonrad's Ferry and landed. Pick
cts were thrown out, and large force Of
rebels discovered. About three o'clock Bax-
| ter's Ovens and Morehead's regiments, of
Bakers brigade, arrived at the ferry, but
failed to cross, the only two scows used in
the. morning having beer, sunk, one while
taking cannon across, and the other in re-
turning after the first repulse, with about
one hundred men, who jumped on board in
the widest confusion, many OF whom were
| drowned. r. q Ir-.
Colonel Baker was killed when making
the first charge, after successfully rallying
| his men.
No cannon were used by the enemy in the
engagement and the Union forces got but
| one across. There were seven in position on
this side-two at Conrad's Ferry and i've at
| Edwards's Ferry, about six miles apart. AT
the latter, two scOws and canal-boat were
used to convey troops across all day.
A considerable number had assembled on
the Virginia side of this ferry when the battle
commenced, but it was not considered safe
to reinforce Colonel Baker from that point.
| 1t took each scow, with fifty men, over an
hour to make trip; so that much valuable
time was lost, owing to the limited means of
| transit.
Colonel Devins, of the Massachusetts Reg
iment, escaped to this side by swimming the
river and many of the troops followed his
example. Several were drowned in the at
| tempt, the river being fifteen feet deep.
The enemy was seen in and around q forti-
fication opposite Edwards's Ferry in the
morning, and the guns on this side were
opened upon them under the personal di-
reetion Of General Stone. At the first fire
the rebels struck their tents and fled.
The loss on our side is uDquestionably very
large--larger than that of the enemy.
Colonel Bakers remains, escorted by q
squad of Van Aliens Cavalry, under COM
mand of Captain Young, and accompanied
by deceased's son, Lieutenant Baker, and his
brother, DR.. Baker, both of whom were in
the engagement, arrived at the residence of
Col. ]. W. Webb this evening.
The funeral will take place tomorrow.
The arrangements have been assigned to
Brigadier Casey. The body will be inferred
beside that of General Gibson, in the Con-
gressional Burying-ground.
A presentiment of Colonel Bakers death
came to him on Friday. AT night he made
his will "a The morning he told Mr.. Webb
that he should be killed within forty. eight
hours, and asked him to take care of his
body. His wife is on her way to California.
Lieutenant. Colonel Wistar, of Colonel
Bakers regiment, was. brought from the field
| WIN u lcRi du hIu1 lOWOE Jaw
shattered. Assistant Adjutant General Har-
yey of the brigade, and Captain Marcoe, were
captured. The brigade returned to its former
encampment, five miles from Conrads Ferry.
the same evening: Scores of men, nearly
naked, arrived at the camp yesterday, having
thrown away their clothes to swim the river.
Upward Of one thousand were missing yes
terday.
A telegraph from General Mcclellan at
Edwards's Ferry this morning says that all is
safe and right, that our position Is secure,
and that no new attack has been made.
No additional particulars touching the
killed and wounded had been received. The
conduct of our men was excellent, and the
disaster, though great, was not so great as at
first supposed.
Captain F. G. Young, ofNew York, aid to
Colonel Baker, and who was with him when
he died, gives the following account:
General Stone ordered Colonel Baker, on
Sunday evening, to have his brigade ready
to march at seven o'clock on Monday morn
ing. The brigade was then stationed five
| miles from Conrad's Ferry. AT three o'clock
in the morning, however, messenger from
General Stone ordered the first battalion,
under Lieutenant Colonel Wistar, to move
Immediately, so as to be at Conrad's Ferry at
sunrise, which they did, and reported them.
selves TO General Stone.
Orders were then sent from General Stone
to the battalion to stand fast until they
should hear heavy firing in front, and ther
to cross. About an hour afterward, mus
kerry having been heard previously, dead
and wounded began to be brought over tt
where we were. At ten o'clock the number
: of killed and wounded brought in was in
creased. General Stone ordered Colone
= Baker to take command of the forces on botl
sides Of the river at that place, and to bring
up his brigade and the Tammany Regiment
commanded by Colonel Coggswell, which
was in camp about three miles distant, an(
! to cross Immediately.
Captain Young carried the orders to tn
Tammsny Regiment, and the whole torc'
proceeded about mile down the river
> ready to cross. We found two scows, each o
\ which could carry from forty to fifty men
and managed to get from the canal dug
out, which would take sixty orseVenty more
Six companies of the first battalion Of tn
n California Regiment, three pieces of artillery
ID with men and horses, belonging TO the Tam
many Regiment with Colonel Baker, Colo
mel Cogeswell Lieutenant Colonel WistaI
At Assistant Adjutant General Harvey, an
q Captain Young got to the island, where W
III were ioiped by a battery of the Second Rhod
g Island Artillery with two small howitzerI
d The passage to the island was very dithcul
with our insufficient means of transports
ton, the distance being quarter of mil
and the current swift. We poled ourselve
up the eastern shore long distance, thehc
=. were drifted down to the landing. From th
~ island to the Virginia shore, our only NEAR
= of transportation was one seow and meta
\ lie boat of little or no service. We lande
under a steep bank, one hundred feet higl
covered with rocks and jungle:
n Scrambling up the bank, we found an ope
or field of six acres, with thick woods on thre
sides, out of which came constant, irregu
lar firing from the enemy .ll..t#
Here were Colonel Deven's Fifteenth Ma
saebusetts Regiment on the right in line
"a the edge of the woods, having been drive
Is in after proceeding a mile aud half towa
Leesburg. We formed on the left. a.
presently advanced two companies OF SKI
to mishers to the woods in front. The co
al ceaed enemy drove them back with heav
telling volley, and following the regular wi
: an irregular firing. Our men fell on th'
bellies under the brow of the hill, the enen
. not being in sight The artillery could n
., be served because the gunners were not to
ne found. Lila v.r.5gf-. ..-..
'IISe Captain Stewart, of General stones stt
:" came with a message TO Colonel Baker
- hold his ground, as General German, wi
b FIVE thousand men, was marching from I
wards's Ferry to reinforce him: One Co
pany was advanced TO the left the direetiC
from which General German was expect'
They were met by yell and Volley as |
fore, and fell back 70 the line. The Md