Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-11-01
LATE NEWS.
THE BATTLE ON THE POTOMAC.
Our Repulse at Edwards Ferry.
GALLANT ACTION OF THE TROOPS
A Handful Against Ten Thousand
DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE ENGAGEMENT.

A Handful Against Ten Thousand
DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE ENGAGEMENT
PooLEsvILLE, Oct. %, 1861.
The following report Of the battle at Ball
Bluff, midway between Conrads and Eo
wa d Ferry, and opposite Harrison's isanc
which occurred yesterday, has been gleane
from authentic sources:
On Sunday night, Col. Devcns, of the 15t
Massachusetts,, who had for some tim
guarded Ilarrison's Island with one company
ordered Capt Philbrick, of company II, an
Quartermaster Howe, of his staff. with d.
tachment Of twenty men, to scout the V.rgini
shore in the direction of Leesburg. Th,
crossed from the Island to the shore and ex
ccuted the order by approaching within
three-fourths of mile of Leesburg, returnin,
to their starting point about ten o'clock a
night, discovering as they supposed a smal
camp one mile or more from Leesburg. u
reporting to Col. Dev,ns, the latter, with onl,
800 men, pushed forward, by direction o
Gen. Stone, in the same locality, with order
to destroy the camp at day break and return
and Col. Devens remained with his command
concealed, and sent word that no enemy wa.
in sight, Capt. Phlbrick's company taking al
advanced position, while the remaining com
panies were concealed as a reserve, in case o
an attack on the advance. When about 8
mile and a half from the river, and five hun
dred yards IN advance of Col Devens' reserve
Capt Philbrck, accompanied by Col. Devens
in person, attacked drove back a compa
ny of Mississippi rihemen, and then fell back
to the reserve, concealed in the rear, on the
appearance of rebel cavalry. In the sklrmi>l
Capt. Philbrick had difficulty in getting nea,
enough to the enemy for his smooth bore guns
to have much effect, whereas the others used
long range rifles on our forces.
At day break and at the same hour that Col
Devans' command left the shore to make the
the advance, Col Lee, of the 18th Massachus-
etts, sent over one company of his regiment
which remained on the shore to cover the re-
turn OF Col. Devens Col. Devens maintained
his ground, and was rei:io ced during the
morning by three hundred more of his rcgi-
ment, under Lieut. Col. Ward. About l
o'clock he was attacked by considerable
body of riff men, who attempted to outhank
him. Fearing they might be successful, and
after resisting them for some TIM, Col. Dew
ans slowly retrs ated in perfect order to the
river, where General Baker had arrived with
a ba talon of the California regiment, COM
manded by Lieut.. Col. Wistar.
: Gen. Baker then took command, first COM
plimenting OIL Devans for his successful re.
sistance to superior force, and giving his
command, now less than six hundred, the
right OF the line of battle, the centre and left
wing b>ing formed of about three hundred of
the Massachusetts, goth, under Col. Lee, and
the California battalion, about five hundre |
in number, under Lieut.. Col. Wistar. Two
howitzers, commanded by Lieut..
French, and one piece of the New York bat
terry, commanded by Lieut. Bramlall, were
in front OF the center just previous to the
of the action.
The attack was commenced by the enemy
on cur right, but was soon directed more
heavily to the centre and left. For about two
hours the battle ragged tcirifically "a complete
shower OF leaden hale poured upon us. Three
several times ,e left OF the line made an adj
vance, but Were compelled to return as often.
The right was better protected and held their
position.
An order came from Gen. E.!ser to throw
two companies Of the Fifteenth Massachus-
etts to the centre, which was immediately
executed. This produced the impression
that the battle was gong against ns, bu,
caused no confusion CT dis'nay. The left
was hard pressed, but remained frm.-
About ts's tiue the news spread that Gen,
Baker was killed. While in The act Of push
ing cannon forward, with his ahou,der to
the wheel, he was pierced by six balls. He
was evidently the object Of the enemy's
sharp shooters.
After this there was a cessation of fire
for few minutes. during which Col. Cogs.
we'll, of the Tammany regiment, arrived
with two companies. and he being the sen
Tor officer, the command devolved On hir.-
In sh rt time it became evident to Col
Cogswell that the day was lost, and he
thought it best to cnt his way through to
Eiwarfs Ferry, where Gen. Gorman was in
charge, throwing over endorsements, by
direction IF Gen. Stone who was in sight OF
the battle field at E wards Ferry, directing
the general movement.
An order was now issued to transfer the
Fifteenth Massachusetts from the right to
the left, which was executed as calmly as a
battalion drill
Col. Cogswell so became sati.fied o.
the impossibility of reaching Edwards Fer
ry, and gave an order to fail back towar
,he river, VIII ch was executed as well as the
circumstances would permit. They reached
the river bank ab 1ut twenty minutes before
nightsall. Here the Fitte nth deployed as
skirmishers ong the shore. The only
means of conveyance to the Island was a
large boat, capable Of carrying about forty
persons, whi.h was overcrowded snt
shore made desperate esistance, and it is
bel eyed that the enemy took compare
lively few prisoners in consequence Those
who could swim plunged into the water
hose carrying their arms who could, ant
others throwing them into the river to pre-
vent them from fallir 6 into the enemy's hand!
Some escaped bv avall,ng themselves Of tht
IA, kness and the heavily wooded banks. hn
everal are Known to have been drowned il
the waters Of the Potomac The behavior
nf our troops before superior number o
the enemy was marked, noble, brave and en-
during. ..
Near the close Of the &C ion, and after th'
lay was irretr,cvahly lost. he two recently
arrived companies Of the Tammany regimen
made desperate charge on, but were me
with terrific fire by the enemy. 1t il
robable that rebel officer was mistaken
for one of our commanders, who appeared il
front and gave the order to charge.
The b'ave Lieut. Bramhall. of the New
York Ninth battery. los: one of his guns, an'
himself was wounded severely, but not fatai
| iy.
The gallant Lieutenant French. of tn
howitzer battery, fl ed with his own hand
four shots after t'., day was lost, and hi
breast and ankle y not mortally wounded
On reaching the island, which he did b.
throwing his sword and revolver into the riv
Grand swimming across, Col. Devans at one
posted thirty Of his men toprevent any at
tempt Of the enemy at pursuit. This fore
was subsequently augmented, by the arri
v,1 fhnrn cf othor from the Mary