The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-08-21

clock, p. m, Col Baker found himself
in command of about eighteen hundred
men upon Balls Bluff, including Col.
Devens' men and three guns, and the
fighting commenced. The alternatives
were fight and conquer, surrender or
be captured. That noble band of
heroes and their gallant commander
understood these terrible alternatives
as well upon that bloody field as we do
now, and nobly did they vindicate their
manhood. During all these long hours,
from 2 o'clock p. M, until the early
dusk of evening, the gallant Baker
continued the unequal contest, when
he fell pierced by three bullets and in
stantly expired. A, council Of war was
called, (after The frightfnl death-strug-
gle over his lifeless remains and for
theIn) and it was decided that the only
chance of escape was by cutting thro'
the enemy and reaching Edwards Fer
ry, which was at once decided upon
but while forming for the desperate en-.
counter, the enemy rushed upon our
little band of heroes in overpowering
numbers, and the rout was perfect.
Colonel Devens says:
"As we were talking, Col. Cogswell
came MP. and itappeared in moment
that he was the officer entitled to take
the command. Col. Cogswell said to
me, Colonel Devens, we should, Il
think, make an effort to cut our way TO
Edwards Ferry; that is the thing to
he DONE l replied to him, as l had
to Colonel Lee, that / would take any
order of his"
Col. Lee says:
"Captain Harvey, of Colonel Bakers
staff, his adjntant General, came up,
and said that he believed that Colonel
Cogswell was the senior officer. Col.
Cogswell was stranger to me /
knew he was on the field but whether
he was my senior or bis, was ques-
tion | would not determine there, but
as Captain Harvey stated it confidently
| accepted it as fact; for it was no
time to dispute about rank on a field
Of battle like that. / said, 'Very well:i
what are your orders?' Il think said
Col. Cogswell, 'that we had better try
to cut our way through the enemy to
the left, and reach Edwards Ferry;
which is from two and half to three
miles distant from where we were.
Major Mix, third New York cavalry,
says, in answer to the question::
"What number of men would have
driven off the enemy at Balls Bluff if
You had gone up?
"Ans,oer. / think almost any mum.
Der would, because we would have at
lacked them on their flank and rear.
[ think twenty-five men would have
scared them off, for being in the woods.
and coming right out upon them they
would have thought there was some
thing terrific coming.
"Question. How many men had you
over there Edwards Ferry at the
time you wanted to go up to Balls
Bluff?
''Aasacer. think not over fourteen
men,"
General Stone says, (irst testimony:)
s'Now, here at Edwards Ferry is
Goose Greek, Indicating on the map)
Here is an intrenchment of the enemy
Oh the road to Lcesburg, and there is
intrenchment in there, Cndica-.
ing the places). This is wooded
ground along here, (above the ferry on
he Virginia side.) When this fire
heavily on our right in the
these troops of the left would
have gone up, as matter of course,
had it not been fully explained in the
that that was an impossibility
here being two entrenchments Of tie
enemy here armed with cannon. Il
vas known before that they were
here"
"Question. They could not 90 d..
'ectly up on account of these batteries?
"Answer. No, sir; and that was
,nown and explained to Col. Baker be-
ore he started"
"Question. What was the strength
,f those batteries?
"Ansaoer, They were within the
woods, and we could not tell what they
we're; they might be very week or
rery strong. All knew about them
vas that they were in the woods, and
hat they had open spaces for the guns
o play, and / knew there were three
,uns there"
Major Mix says, in answer to the
question:
"Qaestion. Were there any forti6-
cations between the two places that
would have obstructed you? lsit
"Ansacer. Yes, sir; there was an
'arthwork on hill, some three and
lalf feet wall, which did not amount
O much. Ii had not met that regi-
nent, it was my intention to gallop
trough that work. sH1
"Question Were there any guns in
t? s
"Answer. was informed by Gen.
.ral Stone that there was not. He
aid the same had been moved out a
lay or two before. / asked him if 1
.ould 90 through it, and he said / might
it was not held too strongly"
"Question. Would it have inpeded
mp there? Did he (Gene.
al Scetl) think it would?
"Ans,eer. No, sir; / do not think
/ did. s
"Ouestion. lie thonoht fhara were