New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-07-21

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CaPi. fh'Il ne: N ED with sieoce and repdiiy.
snf Zen sob Mas. schusert. Volunteers wiz IL immediately
rsvers's departure. occupy Harrson's Island With
sllei of Ms regiment, am ~l the four cared
b he taken the anc to tie point Of departure oil
% will he thrcwn occupy the nights
M yjrenis shore aer Col Deyens departure to cover has
retqro ~, h,;. ,o,. It'll Ia al m suo,.v nm ~. inv
pah aud The opposite side Of the island under the
orders Of Col Lee
Col ncyens will attack re Of the dsybreak
emo h.vng routed them will pursue them far as ne deems
prudent and will destroy the camp practicable before re-
turning.
He viii mike ell the obserys,i,ns possible the country
WILL uodsr all ciTcumstsuces keep bis command vel IN ha
aud not sacrifice them TO any supposed advantage oil ad
Having accomplished hi. duty Col Devens will return 70
his present po.iljop une he shall me Virginia
sae n.aer Il ryer which he an undoubtedly hold unit re-
enforced and which can De sncce 's,o hoiH ass
largely superior cqmGs :g SEE Br ri " roe General '
crest will be used by Col uevensto pieye. Wy Wv
Necessary injury Of p,ivs'e 70, cnyloy or ronder
" 1t &c CHARLES P stone. prissdier- General.
Hg.por.R1s FRS CoRPs or OBsyRv.TtoS}
EDwAnDss FsKRY. October q, l@l
CoIoxxL: In Of heavy 6ring IN fnrt Of hsiisoo
issud you vii so',nce IN" S5.T Ces L.. and DeTen
the vgi. side e the riTef at your a'cfe'0n'
Very T.specfnllr Colonel yonrs, most kindly
CHARLES STONE brls1dieT CoH'Hsnans'
Col. F.. d. BAKER Commanding Brigade
HEAperARTrps CoRPs OF OB'EBs,roS.
EpwARDs's FgaHy Oct. q, il:So
Coroy.L: am Informed ths, the force Of tie enemy Is
about 4OOO all told If yon push them yen DO 30 80
far 10 have strong position Lees6uIgh II
ke-p hem before avoiding their batteries they pass
ebars and inks se cum ,oa y1g hs S' o.s gb.
Coo Geek who're they can be Reinforced from Manassas
hsve position. Repr. equentlv so that when
thew are pushed Gom.n cqn come IL on their flank.
9 @WhRIES P. stone Big Cen Commanding
Col z. d. BAE2E. Com landing B1sade.
THUS it is shown that Col. Baker had reason to
e-,fc for f,e e.,oN-N re a
pushed upon their flank by Gen. German.
At 9 o'clock on Monday NOR ing Col Deyens
crossed the river uDou reconnaissance with 4uO
ren at Balls Bluff, opposite Harrison Island, rs
directed by Gen. Stone. AT day hight Col Baker
was ordered to cross 10 the support of Col Devens
have read his orders. One sc"w AID TWO small
boats were their only means OF transportation. Al
O'Clock on Monday morning the fight commenced
by Col Devens, and Col. Baker was placed in COM
mand. az is alleged with Discretionary orders. Col
b ker knew that Smith and Mccall were at Drnes-
vile, or within str king dstauce. that orr troops
were crossing ~ Edwards's Ferry or, IN other
words, that forty thousand eheciye men were
within twelve miles Of him, and that at least thirty
thousand were upon the Virginia side OF the Poto
mec and that in The nature Of things he mnst De re-
enforced. He did not know thst at lO3 o. N. OF
Monday or two and one-half honrs after Col. Devenf
commenced the fight, the divisions of Smith and
Mccall commenced their retreat, by the express Or
ders of Gen Mcclellan. lie knew that Col. Devens
was coniepding with greatly superior forces, and
Ike gallant soldier as he was he FASTENED 70 bis
relief with all the force be could cross with LIS IN
adequate means Of transportation.
Col Baker has been charged with imprudonce and
ra-hress; but neither the facts nor the testimony
support the charge. Instead of rashly or I'M
prudently advancing into tho enemy's ne,. rs was
alleged, be did not move ten rods from the Bun, ana
the Only sustaining witness 10 this charge wss one
officer who swore that he thought COL Baker iu-
prudentiy exposed him-elf to the enemy's bullets.
THE kind Of Iashness l. usually pardoned after the
deatn o. the perDe,raiOr. AZ 2Ociock r. M, Col.
Baker found himself in command OF about 800
men upon Ball. Buff including Devene's men ana
three guns. and the fighting commenced. The alter
natives fight aud conquer, surrender or be cap
tured. That noble band OF heroes aud their gallant
commander Understood these terrible alternatives ~
well upon that bloody field III we do now, and nobly
DID they vindcate their manhood. During all those
long hours from O'Clock o. until the early dusk
OF tie evening the gallant Baker continued the I'M
equal contest when lie fell pierced by three bullets
add instantly expired. council OF war war called
after The frightful 6eath.struggle over hIs eless
remains and for them d IL was decided that The
only chance Of escape was by cutting through the
enemy and r,achiog Edwar0ss Ferry, wlien was at
once decided upon; but while forming for tie der
perats encounter. the enemy rushed upon our little
ban d of heroes in overp0wering numbers, and the
rout WA perfect.
Col. DeveDs says:
"a, we we're akins Col Cogswel mp. and Il
sppeared 10 that he wa: the Officer eoted to take
he command Col togswell aid 10 ne: Col Dfvrns,
should think make eli ut to ca. o.r wey TO Edwadss
ierry tAst is the thing to be cone replied to hin,
had to Col Lee, that would take any orders Of bis"
capt Harvey Of Col Rskers staff his Adu,,n,. General
up and said ha, ne believed tha, Col Cogswe vas the
senior .er. Col. Cozswei strasgeT to knew
he wa. on the field bot he my senior or hi,,
question would noi determine there But, as Capt
Harvey sisted confidently Escaped u a. fact Tor
time dispute about ra'K HELD Of battle Ike
aid. Very well Whist are your ofeer'P think
through the ehrmys LEFT Edwsfd|s tefry, which Is
from and hall to hFee miles distant from where We
were"
Major John Nix 81 New-York Cavalry, Gays, in
answer TO the question:
" Wha, number o; would have driven Of The enemy
at Balls Blud II yOn bad gone up /"
Answer-I ihiuk anost an number would, bec,nse
world attacked them their hsnk sad rear mink
woods. aud Inog Hsni out upon them they "oHd nave
thought there ws' something terrhc coHiug' m,
QuestioD-ho~ men had You over there lfo
wards Feuy) the time you wanted to up TO Bsif'
Answer-I think not over 400 men"
Gen. Stoue rays fret testimony:
Now EdwaTas'- Ferry Goose Creet Indicstng
Oh the map lilo OIL inrenchmen. Of the enemy the
(nd eating the pacrs Thus wooded ground along here
above tie iey On TIE Nsio. sde. Wen this he con,
the e would have gone up asa Of course he'd not
biity there being htf-Dehn-n. the enemy here
armed with cannon 1t Wa known beforehand ths' they
thee"
Question They could not directly up Of
these ostterosl
no on anu tna was hDO"h tbu cfplained 10
Col. Baksr before LIE ssfted."
"Q1eaion-- WA, tie strength Of those batteresl
"Answ~r-1hey viii iu toe woods. and could
tell what they weie they GIT very weak very strong
All ABOUT IN that they were 10 the woodl aud
they bad spaces Tor the guns 10 play and knew
I there wele three g1us ibeie"
Major Mix ray1, la answer to the question:
Were there any of,heSiions between the two
places ih ( would have oDstTGceG Noaf
Answer-ies ar; there wa al eaIhwoIk on hill some
Q. feet wal. which did amount to moeb II had not net
that ueut II intention to calop through that wok
| "Quesfiob--W ere tneIe any guns IA II
"Auswel- iDOfmed u Gen. stone that there were
not lie ,ad tn. guns had been moved on, day two be
of. ssked mn could go through IT, and no ssid might
n 1t was no. held TOO strongly
"Qu.slivn- Would have impeded your going Up there
Did be- (Oen Son-) t5uk n wOodf
Anu M 4 d. not thnk ID did