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

Major Dimmick testi6es:
"Qssestion. When did you 60 up 10
this breastwork
~Ansscer. l went mp there We'd
uesday morning little before day, just
1t break of day. l think there were
men inside; we could see figures NOV
ing, but we could not tell whether they
were armrd or not. The. day before
during the skirmish, men were seen
there throwing up earth. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY very hastily constructed, nothing
but very simple earthwork running
across the road, perhaps forty PAGES
long.
"Question. Would you have con-
sidered that at that time any impedi-
ment to the march of infantry?
"Ans,cer. No. at all hardly more
than if you should turn this table upon
its side, and put some men behind it..
The boys were so anxious to go that
they would hardly wait for the order
70 CO."
Col. Tompkins testifes:
"Question. Were there any obsta-
stacles in the way of our going mp to
Balls Bluff?
"Ans,cer. None at all. No doubt we
would had to fight little on our way
up. But think by going up that way,
on that side we would have drawn
their attention toward us, aud engaged
them so that Col. Bakers forces would
have had an opportunity to have got a
better foothold than they had. He
had horribly bad place to cross there"
"Question. Did you see any batter
les, or anything of that kind, that
would have prevented your going up to
Balls Bluff?
sAnsoer. No, sir; did not. We
did not received any fire from any bat
teries."
Phillip Haynes testiies:
"Question. Are you acquainted
with the ground on the Virginia side be
tween Edwards Ferry and Balls Bluff
"Anssoer. Certainly, think ought
to be. l have been up and down there
great many times.
"Question. Is there any difficulty
in the way of men passing from Ed
wards Ferry to Balls Bluff on the Vir-
ginia side?
'.Ans,oer. / should think not.
"Qnestion. Are there any fortified
tons there that you know of?
sAns,cer. 1t was reported tina,
there was little embankment there
but the men would not require to g
within half a mile of that to 60 t.
Balls Bluff.
"Question. Were there any guns
mounted there?
"Ansper. l never heard of any,
"Question. There was no obstacle
to infantry marching right mp?
"Answer. None at all, except righ
on the bluff by the river. The land i,
rolling there as it is about Chain Bridge
but after you get from the river abou
An eighth of mile it is perfectly &C
cessible for infantry?"
General Stone says, Second exami
nation):
"Question. They have no guns tc
cannonade with except west of Lees
burg?
"Ansaoer. None at all that are il
position, nor have they had any time
According to the last information
which obtained, they had three felt
guns that moved from point to point
those field guns they move about"
How many were killed in battle
how many drowned in the relentless
river, will never be correctly known
suffice it to say our little force was de
stoyed. Why was this little band per
mitted to be destroyed by force little
more than double its numbers in pres
ence of forty thousand splendid troops!
Why were Mccall and Smith ordered
back at the very moment that Baker
was ordered to cross? If we wanted
Leesburg, Mccall could have taken i
without the loss of man, as his move
ment in mass had already caused it,
evacuation, and the enemy did not re
turn in force until after Mccall had re
treated. If we did not wish to cap
ture Leesburg, why did we cross a
all. Of what use is "slight demon
stsation," even, without results? Tbes'
are questions which the people will
ask, and no man can satisfactorily an
swer. Why were not reinforcement
sent from Edwards Ferry to Colone
Baker? The distance was only three
and half miles. We had fifteen hun
dred men across at two o'clock oil
Monday, and the UNIVERSAL concurren
testimony of officers and men is that
reinforcement of even one thousan
mcn-some say five hundred, and on
gallant Captain swears that with on
hundred men he could have strucl
them upon the flank, and changed tn
e.. result of the day. Why. say, wer
not these reinforcements sent? Ston
swears, as have already shown, tina
there were batteries between Edward
Ferry and Balls Bluff which woul
have utterly destroyed any force b
could have sent to Bakers relief, an
that Baker knew it, But Stone wa
not sustained by single witness ; o
the contrary, all swear that there wer
not, to their knowledge, and that the
did not believe there were any, and
civilian living upon the spot, and
the habit of passing over the groun
frequently, swears there were non
and again, Stone, when questioned
to the erection of forts under the rams
of his guns, upon his second examln
ton, swears positively that there is IL
q r.,c -ov - ..,,,., IL 1 .yo-Js Ear,v on