New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-07


By a Union force. lhis latter post was INC head
quarters of BrgaCier Gen. Stone. Botweeu The
/ i've pots there flowed swift aud swollen Tlvef
Niih au island IN the channel nearer 20 tie Mary
md shore. On TIC Eeosblrg side oi the river. aud
within dav's march of that place, lay Gen Mccall
in command Of L. regiments, and who could ut any
moment march with ! GOO men. Now the wonder
liz. when Ieesburg was 10 be attacked, that the
duty should not lave been assigned to the division
OF Gen. Mccall, who lay vi b q competent force on
the same side of tue river and why il should have
been in.rusted - stone, VINO mad not only river
10 cToss but actually two rivers, before lie could
make tie attack. The inquiry To ibis blunder II
only eiim1lated by curiosity, would not be unnaiu-
| raj no time like this. Now, one possessing the
slightest enatterng Of military knowledge cannot
ail to observe that The river unbrdgei and uniord-
! a. ie il one of the most printable aud peIllOus
obstacles to "a military advance, If AT times not
wholly mpracticable Ii ordinary sources Of H.
formation are 10 be relied on nothing il to be go
much dreaded ard stunned at any cost a. the
passage in face Of the enemy, as m un-
/ bIidg-d and unfordable stream, and when at
tempted under these circumstances Il requires
lot only means If transportation to throw over a
force to the aJack, but sufficient means 10 bring 1t
back IN security and expeotiously IN care OF re-
pulse. I'm tbs case two rivers reemtd 10 have been
considered by orr commanding oiiccIsas very slight
ob-iaclcs 10 their pl ans Of atiackso slight, ind I'd,
that the divisions lying on the fighting eide Of the
river not brought into requ siion al al, not
even for the purpose Of defending the crossing ana
lauding or even TO cover the tunultuOus retreat.
No; but the whole expedition with all ito apparent
dangers, left to The trns-Potomsc division OF
Stone. The ing of the river, with their means
of transportation, occupied four day. The crossing
and landing PAGES had to be selected. The cross
ing place selected WIS one OF the most remarkable
things in self, as It conf,sfedly the most dan
aeruus that could be selected The landing place
was high bank OF clay some - feet abrupt aud
perrcrd.cnlar aud surnouned by a bluff Of 80
iooi TIE region around WAS tLckiy timbered.
Within miles Of the crossing was saw mill, Sc
lected within half mile OF the river IT, H. Be
tween the river aud RAILROAD beyond ian canal,
while all around there an Abundance OF timber,
round square and SAWED. We all know TO what
this timber might with little trouble, have been put
when We recOlect the material which CONF Osed Gen.
Baker's division, among whom were plenty of men
wLo could repair aud sill ship, aud build aud run
Il locomotive engine But this timber was
not the only means Of transportation within the
reach Of our General on the occasion. On
tie canal Of which speak, and which was 20 con-
iiguous % the river, there Heated large number OF
boais Of coi.si .eIable tuunaae-sO large II number
hat ia n day and q night boats enough for trans-
portafiou might have been procured 10 convey with
safety aud eXfeGtion all the troops and war NUM-
lions needed lor the expedition. Not only TIM mt
indeed al convenient distances there were facilities
adapted and intended for the transfer II the Joais
from the canal TO the river Notwitl standing all
this, and otNiths ndiug that Washington was only
thiuy-fX milcr ds ant by canal and notwithstanding
that timber aud boats were in abundance not one Of
tLese !. sources were brought into requisiiiOn. No
attempt Was made 10 throw over pontoons 10
sufficient RATS prepared, aud not "a boat taken
fiom tie many lille on the cenal, with The
misc able EXCEPTION to which | vii refer. Two
wee b., before the 9lsf an order bad been given 10
construct lyc boa's sud two scows ut Edwards
Ferry, on a point Of tie rver four miles below. /.
Time ii those bJais were brought from Edwards
l. "a f.f.l mo a.
were uscd IN the channel between the Maryland
sinre ald the island, and one Was used between tue
III and ana the bluf and Ia the chanDel Joy0ud was
one single row-boat. Ihese four boats, two IN
either elaunel constituted the whole means OF trans
totfafjrn ur1vi ed Tor tie expedition. These b0ar
have been called rcow., snd lave taken some
Mains To- learn precisely what thew were. They
were -ligai boats, made Of hemIocs, the stuil
not being more than one AMI hali inches
thick, AID about twenty feet IN length,
and of corresponding width. They had no
cars nor were there any means Of imrelling them.
Tie way 'hc brave were transferred to the fatal
shore on the ether roe was by pushing oil the boat,
or fcow above the pOin. of harding and allowing II
10 dr.it down The stfean--a ole pole dncting II
TO the desired NJ These Doais were each capable
81 conveying half company, h5ou ihirty live men,
the average line required to reach the island being
Of an hour leaving the hland 10 be
irAvercd and the other channel 10 be- crossei. The
llous. Will have some idea OF The npldiiy Of trans
- itaion aud will be prepared to do justice TO the
lamslied Baker, who 10 no more, when they call 70
mind that long tcfOre be bad command OF the eXlc'
i,iun Col Down wa ordered, the night before, 20
cross over four companies Of the 1assachusetis
IJh THIS the officer ia question commenced 10 do AT
lock in the morning, and II was sunrlse before ne
could take mp hir lue Of march, showing thar up /
" "A N An hour wa- necessary for the throwing over
Of company from The Maryland shore TO Balls Blum
Toker received orders al = o'clock in the morning,
and Immediately commenced hls progress without
wharf 10 land al, nor rope or hawseF To sfctch
across the river To hasten their croseing Neither
rove. hawser, or axe bad been provided Such Were
TIE combination Of Circumstance against him, that II
was not till If o'clock that they began to cross Then
tb r,bc fire commenced the slaughter ut the de,ach-
mont int landed and the boats on their slde began
10 ruli 20 the island with tie bleeding ana The slain,
and the ho-rirsl then began 10 I'LL with the dying and
tb, dead Bu, sill the crossing went on, I'LL 500
., en- arcordiug 10 stone, were thrown over. But OF
teso not more than 500 ever sw the field They lad
mud OF tie bluff dragging di-mOunted
cannon after ITEM before they could reach the Held,
vliei thew could not bnt have supposed would open
Ia ,he,n A tir fight A not scene II victory. But
tns difficult ascent led item 20 no field Of fair OF
eoual war bus t0a slaughter Ten-to u'ere trap, .
TO "A horrible Goigolha. the position IL tie enemy
was screened from view aim by th., growth OF
lin ser and T. this burial ground, m the boats one
~ or. brought them over, went mp The devoted ana
.fo,oeI tr,nding those tracks To tie hons den,
iii ,oiutpg in one direction, and slowing no re-
turning footprints Behind them rolled the river
rp.p aud broad, and which they were never TO
repa.s. Before th.m aud now surrounding them
ON every ride, giared their skuiking and
sheltered foe. Into the deadly trap they went
loo lew to remain, and too many TO come
back. II there bad been more Of them they might
have held their position, aud dispensed win means
tor rfo.,iuQ the river. II fewer, they nigh, have
e.cuued m the bodp; but there being seventeen
LnlirsJ, there was nothing for them but to stay and
pefi.h. Noby did they lulill their destiny. Their