Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-04-11
@0reester Dailg SPY.
THE DAILY SPY.



duct of the war concerning the affair at Balls
Bluff, begins with an account of the orders
for the movement that led to the battle 1t
appears that Gen. Stone was led to order
troops across the river by the following dis
patch from Gen. Mcclellan:
Received Oct. 20, 1861, from camp Griffin
Gen. Mcclellan desires me to inform you
that Gen Mccall occupied Drainsville yester
day, and is still there; will send out heavy
reconnoissances to-day in all directions from
that point. The General desires that YOU
keep good lookout upon Leesburg, to see
if this movement has the effect to drive them
away. Perhaps slight demonstration on
your part would have the effect to move
them. A. V. CoLBURN,
Assistant Adjutant General.
The orders to Col. Deyens to cross the riv-
er are given, and also an account of his
movement towards Leesburg, of the conflicts
that followed, and of the final operations and
defeat at Balls Bluff. An account is also
given of the crossing at Edwards Ferry; and
also an extract from the testimony of Gen.
Mccall showing that early Monday morning,
(the day Of the battle Of Balls Bluff he no.
titled Gen. Mcclellan that he had finished his
work at Dralnesville and was about to retire.
He says
SAT O'clock Monday morning l reported
to him (Gen. McClellan) that the engineers
whom had consulted reported to me that they
would finish their work IN two hours. [ sent
that express to Gen. Mcclellan at O'Clock,
and got his reply dated at o'clock, telling
4l1,,
l got his answer between and 10 o'clock.
ordered the troops then to be ready to move,
and as soon as the work was finished | re-
turned to my camp under orders"
The committees report says -
Both Gen. Mcclellan and Gen. Mccall tes-
tity that the movement to Drainesville was
for the purpose Of reconnoitering the country
i'll that direction. But Gen. Stone received
no intimation of the object of the movement.
On the contrary, the language of the dispatch
of Sunday might well lead him to believe
the movement had reference to driving the
enemy from Leesburg. The dispatch con-
tanned no intimation that Gen. Mccall was
soon to be withdrawn from Dranesvie
He directed ''to keep good lookout upon
Leesburg to see if this movement has the eff
feet to drive them (the enemy away. Per-
haps slight demonstration on your part
would have the effect to move them" Gen.
Stone made demonstrations both at Edwards
Ferry and at Balls Bluff, and promptly not
fled Gen. Mcclellan of what he had done. He
sent that information on Sunday night, and he
teStifes that he received no intimation from
Gen. Mcclellan as to what he should do,
whether to continue the demonstrations or
not; and received no intimation that Gen.
Mccall was not close at hand to come to his
1al,o | 90
night. 1t was a very general impression
among the officers and men at Edwards Fer
ry during Monday that Gen. Mccall would
come to their assistance; and Gen. Stone tes-
titles that he cautioned his artillery about
firing upon any troops that might show them
selves in that direction lest they might fire
upon our own forces.
In regard to the matter, Gen. Mcclellan
testifes as follows =
Q.-Do you remember whether, or not,
you informed him (Gen. Stone) of the with
drawal of Smith and Mccall to their former
positions?
Al think l did.
Gen. Stone, (Feb. 81, 1862 after stating
that, upon hearing of the death of Col. Baker,
he proceeded to Balls Bluff, where he learned
the full extent of the disaster, and at once de-
termined to withdraw the troops at Edwards
CRY, htolluSo tto lOiluhS
And then, knowing that | could go myself
quicker than anybody could send, turned
my horse and galloped down to withdraw my
troops at Edwards Ferry back to the Mary
land shore. | supposed at that time that |
had about 2500 men across the river; and the
reports had heard opposite Balls Bluff were
that the army had been largely reinforced,
and they were then about 10000 strong /
saw that there was great danger of German
being overwhelmed at Edwards Ferry. |
did not know whether Mccall would be there
to assist him or not l was in utter ignorance
in reference to him or his position.
at once commenced retiring my troops as
quietly but as rapidly as | could, taking the
precaution to have my artillery on the Mary
land side SO placed as to cover the troops on
the Virginia side. The ground on the Mary
land shore commands perfectly the ground on
the Virginia shore there, and it would be an
exceedingly dangerous thing for troops to adj
vance and attack any body of men on the Vir-
ginia shore, directly at Edwards Ferry, while
the Maryland shore was well held by artl-
lery.
The moment l had given the orders for the
retiring of those troops, reported by tele-
graph to Gen. Mcclellan, at Washington, that
we had met with a repulse on our right, but |
was doing the best could to secure the left
and to retrieve. | am not quite sure now
whether | telegraphed to Gen. Mcclellan be-
fore l went up to Harrison's Island, that Col.
Baker had been killed, or whether put it in
the same dispatch in which l informed linn of
the repulse.
Having sent that information to Gen. Nc
Clellan, L continued Withdrawing the troops,
watching carefully, SO as to use the artillery
for their protection, if necessary. After some
tme-l cannot tell how long, for one takes