Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-03-21
WAR HISTORY.

JUSTICE TO TIE hEhohi oR :, DN -
MIssIssIPpIAN-GEN.B BAKER AND Col
BURr.-In reference to the proposition
before Congress to erect statae to
Senator General Ed. d. Baker, OF llll.
nois, who commanded on the Federal
side. and was killed at Balls Bluff, a
writer in the Jackson (Mississippi) Ga
rion, signing his initials A. S. b. (Barks-
dale y relates the following interesting
incident connected with the death OF
that General:
"a statue of heroic size of the late
Senator General Edward ID. Baker.
And vet | doubt if an humble stone
marks the grave of the man who slew
him in hand to hand fight at the bat
tie of Leesburg. That man was Colo
mel Erasmus r. Burt, of the 18th Mis-
sissippi regiment.
Since Congress is about to erect a
statue of heroic size to the memory OF
Gen. Baker, | think it time justice
should be done, in at least very small
part, to the memory OF the heroic Coi.
Burt.
| am, perhaps, the only living man
who knows the facts attending the Kill
inc of Gen. Baker; and l beg a little
space in your paper to state them. AS
the battle waxed hot, Col Burt became
detached with part of his regiment
from the main body, and in very few
moments became engaged in what may
be termed a hand to hand fight with
the enemy. He was instantly shot
down and was borne to the rear by his
men. As is well shown, the Confede-
rate forces were victors and captured
many prisoners The company which
I commanded was detached to guard the
prisoners back to Leesburg, distance
of three or four miles from the battle
ground. On our way a very lntelil-
gent soldier belonging, as he sad, 10
Pennsylvania regiment, after Il Sood
deal Of conversation, suddenly asked,
"Who was that brave officer of yours
who galloped in on whte horse !!
Knowing that Colonel Burt was the
only officer in that part of the field who
rode a whiie horse, replied that 1t was
Colonel Burt, Of my regiment. The man
reioincd, lie killed General Baker.
"Iow do you know it 2 | asked.
81 saw him draw his pistol and fire.
and Immediately General Baker tel! and
was caught in the arms of some OF his
men. Then the officer who fired the
pistol was bid from sight by the strug-
Gle and saw nothing more OF HIM.
What became of him
"Ie was wounded and carried to the
rear
Il hope he will not die said the sol
der Il love a brave man, II he Is on
the other side
That night | visited Colonel Burt at
the house of Colonel Harrison i'll Lees
burg, and found him laboring under
good deal Of mental excitement grow
inc out of the events of the day, and
suffering at intervals intense pain from
a wound in the groin.
When for minute or two he was
comparatively free from pain, he gave
me this version of the affair and the part
he took in it:
"As we came up, it was apparent that
the enemy had taken position in the
woods Immediately in our front. 1he
only wav to reach them was to charge
ocross the open field. We did so under
fire the descending ground, as you no
doubt observed it to be, caused them TO
fire over our heads. As we were form
inc our line hastily in front of the enc
my, | suddenly discovered that they too
had advanced, and | found myself al
most within arms length of an officer
of high rank, as | supposed, from his
uniform. lie and the men surrounding
him were evidently little surprised, as
they did not fire until had time to dis
engage my pistol and tire at the officer,
but with what effect | do not know, as
was almost Immediately shot down
myself and blinded by the smoke.
| was about to relate what the sol
der had said to me, when the colonel
was seized with paroxysm and the
surgeon, who was present, forbade any
further conversation. The next day our
forces fell back about six miles TO Car
ters Mills. In a few days after-two
or three-Colonel Burt suddenly grew
worse and died, so that never saw him
again. lie died, therefore, without
knowing that it was Gen. Baker at
whom he had fired with bis pistol.
These are the facts us | saw and
heard them. may as well mention
that Colonel Burt's phue horse galiop-
ed, wounded, through our lines, and the
Colonel in a moment after was borne
back bleeding by his men. When, as
l supposed, fearing panic, he called
out, Never mind, my boys, press on,
you can whip them" ! did not myself
see the party with whom Colonel Burt
was engaged, as from my position they
were covered from sight by the under
growth. The soldier to whom | have
already alluded told me that immediate
" after the fall of General Baker the
men retreated in disorder. This, had
reason TO believe, was true, as in less
than one minute we, the left wing Of
Burt's regiment, re-occupied the precise
ground on which both Baker and Burt
had fallen, and there was no enemy to
be seen except such as were retreating
precipitately through the woods.
Virginia is about passing a resolution
looking to cooperation with Europeans
to build light house on the coast OF
I'll - - ...l,.o . - tho ,oap,nr1, ~ tho