The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-04-26
BAKERS DEATH.

| Soioncl Eppa huhtOn, OF the tiSnth
Virginia, having dcploycd his men along
littl, ridge, advanced and engaged the Fed
erals few minutes after l. L. NJ. Sharp
muskctry firing cnsucd and continued dur
ing the next two hours. Here was the
fatal mistake Of the dav on the Federal side.
In the long-rangc ducllo the Confcdcrates
had all the advantage. So thin was their
line that nearly every man could have the
shelter of tree or stump; whereas their
own shots could hardly miss the dense line
of blue coats. The Virginians and Missis-
sippiaps being accustomed to the rifle, most
Of them cid hunters, rarely missed their
man. Climbing into the tops Of trees,
creeping through the tall grass, or con-
ccalcd i'll the gullies, they piled their wea-
pons With murderous havoc, especially
among the Federal officers 1t was very
poor management to allow this to 20 OH
| Had Baker ordered couple of regiments
to sweep the woods he would have cleared
his path of all these death singing hornets
and marched into Lcesburg. The Federal
position at this time was upon the plateau
of the buff, some six hundred yards in front
Of the river, where there was cleared field
of ten or twelve acres, with a shallow ra-
vino or hollow, running through the middle
of it. The artillery was planted to sweep
this clearing in front, while the Hanks were
mcasurably protected by series Of steep
little hills and rocky ravincs, all ovcrgrown
with scrubby, stuntcd pines.
BY 4 p. NJ. the last of the Federal troops
had crossed and were drawn up in horse
shoe shape, with the point of the shoe front,
ing the ten acre cleared lot 600 yards from
the river bluff. But the loss of officers had
greatly crippled the effectiveness Of the
force. Lieutenant Colonel Wistar, of the
First California, had been killed and his
regiment much shattered. Furthermore, the
Contcdcratcs had been reinforced by the re-
maindcr of the Seventeenth Mississippi,
Mississippi was within one mile, advancing
rapidly. Per contra, the Virginia regiment
had exhausted its ammunition, and no one
knew where the wagon trains could be
found ; war was Il new business ut that date.
Men could be seen crawling about, search
ing tho boxes of the dead or borrowing cart
ridges of their comradcs-to get one more
shot Col. IIunton dispatched his Adju
tant to say to Gcn. Evans: "NIy powder
is out; what shall do ?" elk bayonets
and run 'cm into the river! - quoth "Old
Shanks' (his regular army SouJriquct), who
had taken liquid reinforcement, cquiva-
lent to 10000 men. 1t was tho for some
decisive measure, for Col. Baker had or
dcrcd his right wing to advance and flank
the little ridge whence came the rebel bull
lets,
Fortunately for the Confcdcratcs, at the
| mo
beard the pattering footsteps and jingling
doublc.quicking through the brush then a
wild, demonstrating yell; then the stimuli
tancous crash of | 100 muskets, each hurl-
ing its lcadcn contents along the Federal
left and centre. The effect was electric
The roar of this sudden, binding, raking
vollcy was like the crack of doom to the
already dcmoralizcd Fcdcra!s, most of whom
were under fire for the first time! A strange
report rang along the lines that General Joe
Johnston, with 10000 fresh men, had lust
arrived. Colonel Baker, himself, remarked
to an aide that he had seen Johnston,
mounted on a white horse, riding in advance
of his troops, bcckonihg with his hand for
them to advance. Baker, Colonel Cogswcll
Major Harvey and others were at the time
working the battery, which had been dcscr-
ted by all save one or two otliccrs-it Icing
plainly exposed to the deadly fire of the
concealed sharp-shootcrs. The rAcd g.
FOUNDER could not be used. Seeing that
the crisis was comc--thc ConfcdcratcS as
suming the offensive and closing upon him
from three sides, with the river at his back
Gen. Baker, whose only fault was mex
pcrioncc, turned to the bayonct as the last
feeble hope. Calling to the nearest battal-
ions, appealing to their State pride, he beg
gcd, ordered, cntrcatcl them to advance, to
charge His voice, ringing above the muir
dcrous crack Of the rifle, could be heard
even i'll the Confederate ranks urging, i'm
ploring his men to charge and save the day
and themselves. Thus melted they began
to move, but i'll that weak, wavcring irrcso.
lutlon-a sure precursor of failure. Baker
gallopcd to lead them, but was instantly dis
mounted, the vollcy which slew his superb
stccd wounding him also But without
pausing he gallantly rushed forward and-
was at the head of his mcn--thc place for
brave general to die, if fall he must
when a bcardlcss youth cmpticd five barrels
Of his revolver into him at twenty PAGES.