The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-05
BALLS BLUFF.
NOW THE FEDERAL FORCES WE'RE
DEFEATED THERE AND DRIVEN
OVER THE BLUFF.

~. a. ShotwelI Confederate officer In tn
philadelphia Times, gives the following az
count Of the defeat Of the Union troops n
BalllFs Bluff and the death Of their gallar,
commander. Col. Baker, Of California
Col Eppa Hunton, of the Eighth Virginia
having deployed hs men along little lidp,
minutes after p. m. Sharp musketrv tIint
ensued and continued during the next tw,
hours. Here was the fatal mistake Of the ,la
on the Federal side In the long range dueIl,
the Confederates had all the advantage. s,
thin was their line that nearly every man coul,
have the shelter Of q tree or stump: whereas
their own shots could hardly miss the dense
line of blue coats. The Nirginians and Mssis
SlppianH being accustomed to the rifle. most
of them old hunters. rarely missed their man
Climbing into the tops of trees, creeping
Through the tall grass, or concealed in the
gullies, they piled their weapons with muir
derous havoc especially among the Federal
officers. II was very poor management to
n allow this TO go on Had Baker ordered n
couple OF regiments to sweep the woods he
would have cleared his path ofal these death
Htlnging hornets, and marched into Jersb1rp
The Federal position at this time was upon
the plateau OF the bluff. some GOO yards in
front Of the river, where there was n cleared
Held OF ten or twelve acres. with shallow
rnvlne, or hollow, running through the mid
die OF 1t. The artillery was planted to sweep
this clearing In front while the TANKS were
measurably protected by series of steep
hills and rocky ravines all overgrown with
SsSEubpy. SUuDIeu pines.
BY p. m. the last of the Federal troops
had crossed and We're drawn NJ into horse
shoe shape, with the point of the shoe front
4 ing the ten-aere cleared lot. six hundred
yards from the river bluf. But the loss in
officers had greatly crippled the effective
ness OF the force. Lieut.. Col. Wistar. Of the
First California, had been killed. and his re-
Eiment much shattered Furthermore, the
Oonfederates had been reinforced by the re-
lnainder Of the Seventeenth Mississinpi per-
haps six hundred muskets and the Eighteenth
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 he found,
war was new business Mt that date Men
could be seen crawling about. searching the
boxes OF the dead or borrowing cartridges of
their comrades, to get one more shot Col.
s hnt2 11a dispatched his adutant to say To-
do F. Fix bayonets and run EN- into the
riyerF' quoth ''Od Shanks'' dis regular
army soubriqueO, who had just taken
liquid reinforcement, equivalent to 10000
men. lt was time for some decisive measure
Tor Col Baker had ordered his right wing to
advance and flank the little ridge whence
came the rebel bullets.
Fortunately for the Confederates, at the
moment this movement began, there was
heard the pattering footsteps and jingling
uanteens Of the Eighteenth Mississippi do,l. |
ble-Quicking through the brush then wild |
terrpr-strfking yell; then the simultaneous
contents along the Federal left and centre |
The effect was electric The roar of this sud
den, binding, raking volley was like the
crack Of doom to the already demoralized
EedeIais. most OF whom were under fire for
the first time. A strange report ran along
the lines that Gen. Joe Johnston. with Io, 900
fresh men, had Just arrived. Col Baker him
self, remarked to an aid that he had
seen Johnston, mounted on a white horse.
riding In advance of his troops, reckoning
with his hand for them to advance Baker.
Col Cogswell, Major Harvey and others were
at the time working the battery, which had
been deserted by all save one or two officers
~ being plainly exposed to the deadly fire
Of the concealed sharp-shooters. The rned
6-pounder could not be used Seeing that the
crisis was come-the Confederates assuming
the offensive and closing upon him from
Inree sides, with the river at his back Gen.
Baker, whose only fault was inexperience
turned to the bayonet as the last feeble hope
CALLING to the nearest battalions, appealing to
their State pride. he begged, ordered, en-
them to advance. to charge! His voice,
rifle, could be heard even in the Confederate ,
ranks. urging, imploring his men to charge I
and save the day and themselves. Thus in ]
cited they began to move, but with that weak,
failure. Baker galloped to lead them, but
was instantly dismounted, the volley which
slew his superb steed wounding him also.
aSut without pausing he CALAMITY rushed for
ware ana was at the head of his men-the ,
place Tor brave General to die. If fall he q
must when beardless youth emptied five
barrels OF his revolver into him ut twenty {
PAGES. -Four OF the balls took effect. the first |
passing through his braini I
At this moment the hostile lines wore c
within stones throw, and both advancing g
The Federals, seeing the fall of their leader.
halted. Some soldiers seized Bakers body q
and ran with it rearward. This started the !
rest, and general retreat took place 9
though several brave fellows moved so slowly O
Inat hand- hand fights ragged along the whole
!ine during the next ten minutes. Many of ;
inc Southerners also stopped at the cannon !
which they wheeled around and endeavored I
20 fire upon their late owners, but could not q
succeed: Afterward one of the guns was !,
,ound to have the ball put In before Il
me POWDER very good reason for :
i iis REFUSAL mSa to explode when So !
enabled Col; Cogswell- in command to =
rally portion Of the survivors on the brow o
q the bluff but he was himself bleeding from q
! WOUND; Col; Devens was in like condition; u
Nh ~. Teglmental order was lost and the hud- 8
lnng OF the men on the hill rendered the a
fire, which was rapidly closing
u On al sides, SO much the more fatal Sud ..
Y tne seventeenth Mississippi came in q
~ Pc Ine hank with terrific volley and ended e'
me pattie Then ensued an awful spectacel a
4 klnu OF shlver ran through the huddled L
mass upon the brow Of the cliff: it gave V
~ay;, snsnsa lew steps; then in one wild
over the precipice! The descent is nearly G
with ragged, iutting crags, z
lhu wateT.hved base. Screams of pain and T
eft OF reason; they leaped over the bluff with W
nuskets still in their clutch, threw themselves X
nto the river without dvesting themselves Of nj
heir heavy accoutrements-henc went to the OF
,ottom like lead. Others sprang down mon Of
he heads and bayonets of those below. S
ray-haired private of the First California
vas found with his head smashed between
wo rocks by the heavy boots Of a ponderous n
Tammany" man, who had broken his own IL
leck by the fall The side of the bluff was n,
vorn smooth by the number sliding down. a,
All the afternoon a steady stream of f.
rounded men had been painfully working W
own the zigzag path which led to the mar w
Ow beach, where the boats touched to convey +
hem across to Harrison's Island. The large "
atteaax had already secured full load m