The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-18

iollage OF the cedar cop>ct 1t was Dever.-
battaiion, advancing from the Potame~
But Captain Duff was no ''duffer.
speedily trotted his men TO the neare>t .. Is
in the path OF the invaders and Opened
ocorching fire, killing six and wound.
advantage OF shelter and his defensive 7,,-
tude.
RI EN- INTO II RIVER"
Colonel Devens, seeing = section Of a-~
lery coming Into town. tell back a sh9rt h.
lance into a skirt of timber, 10 await h..
structions and reinforcements. He
now joined by Colonel Lee, with four c,r.
panies but about the same tine two ,tra,.
companies Of MlssisSipplans came t. II,
rescue of Captain Duh, taking Deyen> M
the flank and compelling HIM To retire near,
Balls Bluff. Meanwhile General Star.
with the Nineteenth Massachusetts AL
other troops. had crossed the Potomac -.
Edwards ferry, just above the mouth a.
Goose Greek his apparent design beng >.
seize the bridge over the turnpike one mr-
above and oppose Evans return tnm
Drainesvilie Finding, however, the TL.r,
teenth Mississippi, a strong regiment Owbfh
he supposed a full brigade controntip,
him at the ferry, he FASTENED to send the
main body of his army 10 cross at Harrison
two and a halt miles above. This %coluu
which he styled the right wing was nov
given into command of Colonel +. D.. Baker
formerly United States States Senator from
Oregon.) 1t was composed of the Fifteenth
and Twentieth Massachusetts, the Frs
California, the 'Tammany" (New York
Regiment, and some unattached" con.
one 6-pound ritied-gun Intelligence d.
these proceedings reached Gen. Evans at an
early hour, and Col. Eppa Hunton with the
S,h Virginia, was sent at a rapid trot three
miles across the fields to drive back Deye.
Colonel Hunton, having deployed his men
along a little ridge, advanced and engaged
the Federals a few minutes after ! p. N
Sharp m~usketry firing ensued and continued
during the next two hours. Here was the
fatal mistake of the day on the Federal side
In the long range duello the Confederate,
had all the advantage. SO thin was then
line that nearly every man could have the
shelter of a tree or stump; whereas then
own shots could hardly miss the dense Inn,
OF blue coats. The Nirginians and Mi.si,s
ippians being accustomed to the rifle most
OF them old hunters, rarely missed their
man. Climbing into the tops OF tree,
creeping through the tall grass, or concealed
IN the gullies, they piled their weapons with
murderous havoc. especially among The
Federal officers. 1t was very poor manage
ment to allow this to 90 on. Had Bake
ordered a couple of regiments to SWEEP the
woods he would have cleared his path of all
these dcath-stinging hornets and marched
into Leesburg. The Federal position a,
this time was upon the plateau OF the bluff
some seven hundred yards In front Of ttf
river, where there was a cleared field OF TEL,
or twelve acres, with a shallow rayIne ar
hollow, running through the middle Of it
The artillery was planted to sweep thu
clearing in front, while the flank wer
measuraby protected by a series OF steel
little hills and rocky ~ravines, overgrown with
scrubby, stunted pines.
By 4 p. IN. the last of the Federal troop.
had crossed and were drawn up in hor>
shoe shape, with the point of the shoe iron.
ting the ten-acre cleared lot, six huudrc.
yards from the bluff. But the loss in oitIcea
had greatly crippled the effectiveness OF tn
force. Lieutenant Col. Wistar, OF tn
First California, had been killed, aud h>
regiment much shattered. Furthermore.
the Confederates had been reinforced by the
remainder of the seventeenth Mississlpp-
perhaps six hundred muskets, and the EIgi-
teenth Mississippi was within one mile, al
vanclng rapidly. Per contra the Virginia
regiment had exhausted its ammunition, aDa
no one knew where the wagon trains cou.
be found; war was a new business at tha
date. Men could be seen crawling about
searching the boxes Of the dead or bo.Io"
ing cartridges of their comrades-to get our
more shot. Colonel Hunton dispatched h-
adjutant to say to General Evans: N.
powder is out what shall | do 'fA
bayonets and run 'em into the river
quoth 'Old Shanks' This regular arm.
soubr'quet), who had just taken a liquid IL
Enforcement, equivalent to ten thousaAi
men. 1t was time for some decisive mea>uf
for Colonel Baker had ordered his T-.'
wing to advance and flank the little nsl'
whence came the rebel bullets.
Fortunately tor the Confederates, at IL.
moment this movement began, Their -
heard the pattering footsteps and %jlngIIa-
canteens Of the Eighteenth MISSISSIPPI"
double quicking through the brush then a
wild, terror striking yell then the slmu.
taneous crash Of 900 muskcts, each hut.iif5
It's leaden contents along the FedersI .g'