The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-06

LII, muzzles pointed toWalds '""
s"rrx From this latter place 'ne e"',s
Nod made feint the evening" W au
soth while he was quictiN ,@N'"e po,a.
vantage OF bend III ~ ~ riohf
'a" above and far TO ms I,sn'.
, n,.",, ,hIs noint the distance 10 Leespufg
,,ns n,ore than one and half miles snoltei
nm nom Edwards Ferry. Inc cons,
onence was that had the enemy no, yoc ~,
Lon discovered. his column wouiu nav" ,'
'Sr,,or hehind the Confederate postum "
$500 $500 ,hat nIace. and could have OCCUPIES,
IL, town without opposition. n Ecnvia'
. .n'arce Inv the front would nave tlcn
s a", Tho Confederates between TWO iItcs,'
,he result of which would have oeeh '"'"''
Tur ENENY's DESIGN.
oororal Evans. being at last sat'snea ol
~ enom,'s designs, proceeded WIN ~ ~
.',,,os, alacrity 10 thwart them. i ne I'sl.n
Ws.,,in,a Regiment, with only ABOUT iou.
,.sdr"d men. was hurried 20 the scene VI
au,io, lieutenant Mccarthy, WIN IVY
,,Seces was ordered 20 Join him' pu. suuh
was the density Of the undergone . ~
larger trees that he couid hOt loi i'.,o o''o
march of the infantry huhton NAV "
aa,ao attack upon the enemy's heaNy CO.
heIoe ~ suceeeded in repulsing them
nn' fndlne himself unequal to cope WIN
In their overwhelming numbers, nc
caIlad for reinfOrcements. me H'sn-
.onnth mississippi regiment, ABOUT siN
s,.,,Srod strong. soon arrived on tue heiu'
49, leader Colonel Burt, fell lhOftalil
$4,000 INST As the attack began. Inc
G,,ht Syas now becoming hotter ana hotteI'
and II soon became apparent that the enc
my's columns were stronger IMAM h"u u LII
M first supposed. The day was NOV W" '.iii
advanced, and the result Of the DaiVe sun
doubtful Al length It was ionnu no Si,,,'i
go, 40 seud M the seventeenth MISSISSIPPI
S'ijneut under Colonel Featherstone, VINO
aIso carried into the action about SIN nun
Jrod mon. This made the whole Cohieu-
erate force actually engaged, exclusive ",
tho rifles of DUFF and the troopers VINO nau
tirs, discovered the enemy. TO CONSIST Vi hos
moro than sixteen hundred infantry,
The arrival Of Featherstone, aiihOngh
ornortune. did not decide the pat
tle II was now getting towards SUNSET
and the enemy appeared sun 10 hu'u nl'
DositiOn. IL was "A moment Oh SERIOUS III
tercst 10 the C0nfederatcs. But one nioie
regiment was left TO decide iheir I",S,
ShonId il fail. all would be lost. Al length
Rartsdale's Thirteenth Mississippi, which
had been posted opposite Edwards ferr!
IN watch the enemy, was ordered to the sup
mort of FeatherstOne. lie was hurryihg 70
The scene of action. when about o'c!ocA T.
NJ tbe shouts of victory greeted the ears
e. ,ho Confederate forces. The enemy
had M last been defeated and were beng
driven nanic-strickcu over the bluils OF Tue
river. leaving behind them dead ana wound
ell their artillery and a large quantity oi
arms and accOuirements.
WHERE WERE TIE GUNS.
1t NAV now he asked where were the
guns of the HOWitIers, ana why We're 'hea
moi used i'm the memorable battle. IL WIN
be remembered that Lieutenant Met army
had not been able 10 conduct his TWO pieces
with the Eighteenth Mississippi Regiment
through the forest and underground henCS
he was ordered 10 take position III small
sold and he ready 10 open fire upon the
enemy i'm ease he should succeed IN driving
the COnfederates back. Fortunately inns
never became necessary. Lieutenant Iai-
mer with three pieces had been ordered 10
occuny the works Obstructing the road from
Edwards Ferry and TO "hOld them at all haZ-
aids; until further instructions. Although
constantly threatened by large force IN
front of their position, the enemy never AZ
tempted 10 carry 1t. Ii cahh0t Ne
said. however, that the guns Of tue How'll
Ter had been entirely without influence on
this trying occasion. General stone III hiS
official report. gives as a reason why he ana
not advance from the direction Of Edward
Ferry. that his scouts had discovered along
the crest Of the hill "masked batteries,
and not being aware Of their number or the
strength Of their supports, thought IL pfu-
dent not TO risk a movement IN that dllec-
lion while the fight was still in doubt. Had
no advanced. he would have found only
three small field pieces and their cannon
GERS, with a single company OF infantry, 10
defend road. the capture Of which must
have caused the inevitable defeat Of the
Confederate army.
AN INFANTRY FIGHT.
The truth is the battle at Balls Blum was
strictly an infantry fight. IL was fought en-
tirely in the woods and among rocks ana
cliffs, where artillery could not have been
used There was one narrow open space,
through which in the beginning OF the ac-
tion the fire from artillery might have been
made effective. But il would have been at
the risk of destroying friends as well as
foes. Had. however. General Evans been
aware of the intended movement OF the
enemy he might have prevented his cross
inc from Harrison's Island by secretly
placing in position one or two HOWiiZers,
and filling the woods with sharpsho0ters.
The enemy used no artillery that day eX-
cent by sending "A few shells from the OPP
posite side of the river. lie landed several
pieces on the Virginia side, but they were
not used. All his cann0neers but one were
shot, and i'm his retreat he left his guns 10
the yictors. One of his hOwitZers was
thrown over the blufi into the river. one
fine brass rifle piece and small mountain
howitZer were captured. The former was
now added to the howitzer battery, making
M the six 10 wkich it had been entitled
| All this time the company had been using
only five pieces.
In this hurried review Of one of the most
memorable actions of the war, 1t IS not u
be expected that full account Of its results
can be here given. 1t is sufficient L
add that the COnlederates killed, wounded
and captured almost as many OF the enemy
| as they had men engaged in the fight. lhi'
was an extremely interesting period IN The
history of the First Company H0witzers
For the present it may only be added tha'
their late worthy Captain had been pro
NOTED 10 the rank of colonel in command Of
| n camp OF instruction at the capital OF th'
| Confederacy. Soon after this the company
was re-organized. First Lieutenant Palmer
was unanimously elected captain, Leuten
ant Edward ;. Mccarthy promoted to mrs.
lieutenant, Lieutenant K. NJ. Anderson tC
Junior first, and Robert Armistead elected
second lieutenant.
| What occurred Immediately after the
victory at Balls Bluff, and the subsequent
history Of the first Howitzer company WI
| be reserved for further consideration. !.
Blaine as a Prophet.
| New York Herald
Tho Rpnuhlican marty once stood for free