The National tribune., 1892-09-15

Escaping FROM THE BLUFF.
the bosIs, crowded in, overlooking the boats,
which ,.,i.l to the bottom; the troops plung-
ing inia the water. getting across the best
they could. Col Devens succeeding in SWIM
ing to the Maryland shore.
Meana lille the Confederates continued the
FIRE from, the bluffs. The battle was practi
cally les before it was begun. In fact it
never saght to have been begun. That it
was a gieat bluuder in attempting to cross
the rivtr at this point with the meager
facilitifs at hand no one will deny. When
1t cone iaed II hours in crossing 800 men
under ayorable circumstances, what neces
sarily culd be the consequence under un-
fayorahe circumstances? The whole affair
was / ast certainly conceived in sim"
Peter :; vie, Major in the Tammany regi-
nent. and since the war has filled the Office
Of SAe.iif of New York for two terms
superin:ended the crossing.
Col Baker at this time was United States
Senator tom Oregon, aud is the only man who
ever oc'-i; ;aied seat In that august body that
wore the uniform of an officer; in fact, it was
rather 4 novel sight to see Senator with Colo
nel's sipnlderstraps addressing the several etfi-
GERS in command Of the troops.
The Cn,.,nel was the most finished orator in
the land IN his day, and a very close friend of
the President. He took prominent part IN the
famous Lincoln-Douglas campaign in Illinois.
Col i3sker's body was buried IN the Congress
sionaI cemetery, where it remained until the
latter l.ait of November, when ii was exhumed
and TAX TO New York and put on board the
steampr Northern Light that sailed for San
Franz via Panama, and was finally buried
I'm O#l a,sd Cal. where a massive monument
was eTrr.e,l to bis memory which
Tells THE STORY OF HIS PATRIOTISM.
Bak. lass was. killed, 40; wounded. 160;
missin 74i. The missing were mostly pris-
oners: sbiy % were drowned.
The ,ii;edcrate loss was killed, 10; wounded,
I20; iti~siuz. two.
The Caiifederates had about 5000 troops
engage insisting Of the following regiments
of Ger Z. ans. command: 13th 18th, 18th, and
21st sii sh Va, Cd Va. Cav. -four com panies),
Richnpiri Gowitzers, Ashby's cavalry de-
tachmrn;-
Col Bar. Of the 18th Miss. was killed. Our
loss fer iiacipaiy on the 18th and Goth Mass,
and Col i3aker's California regiment (7lst Pa
The Iamnany regiment lost heavily, but their
loss wa mostly in prisoners.
The s'lle Of Balls Bluff created great ex-
citemeat aud Indignation at the North. The
battle q Rall Run, just three months previous
had becf lost by a
c0a8INATIoN OF CIRCUMSTANCES
that se.,.. at the time to be beyond the con-
troll OF i,nan agencies. But the disaster of
Balls Z; '.a was the straw that broke the cam
els bsrk The second disaster within sight Of
Che dagtg OF the Capitol was more than the
patient people of the North could stand, and,
of coursr. the Administration must share its
part of The responsibility. The Democratic
party II the North was somewhat tardy in
giving the President their support, yet quite a
numb-r of individual members Of that party
had sir-ady offered their services to the Ex-
ecutye to assist in suppressing the rebellion
Tanmary Hall, the most conspicuous Demo-
cratic ,ciefy in the Nsrth, threw themselves
In the hr .ch by equipping full regiment and
oferi8- themselves TO the Government which
was gia.iy accepted and immediately sent to
the trout the Potomac. But when a few
months lster that same regiment the 42d n.
Y was almost annihilated at Balls Bluff, then
That party, through their press, declared
it was lac apparent policy of the Administra-
tion 10 get rid OF the Democratic party by plac-
ing thein where they woEld all get killed or
drowned
So slrong was the feeling in the East that
Senator Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts,, the
State t!3at lost the greatest number of troops in
seat in he Senate Chamber in December, 1861.
which somewhat reflected on Gen. Stones
action. which statement brought forth a Wig
orous reply from Gen. Stone, in which he was
not past tieuiariy emplimcntary to the grave
Senators.
On tic assembling Of Congress in December.
1851,
CONGRESSMAN ROSCOE coSKLING,
one of tl'c rising statesmen of that day, offered
resolution requesting the Secretary of War
90 communicate 10 the House what steps ad
been taken TO learn who was respousi ible for
the disaster at Balls Bluff.
in answer, the Secretary stated Gen. Nc
Clellan WAS IN command. ani he (McClellan)
was Of ;ae opinion the inquiry was not bene-
fetal 10 the public good.
This answer somewhat rnfied the Excelsior
Statesman. who declared the Secretary's answer
egasive. and he offered further resolution
calling for more satisfactory answer stating
that Oh the same side of the river as Leesbure
was Ger. McCalps Division of $4,000 troop,
within 10 hours march, and neither river no,
mountain 10 cross Why was not this force al
lowed 10 attack Leesburg in place of handfu
Of men being sent across treacherous stream
1u two cd fatboats,
WITH 80 POSSIBLE MEANS OF RETREAT?
The President came to the rescue and assumed
the responsibility Of Withholding the informa
hao. S~'Se -oi- AZ eHe mcdnilue SeD. DC
Clellan visited the scene of the disaster an,
reported that Gen. Stone was not to blame Il
january, lcb2, Gen. Stone appeared before til
Committee on the Conduct of the War. piyiu
q acomplete history of the affair, which SCENE
70 be very fun and satisfactory. Coils T. "
lander Isaac j. Wistar, Charles Devens an
James ii. Van Allen. ali of whom were in th
battle, testified before the Committee to Ger
Stones ability, integrity and loyalty on all OF
casoBs, expressing full confidence In Ger
Stone.
Several Lieutenants who had recently joine
tbe army were also summoned before the Com