The San Francisco call., 1898-06-26

(tWo guns), rode slowly along the river bank. As we progressed he told me that in view of any crossing we might attempt if we ever should (So discreet is a good commander he would show me minutely every feature of the land on both the Maryland and the Virginia sides, the r-ver itself and the long islan1 little down stream known as Harrison's Island, and which divided the river into two unequal parts. He was so explicit as to how each detail was to be carried out that it was im- pressed even on my green mind that something was going to happen in a short time. At a certain point he showed me the exact. place to embark our guns and we did embark them there on the morrow. He seemed uneasy and though saying that all needful boats would be on hand the event proved that that was the precise reason for his un- easiness, for the boats never came at all
 The general left me at our camp on our return and ordered that all the men be kept within camp limits, whereby knew something was going to happen at once. And we were not surprised when two companies of Massachusetts Volunteers marched to the river during the night, nor at the lively fusillade We heard an hour or so later after Captain Philbrick drove the enemy's pickets in and pushed them rapidly up to Lees burg. There endorsements forced Philbrick back slowly. He fought coolly and resisted stubbornly to gain time, availing himself of timber and hillocks to make repeated stands, so that when he was forced quite back to the river he found enough men of the Sixteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Massachu- SettS, Bakers California Regiment and Cogswell's Tammany (New York) Regi- ment to hold the position. These troops had been steadily poured into the place branch of the river landing at the foot of the precipitous, thickly wooded bluff called Balls Bluff.
 Up this infantry scrambled, until, be- fore noon, about 1900 troops were in a well chosen and we'll occupied position, awaiting the arrival of General Baker With the first of the main body of the infantry went gallant young Lieuten- ant French of the regular artillery with his two mountain howitzers. General Stone crossed with one or more bri- gades at Edwards ferry. some four or five miles further down the stream.
 Soon, strong attack was made by the enemy under the command of the veteran general, "Shanks" Evans, rein forced by troops from Leesburg. The fighting, though in the woods, was very hot
 During the morning an orderly reach ed us with orders to report at once to General Baker at the crossing place on the Maryland side, and we were soon there. The scene was intensely excit- iIfg. The one solitary scow was mak- ing slow trips carrying loads of eager infantry over toward Virginia and bringing back loads of wounded and dead soldiers.
 Colonel Baker, though outwardly calm, and giving impromptu orders with the steady coolneSs of the old sol dier and frontiersman, was inward ly raging, for the fight across the river on the bluff was growine hotter and hotter He saw that the wounded were accommodating faster than reinforce ments could replace them, that Evans was receiving heavy endorsements, and that he, Baker, was on the wrong side of the river for a commanding general who meant to fight. Calling the artillery officers he ordered the guns to cross before any more infantry for word came that French was wounded seriously as were most of his men who were not killed outright, and the two mounted howitzers had stopped barking.
 Discovering that I was ranking first lieutenant, he gave me the charge of embarking the artillery and went him. self over to the battle. Upon arriving at the foot of the bluff, 1t was found so steep that we dismounted the one gun and pulled, pushed, slided and somehow got 1t to the top of the bluff.
 There was a Hull in the volley firing, though a steady crack of sharpshoot- CTS guns from behind trees and out of their tops denoted that the Mississippi riflemen who had been placed there to pick off our officers were doing their work. Baker, cool, collected, but with eyes of flame, was everywhere. His was a notable figure, tall though rather portly, but erect and soldierly. His uni- form sat well upon his manly form and distinguished him from the volunteer officers, who seemed out of place in the misfit clothes. His bright color and beautiful white hair made him con- spicuous mark for the Mississippians' fire as well as for the loving recognition of his beloved Californians and all of his brigade.
 But his mind was calm and clear, his ~o.oonf{ny, 4uatarfa a f1aOIIS and accurate