The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-29
MEN Of VIRGINIA
At BALLS BLUFF
sContinuation Of Major Hunters
Story AS to Work OF the
l Virginians.
.DoINGs OF HUNTERS Err MEN
lGeneral Hunters Claim to Honor
Of "Hero Of Balls Bluff Cannot
Be Disputed.
.,,tor Tin,es-Dlspntch:

~ BE DlSpuleu'
s;Editor TimesD Dispatch:
fyS Sir.-In my first chapter on the battle
.of Balls Bluff--fousht on the 2lst OF
tDctober, 1s6l--which appeared IN your
Mssue of last Sunday, closed with Hun-
tton and his Eighth Virginia Regiment
looming at double-quick into the battle.
1.-THE concluding chapter which WI ap-
hoear next week, will correct certain err
jroneous statements of recent northern
tpapers as to the numbers engaged on
four side, and contain other interesting
Encidents of tho battle, and the remark
liable results which followed 1t at the
fNorth. continue. the story here where
! ,l' r. w. HUNTER.
II II.
Then came the tug of the battle.
1Colonel Baker had now arrived with the
!, rest Of his brigade, making in all about
"a 900 men, with two howitzors and one
rifle cannon.
"Colonel Hunton," says Colonel White,
s.moved forward into the heavy timber,
where Colonel Jenifer's fight had left the
Federals The battle opened again Sc
verely, the Eighth Virginia fighting
straight ahead. with Jenifcr's force COW
ering their left, which gave them oppor-
tunity for aggressive hnttle, although but
one to three. with no artillery to answer
Bakers salutes The firing was rapid
and the fighting stubborn the Fcderals
standing up to their work wei, giving
K and receiving bloody blows with high
courage; but Notwithstanding their SUI
periority of force. amply sufficient to
have swept the Confederatcs from the
field at one rushing charge. they failed
for lack of n proper leader, the result
proving that Baker was as inferior to
1Iunton In skill and promptness on the
battle line as was Stone or Evans IN
general conduct Of the field operations"
H'HD KEY OF TIE BATTLE-F1ELD.
Devens, with tho Fifteenth Massachu-
Sets. was holding on hard along ridge.
nt the edge of the woods which faced
an open field of about ten acres in area
in front Of the Bluff, looking towards
Leesburg. Realizing, with the quick eye
of soldier, that this ridge was the key
of the situation. Iunton assaed DcVens
aeft with a vigor that caused him to
retire into the open field. where Baker
was forming his line of battle. Selling
the abandoned ridge, the Eighth ReCl-
ment poured an .!ncessant ana dostruc-
tive fire into the enemy. which killed
and disabled their artilerists so rapidly
that, as Hunton says In his report, "thcre
were only three discharges of cannon
after the first fire from the Eighth" In
rear OF the ridge the ground sopcd down
Fanto the woods. affording cover from
the enemy's fire. and thus enabling
Hunton's men to play havoc with the
foe. with comparatively slight loss to
them. When Baker advanccd---as he did
several tmcs-olr men rallied 10 the
ridge, and With steady aim depleted his
ranks and drove him back TO the woods
lskirting the river For four hours, with
no other aid than Jenkins small COM
fmand, Hunton had been lighting, repuls-
I ing and holding ut bay Bakers largely
superior force, His ammunition was
nearly gone, and his mon suffering cx-
l,cessive fatigue. al they had not been
of the staunchcst type the strain would
\ have been too great, Against such heavy
odds, with ammunition and men nearly
exhausted Hunton had done all that was
I possible at this time and he sent Lieut.
I Col. Norborne Berkeley White to Evans
/, several times for rclnforcemcnts and
| ammunition, but got no other response
( than TELL Hunton TO hold on"
AS German was making no aggressive
Z movement from Edwards Ferry, Evcns
4 concluded that no could safely spare a
part OF tho force he had been holding n
Fort Evans, and when lIunton's mes
sengers came again, with a still more
I urgent message, "Eycns, evidently mind
full of Bcauregard's instruction TO make
"a desperate stand said TO them, Tell
i Hunton 10 hold On ill every d---n man
falls. ! have sent him the Eighteenth,
and VIII send him the Seventeenth
When White joined Hunton, Colonel Burt
had reached the field, and taken position
about two hundred yards to the right of
and In line with the Eighth Virginia.