The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-10
INCIDENTS O IHE
BAIL S BLUFF 1 If |! l
sRecollections Of One Of the Brave.
Fighters Who Was Right
There. II

"a II
Editor Of The Times Dispat ch:
sir,-As everything connected With OUT
Confederate history, relating to siegess
ana battles, Is Interesting to our South
etfi people; i will give one or two Incl
dents connected with the battle OF Lees
7 burg {Balls Bluff of which much mas
been written la tely ifls your columns IN
your issue 81 TIE istfs OF May, d908, Coll
I of,el d. v.Whlte, 81. sesbufg 90 ys that
General Evans ~ Ito co rand ed the sGon-
federate forces on the day Of the pate
III sight OF the fighting on that day. Gem
eral Evans made his ilead quarters. during
the the roaa to Edwards Ferry, where secs
ton No. OF the Richmond Howitzers
was stationed, which was not more tfan
ohe-half or three quarters OF q sfnis iro ~
where the ,battle.was fought, obscured, "
is',true, by the dense woods, which prs.
vented the use Of our. artillery on tlnt
day, but III full view Of where the fierce
conflict was being waged upon and AROUND
a small field OF not MANY cres, bounded
OH three sides by woods and the Poto.
mac River on the other. 4,
General Evans gave utterailce to many
expressions that day which made deep
Impression on me ut the time and have
remained III my memory ever slice, one
Of which was: 9.I,l whip the Yankees to-
day, or the Lord don't love me This
l%as said after he Ind put three regi-
snents In battle and was then sending
mi order to tho colonel Of his only re-
maining regiment which was guarding
Edwards s Ferry, to move to the scene OF
battle, following the second line. so hs
to strike the Yankee force on Its left fiahR.
In removing this regiment he was using
tho last man he had to put III the fight
md It was necessary that he conquer
I. t-sa f.r,H,t1
retreat II the battle went against him.
heard this expression, heard tho ore
der for the regiment last spoken OF to go
to our hard -pressed men in 4 tho fighsE
then raging and I waited with eAgerntss
to see what would be tho effect OF this
new arrival upon the fortunes OF the day.
AS this regiment-f think, Barksdale's
Ariss!ssippi-opened fire, the fresh peals
Of musketry, added to the fierce fire OF
the Confederates already engaged mado
d sound OF battle hardly less terrific than
that we heard at Manassas three months
before The effect was almost instantly
seen. The Yankees broke and fed pre-
jumping down the high banks, were iti-
jjured others. At tempting to- swim to an
island, were drowned, and victory was
won by Evans and lie saved a fair town
-Leesburg from capture and Its attend
ant Ills. Whether the resultSo OF that bat
tie made General Evans think the Lord
loved him. this ritter knoWeth rot.S8s
s3if saw y. K. Weisiger, OF the Chester
field Troop, when he brought word from
either Captain Bail or Colotiel Hunton,
/ OF the need OF reinforcemonts, and It may
have been ut that time thnt General
Evans mDdc use OF the remnrk hereto
fore mentioned ! saw Sam ..Vadehs n Of
Stfe same troop, go as courier to carry
this message. and he never returned. Us
he was captured near Edwards's Ferry
Another, having been sent with the same
order, was ts5 more fortunat tie. General
Evans, as remember him, was d tall
blonde man and was called by the COM
mon soldiers IL 'shanlks.!l He was brave
and had btcn distinguished at the Mnnas-
being near him possibly other Howit-
those about him his courcra and pr-
Yates as we'll, II they could see the limo
OF Barksdale 8 regiment, as 1t was NOV
Ing to the contest; II they could tell ex-
&actly sthe position there being heavy
woods along the banks OF the river, your
humble servant slid he Thought" he
could see the mon moving General Evans
replied "You mustn't think. Go and
%see'' IA 81
1t was a great flght--bne Of the most
important ana interesting, considering
the small number OF men engaged on
either side, that occurred during the en-
2 tire war. s,tf r. G. GOLDEN.
June, 1000. rs II; E
efSt.'kG
Quay has been dead two years, yet
Pennsylvania has not succeedeH III rid 1
tkyt1P ~ qua xyic,,,a Iloo1,