The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-03-30
NEW NEWS or YESTERDAY
Story Of the Early Days Of the
Civil War.
Row Colonel Baker Appeared In unt4
form In the Senate just Before
Perishine In Battle ot
Bait's Blus.
BY E d EDWARDS

|
ators Of the Civil war years wa La
ts,ette 8, Foster Of Connecstcat. whf
died In 1850 when he Was seventy
fonr years OF age. All through the wal
he was chairman OF the Important
committees on foreign affairs, and was
frequently consulted by Lincoln. Elect
ed president pro tempore OF the senate
In 1865, he became acting vice-presi
dent when Johnson succeeded to the
presidency following Lincoln's death,
and had johnson also been assassina'
ted, as was originally planned. he thus
would have succeeded to the presi,
dsncy iM
In his later years, when he was q
Judge of the superior court of his ma
tive state, Mr.. Foster took great de-
light In narrating some OF his expert
ences when he was in the United
States senate; and one evening. after
he had adjourned court for the day.
he told me this story of Col. E. ID. Ba-
ker of Oregon, Lincoln's friend. who
was killed at the battle Of Balls Bluff
on October 81, 1S6l-a death that
caused Lincoln to shed tears publicly
and that sent a thrill of horror and in
! hignation throughout the north. .-so
| 1"Of course" said Judge Foster, we
who we're members OF the senate dur
ing the war saw much of military life
| and activity In and about the capitol.
The streets swarmed with evidences
of war. There constantly passed
through the corridors of the capitol
men In military uniform. officers and
privates. We early grew accustomed
to seeing soldiers in the galleries of
the senate. But only once. as | recoi-
lect It, were we brought into vivid per
sonal relations with the army Oh the
floor of the senate itself. And IT was
a senator who actually brought us into
this relation with our fighting force
Col. K. d. Baker OF Oregon.
II was member Of the senste-hav-
ing been elected thereto for the first
time in 1S54--when Baker took his
seat from the young state of Oregon.
From the day that he made his first
appearance in, that body until the day
of his death | took a greater interest
in him than | did in any other seHa-
tor. WAS first attracted to him by
certain simple dignity of personal
appearance which he possessed. and |
soon conceived tie opinion, mistaken
to this day, that he was the peer,
physically and in intellectual powers.
of any member of the senate In which
a Nat mir for
him led to a rather close intimacy be.
tween US.
Well, there came 8 day, In the late
autumn Of 1861, when Senator Baker
startled us all by appearing at his desk
In the service uniform OF colonel of
volunteers. We knew that he had com
manded a brigade al Cerro Gordo. in
the Mexican war. and because OF his
record in that conflict, had been com
missioned a colonel OF volunteer regi-
ment lately raised In the east; but
none OF us, apparently. had anticipated
his appearing at his desk In the SEN
ate III uniform. So We were taken
aback and made him the center of un-
disguised observation. And / must
say II was an impressive sight--a
United States senator, arrayed as for
war, seated quietly at his desk In the
pursuance Of his duties as lawmaker
AS soon as | conveniently could do
SO, went over TO Colonel Bakers side.
He had noticed the unusual interest
taken In him by his colleagues, and,
without waiting for Inc TO question
him. smilingly volunteered the infor-
nation that he had received orders to
take his regiment up the Potomac to
place near Edwards Ferry, prepared
to prevent the crossing of the river by
the enemy. I found | would not have
time to don my uniform after leaving
the chamber, he said. and SO came
here arrayed in it, ! have little
business to transact, and then | leave
Immediately with my command
For a moment. then, he was
thoughtful. 1 don't know he added,
looking UP at me-and his face was as
serene as an Italian sky--'why we are
going. / have grave doubts about the
wisdom of the movement. But we are
going And | am TO command
That was all, but Immediately the
feeling flashed over me that Colonel
Baker felt he had been called upon to
lead forlorn hope. The next mo-
ment found myself thinking that,
though Baker knew It, he was letting
his sense OF duty oyershadow his
doubts. and would die in the effort to
execute the orders Of his superiors, IL !
need be. And 1t WAS with the feeling
that | probably would never see him
alive again that ]. In company with the
other senators present. bade him good
by and wished him success. !. can, see
him now, In memory, as, with firm
military tread, he went along the !
aisle and through the. senate doors
and out OF our gaze.
Two days later, | think II Was. we
learned that Colonel Baker mad been |
killed, together with a majority OF his /
command, at Balls Blum
Copyright 1910, by E ,. Edwards All |
Rights Reseryed)
Tn. I,arkv Man.