The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-10-31

COLONEL E. D. BAKER, q. S. A., KILLED
BY SHAnPSHOCTER AT BALLS BLUFF.
wooded hills beyond the ravine com
handed the whole so perfectly that
should they be occupied by the enemy
he would be destroyed. and advised
an immediate advance Of the whole
| force TO occupy the hills. which were
not then. occupied by the enemy. !
! told him that the whole action must
be on our left and that we must oc-
cupy those hills No attention was
apparently paid to this advice. and
| Colonel Baker ordered me to take
| charge Of the artillery, but without
any definite instructions as to its
service.
about twenty minutes afterward
/ the hills on the left to which | had
| called attention were occupied by the
enemy's skirmishers. who Immediate
ly opened sharp fire on our left
Immediately directed the artillery to
open fire on those skilmishers."
"Atrocious Military Murder"
Bakers death threw the troops into
confusion by depriying them OF a
head just at trying time. His con
duct in rushing into the enemy's fire
4 was brave or rash according 20 ones
I ideas of the duty of a commander. 1t
! is an axiom that one bad general is
better than two good ones. AS soon
4 as Baker fell the other colonies for a
/ time acted each on his own hook with
| out concert or action.
Baker was a United States senator
from California. He had declined
commission as brigadier general and
had one as major general under con-
sideration at the time Of his death.
Congress called upon President Lin
coin to investigate the Balls Bluff
disaster, and when he declined to do
so it appointed the famous joint COM
mittee on the conduct of the war.
with instructions to investigate 1.-THE
most atrocious military murder in his
tory" About this time General Stone
came under a cloud in a manner not
connected with the battle Of Oct. 81,
secretary of war and confined in Fort
Lafayette, New York harbor. He was
examined Before the committee on the
conduct Of the war, but no charges
were preferred against him. He was
released after seven months imprison-
ment and subsequently restored to ac-
tive service under General Banks in
the west. After the war he became
noted as "Stone Pasha" in the army
of the khedive.
The Judgment of military men upon
Stones responsibility for Balls Bluff
was that he acted throughout the af-
fair under misrepresentation. He sup
posed another Federal division under
General g. a. Mccall. marching up the
Potomac on the Virginia side. was
pushing the Confederates back from
: the river south Of Balls Bluff and Cor
mans camp at Edwards Ferry: thai
the commander Of the army wished
e him to take Leesburg. point foul
q miles inland from the battlefield Of
s Balls Bluff. and that there were N
E Confederates in any force in that vi
cinity, as his scouts truthfully report
ed. But the Confederates could NOV
: on shorter lines They deceived Stone
7 subordinate German. at Edwards Fer
~, and Ignorance or negligence. PEI
, hans both. LED TO the disaster at BAN
$ Bluff. Baker had discretion III his q.
: ders from stoue TO call Deyens bacl
: from the Virginia shore or ra-enfo1e
! him there and 6ght. He chose :
!. fight.
s Strangely enough. che Confederst
:. leader at Bali's Bluff acted upon NJ
= own discretion in bringing on the bal
81 tie. He tocs the field without fn
!, knowledge II his sureriors for n
!. purpose OF covering Leesburg fror