Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-13

were also a number OF fords in times OF
low water.
Gen. McCa!rs division was In the neigh
borhood of DranesviIle on the wash
ington and Leesburg pike about weise
miles east Of Leesburg. Mccall was
supposed to he pressing some Confederate
forces in that ne!ghborhood westward to.
ward Leesburg Gen. Stone was directed
by telegraphic order from Mcclellan to
keen lookout on Leesburg, and / the
operations Of Mccall were suc cessIu' IN
driving the enemy westward ne, tstohel
might make a demonstration which Would
aid the movement. 1t was that demon.
stration" that resulted in the pattie OF
Balls Bluff.
Scouts had reported an encampment OF
the Confederates at I.eesburg. on the
morning of October 81. Gen. stone W
dered Col Baker to cross from the MarS-
land side to Virginia at BANS ni9i,'
while Germans brigade crossed at ho-
wards ferry. .,,o
Gen. Evans was apprised of botn move
nents and leaving one regiment TO cne s
Germans advance, he moved with me
rema' nder Of his force OF ABOUT ''''' ~
oppose Bakers brigade.
II seems that at midnight OF OCTOBER
20 Col Charles Devens. with nve coli-
panies of the 18th MASSACHUSETTS Nes -,
ment, had crossed from Maryiano. ps
wav of Harrisons Island to Balls dun.
reached the highland and in the pig
c,ea RING near where the cemetery is now
had waited for dawn. Then so,hs Oh
to the bridge whence they could iook 70
I,eesburg they found that what Scouts
had reported as an encampnent OF the
enemy was a line OF trees ehat III oe'o"o'
mist had looked like tents.
Early in the morning Of the 21st other
narts of Bakers brigade were ferried
across teh intervening water to Balls
bluff. The water was high and swift
and the crossing slow and difficult Inc
guns and horses were put over. but the
horses could not be taken up the ouh
and the guns were hauled up by hand.
The Confederates began the attack at
about 1890 in the afternoon. The fight
ing became heavy at about or 3:5o,
about which time Col. Baker was killed.
and it was nearing dark when the Fed
erals were driven from the highland
down to the river, surrounded, and more
than TOO ca injured.
1t was Col. Fppa Hunton's reeiment
which opened the firing on the Federals,
and he has said that at the first fire
from his regiment nearly every man at
the Union guns was shot down. and so
up that there were onlv three DISCHARGES
of cannon after the first fire from the
Sth Virginia" 1t IS recorded that when
the cannoneers fell several officers loaded
and fired the guns. One of the incidents
was that gun in its recoil went over the
side of the steep land of the ravine and
was lost.
Col Cogswel1. who commanded the
Tammany Regiment and succeeded Baker
in command of the brigade. has written
that "the TRANSPORTATION of troops across
the two branches of the river was in
no way guarded or organized. There were
no guards at any of the landings. No
boat crews had been detailed and each
command as it arrived, was obliged to
organize It's own. No guns were placed
In position either on the Maryland side
or on the island to protect the passage.
although several pieces were disposahle.
The dispositions on the field were faulty,
according to my judgment"