Evening star., 1952-12-05
Footnote to History

We read George Kennedys article on
PooleSville. Md. with great interest. His
reference to Col Edward D. Baker, killed
in the battle of Balls Bluff, calls for
further elaboration and, perhaps, a cor
rection or two.
We have visited the Balls Bluff Ma
tional Cemetery, near Leesburg, several
times, the last time in August of this
year. Within its walled enclosure there
are. laid out in a sort of horseshoe
shaped arrangement, the graves of Is
Northern Army dead, all but one or two
OF the plain stone markers bearing the
wording Unknown" This cemetery is to
the left, at the end of gravel road
leading off us. 49, just north of Lees
burg. Across the road from the cemetery,
down IN the underbrush and somewhat
closer to the Potomac River, we found
the isolated grave with a headstone in
dicating there lies the body of Col. E. D.
Baker. Why this stone and, of course.
his body (unless, as Mr.. Kennedy writes,
this was taken back to Oregon) were not
within the walled enclosure, we cannot
imagine.
The cemetery itself we found we'll
cared for, and worth visiting, but we
believe some agency is most remiss in
that no visitor can gain the slightest
idea Of what occurred at Balls Bluff
from any plaque or marker there. There
was large, fine flag flying free from
a splendid pole centering the enclosure
To the west Of it. on grassy plot, were
the marked graves Of one or more CSA
dead.
On our last visit, on Sunday, there
were other visitors, and not one of us
knew Cor could there learn what this
national cemetery commemorated. A
local farmer, with fishing equipment,
came by on his way to the Potomac,
and volunteered information The story
Gas he related it, was that a bunch of
Northerners came up the bluff from
their river-crossing, and that all of
them were killed, the only Confederate
dead being young man over seven feet
tall. The NorthernerS always shot too
high, and so got this man more or less
by accident! Not one of us contradicted
him. But we left with the intention of
getting better informed.
This has been difficult. Authorities
seem to agree only on the date of the
44lSANC4AV dL Dali Dull, OCUOUCI q,
1861. The casualties vary from "the
invaders were slaughtered" (WPA Guide
to Virginia) to 449 killed and wounded
United States men STANDARD Diction-
ary of Factsr; and to 1000 killed,
wounded and made prisoners (New
Standard Encyclopedia out Of 1900
Federals. The last-named authority
states the CSA lost but $50 of their
5000 men; and the Standard Dictionary
of Facts gives the CSA loss as 800.
Most history books barely mention the
engagement.
However, we have learned good deal
about Col. Edward Dickinson Baker
Q811-186D. He was born in England,
a lawyer by profession and. after serving
, in the Illinois Legislature, he was the
Congressman who was Immediately sue
ceeded by Abraham Lincoln in their dis
trict and he had had the honor of in
PRODUCING President Lincoln to the as
semblage for Lincoln's first inaugural
address (from Emil Ludwig's Lincolnl.
Col. Baker. during the 1850s. was a
leader Of the California bar, and later
United States Senator from Oregon.
Ludwig records long and close friend
ship between Baker and Lincoln, and
tells of the Presidents grief on learning
of Bakers death.
An additional item of interest in con-
nection with Balls Bluff is found in
the Guide to Virginia: among the
wounded was a 20-year-old first lieu
tenant of the Goth Massachusetts,
Infantry, Oliver Wendell Holmes, after
ward Associate Justice of the United
States Supreme Court"
Frances Graham.
Editors note: Apparently some one
has removed the galvanized iron sign
telling of the Balls Bluff engagement
which was posted at the entrance of the
road leading to the cemetery. Such
sign was erected in 1928 by the Vir-
ginia State Conservation and Develop
ment Commission. AS for Col. Baker
military authorities say he was reburied
in San Francisco National Cemetery
Man With q Plan
Here is a plan that might work:
Arrange with Brazil. Australia. Canada
and other countries to receive all Korean