An account reached us to-day of a severe fight last Monday
(21st), at Leesburg — a Manassas fight in a small way. The Federals, under
General Stone, came in large force to the river; they crossed in the morning
8,000 or 10,000 strong, under command of Colonel Baker, late Senator from
Oregon. They came with all the pomp and circumstance of glorious war, and
rushed on as if to certain victory over our small force. “But when the sun set,
where were they?” They were flying back to Maryland, that her hills
might hide and her rocks shelter them. They crowded into their boats, on their
rafts; multitudes plunged into the water and swam over; any thing, any way,
that would bear them from “old Virginia's shore.” Our men were in hot pursuit,
firing upon them incessantly, until the blue waters of the Potomac ran red with
blood. It was a “famous victory,” as old Caspar would say, and I am thankful
enough for it; for if they come to kill us, we must kill or drive them back.
But it is dreadful to think of the dead and the dying, the widows and the
orphans. Mr. William Randolph, who brought us this account, says there were
between five and six hundred prisoners, a number of wounded, and 400 killed and
drowned—among them Colonel Baker killed. They had no business here on such an
errand; but who, with a human heart, does not feel a pang at the thought that each
one had somebody to grieve for him — somebody who will look long for the return
of each one of the four hundred! The account goes on to state with exultation,
that we lost but twenty-seven killed. There are but twenty-seven
bereaved households in the length and breadth of this Confederacy from this one
fight — a great disparity, and very few considering the violence of the fight;
but it is difficult to think with composure of the lacerated hearts in those
twenty-seven homes!
SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern Refugee,
During the War, p. 69-70
No comments:
Post a Comment