Trivia #21 Baker (10/21/2013)

[Trivia Master]

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What was so significant about Colonel Edward D. Baker's death at the Battle of Ball's Bluff?
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[adisciu9]

A close friend of Lincoln, he was the only sitting US Senator to be killed in battle

 

[Dbersh]

He was the only sitting United States Senator to be killed in the Amercan Civil War

 

[Eagle eye]

Col. & Senator Edward Baker was the only US Senator to be killed in battle & The rout prompted the establishment of a Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, which would grow into an influential investigative body of Congress.

Edit - I'm going to accept this answer, but I'm going to make an editorial comment.

The question asked what was significant about Baker's death. The preferred answer is the fact that he was the only US Senator killed in battle, as you stated.

It is also correct that the rout - i.e., the result of the battle - prompted the establishment of the Joint Committee, which was significant, also.

It's my opinion that the result of the battle - not the fact that Baker was killed there - is what prompted the establishment of the committee. If Baker had died but the Union had somehow rallied to win the Battle of Ball's Bluff, I don't think the committee would have been formed at that time.

However, as I move through this thread, I see that many players cited the Joint Committee as an answer to this question. Because the Joint Committee did, unquestionably, have significance, I will accept that answer, with misgivings.

Hoosier

 

[absolutfsu]

He predicted that he would die in an early battle, and wouldn't live through the war. When he was killed in the Battle of Ball's Bluff, he had earlier spoken with his law partner and said " "The officer who dies with his men will never be harshly judged". Not only that, but he was a popular senator, and a close friend of Lincoln's. So after the dealth of Baker and a horrific (and embarrassing) loss at the battle the government created the Joint Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War. It created many 'fights' in Washington itself on who to blame for the losses the Union had been taking.

Edit - I see no fewer than five different answers included here.

1. He predicted that he would die in an early battle and would not live through the war.
2. He made an observation about how an officer who dies with his men would be judged.
3. He was a senator.
4. He was a friend of Lincoln's.
5. The Joint Committee was created after Baker's death and the horrific and embarrassing loss of the battle.

That means I have to check and see if all five are correct answers to the question "What was so significant about Col. Baker's death at the Battle of Ball's Bluff?"

And I don't think the first one is correct. While Baker did make such a prediction, so did many other soldiers on both sides. Some of those predictions came true and some didn't. I don't think Baker's prediction can be considered more significant than any of the others.

So I'm not going to give credit for this answer.

I remind all players - if the question asks for only one answer, please, if you can possibly do so, limit your response to one answer.

Hoosier

 

[Cumpston1862]

Colonel Edward Baker was also a US Senator and is the only one ever killed in battle.

 

[AUG]

He was the only sitting senator to be killed in the Civil War

 

[hoosier]

Baker was a sitting U.S. Senator, the only such to be killed in the Civil War

 

[TerryB]

He was also a US senator, the only one killed in the war.

 

[Stony]

He predicted he would be killed in his first battle. And he was. He called his own death.

Edit - As indicated in post # 5, I don't feel that calling his own death was significant.

Hoosier

 

[Bob Owen]

He remains the only United States Senator ever killed in a battle.

 

[FrazierC]

He was a US senator.

 

[Nathanb1]

Only sitting senator killed. (Unfortunately, we can't nominate Louis T. for that honor)

 

[C.S.M 1861]

He was and is the only U.S. Senator killed in battle.

 

[stuart1861]

He was the only sitting senator to be killed in the Civil War, and his death led to the creation of the toughest congressional investigating committee in history—the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.

 

[GELongstreet]

It more or less led to the creation of the congressional jointe committee on the conduct of the war.

 

[Seduzal]

He was the only sitting US Senator to be killed in the Civil War.

 

[reading48]

He is the only United States Senator ever to be killed in Battle????

 

[ErnieMac]

The only sitting U.S. Senator to be killed in battle.

 

[101combatvet]

Baker was "the only United States senator ever to die in a military engagement."

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Senator_Killed_In_Battle.htm