The Strange Death of Colonel Edward Baker at the Battle of Ball's Bluff

relichound

Corporal
Joined
May 17, 2007
Location
Maryland...'bout 55 miles south of Gettysburg.
He was a US senator from Oregon, and friend of Abraham Lincoln, and Lincoln named one son after him.
He brought his Union regiment across the Potomac River near Leesburg, Va. in late 1861.
The night before the battle he had dined with the owners of nearby Maryland mansion "Annington",
and it is reported that he said that he might be one of those shot and killed in the next day's battle.
That is exactly what happened. Later 8 enemy bullets were found in his body. Later stories told of
his spirit seen again at Annington. One day, ages ago, wife and I met one of the owners at the time
of the current house, and asked her about those reports. She told us that some very strange things did
sometimes occur there, but she did not talk of ghosts! I think such talk is good for the tourist season.
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Balls Bluff was one of those Union fiascoes that occurred in the early days of the war that had several important consequences. What was conceived by George McClellan to be a minor reconnaissance across the Potomac near Leesburg, ended up being a larger crossing caused in part by miscommunication among officers leading the Union force that was commanded by Colonel Charles Stone. Union troops were routed and many were lost (including Senator Baker) in a bungled effort to retreat from the bluff and escape by boat across the river. The defeat led to the establishment of the Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War, McClellan tried to avoid responsibility for the failure, and Colonel Stone was imprisoned for six months although no charges were ever formally presented against him.
 
Yes, good, and jackt62 is right. I used to live not too far from Edward's Ferry, and other sites in
Maryland which were associated with the battle. I have also a CDV of Gen. Stone, who was the
US commander there, but he did not personally go to the battle site. Yes, he was imprisoned
for some time, by the US, but was never brought to trial.
 
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