George H. Gordon, From Brook Farm to Cedar Mountain

[76] front, down the cart-path, or nearly on its line,--and there, in the front of the left of his line, he fell riddled with bullets. So near was he to the Eighth Virginia Regiment, that Colonel Lee saw a tall officer step out to within ten paces and deliver with his pistol his fire at Colonel Baker's head; at the same time, from a squad, a volley of musketry was fired at him, when he fell to rise no more. As some of the Californians carried his body to the rear, Colonel Lee saw on the side of his head where the pistol-shot of the officer had taken effect. He was carried across the river into Maryland, as narrated, and we had passed the house which held his dead body. After the death of Colonel Baker, Colonel Lee conferred with Devens and Major Revere, and one or two other officers. What was to be done? There seemed to be no answer; so Colonel Lee, as commanding officer, took upon himself the responsibility, and gave orders to fall back upon the river shore, under the bluff. But at this moment Captain Hardy, the Assistant Adjutant-General of Colonel Baker, appeared with Colonel Cogswell. Colonel Cogswell, commanding a Tammany regiment of Baker's brigade, had managed to cross during the fight, and now, claiming to be the ranking officer among the survivors, directed an attempt to be made to open communication with Edward's Ferry. Colonel Lee instantly acceded, saying it was no time to discuss rank, that he would obey Colonel Cogswell's orders; and orders were then given to move by the left flank. About two hundred men — being portions of the Fifteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts regiments, and of the Fortysecond New York — obeyed the order; but when they arrived at the brink of the ravine they received a volley at short range from one of the Mississippi regiments in line on the opposite brink, and they fell back to the place from whence they started. And now the Eighth Virginia