Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 1.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[413] was on the point of breaking. On the Confederate right the Eighteenth Mississippi had commenced the action, and threatened the left flank of the Federals. The latter had found some shelter in a narrow edge of wood, which, skirting the forest to the southward, prolonged it for a distance of about one hundred metres; the open space between them also separated the combatants.

Baker was killed at four o'clock; the Federals were evidently beaten. Colonel Cogswell, upon whom the command devolved, tried to extricate them by falling back with his left upon Edward's Ferry along the river, where he would have found reinforcements. But just as he was stripping his right for the purpose of effecting this movement the soldiers who occupied the piece of wood on the left imprudently came out; a well-sustained fire threw them into confusion, and the Confederates took advantage of their disorderly condition to seize the position they vacated. All retreat was now cut off on that side. Only a handful of men continued to offer any resistance at the top of the acclivity, which their comrades were descending in great haste. A final charge of the Eighth Virginia drove them, in turn, into that abyss, where further struggle was impossible. One of the cannon, which was flung from the summit of the cliff, rolled down to the water's edge and was broken in pieces. The battle was ended. The Confederates had nothing to do but to complete their victory by firing upon opponents who were no longer able to retaliate. The crowd of fugitives clung to the brushwood which covered the acclivities of Ball's Bluff, and, finding no shelter, sought their last chance of safety in the only boat which remained moored to the shore. The other two, which were filled with wounded men, were already far off, and being overloaded, as is always the case under such circumstances, soon sank with all those who were congratulating themselves upon having been able to get on board. A large number of officers and soldiers threw themselves into the river to cross by swimming. Most of these were drowned, and a few were killed by the balls of the enemy, who pursued them without mercy. Some, however, succeeded in reaching Harrison's Island and even the other side of the Potomac; among the latter was Colonel Devens. At last darkness came to put an end to that scene of horror; it enabled some of the fugitives to hide