drawal of all the Federal forces to the Maryland shore, which was safely accomplished on the night of the 23d.

Colonel E. D. Baker, whose death will make this battle-field immortal, was born in England, early left an orphan, and emigrated to this country. Few men have had a more eventful career, and few men have done so much to win the admiration of the people. He was, without question, one of the ablest speakers in the country; when he addressed public audiences he thrilled them with the electricity of his eloquence, and kindled them by his earnestness as a storm of fire sweeps over the prairie. For many years, whether at the bar, in the Congress of the nation, or before wild wood caucuses; in speaking to citizens, jurors, statesmen or soldiers; on the slope of the Atlantic, in the valley of the Mississippi, at the head of legions in Mexico, before the miners of California, or upon the banks of the Columbia, he held a place with the best men and finest orators in the land.

At the age of nineteen he was admitted to the bar in the State of Illinois. Subsequently he twice represented that State in the lower house of Congress. In 1846 he resigned in order to lead the Fourth Illinois regiment to Mexico. At Cerro Gordo, after the fall of General Shields, as senior Colonel he took command of the brigade, and fought through the desperate battle in a manner that drew an especial compliment from General Twiggs.

Returning home, he was, after his recovery from a severe wound received on the Rio Grande, again elected to Congress. Later in life he was connected with the Panama railroad; still later, in 1852, he removed with his family to Oregon, where he was elected United States Senator.

The struggle for the Union came, and he hastened to New York, where his fiery eloquence stirred the heart of its people. When they rushed impetuously to arms, he warned the country of the magnitude of the struggle, and was foremost in support of the Government. He was not, however, a speaker only, but a worker as well. In a little time he had gathered about him an effective regiment. Men from all States rushed to fill up the ranks. Refusing to resign his position in the Senate and be promoted to a Major-Generalship, he retained his simple title of Colonel, and died with no higher rank.

He was killed at the head of his brigade, and with his life's blood sealed the vow he had made to see America a free and united people or die in the struggle. Courageous, upright, earnest, indomitable spirits like his can never be forgotten; they are the jewels of a nation, which brighten as they pass into eternity. In his own words, the words that from his eloquent lips rung over the grave of Broderick, let us give him to immortality.

"True friend and hero, hail and farewell!"

BATTLE AT CAMP WILD CAT, KY.

OCTOBER 21, 1861.

On the same day that the disastrous battle at Ball's Bluff, Va., was fought, and also the successful engagement of Colonel Plummer's command at Frederickton, Mo., a spirited fight was maintained by a small force of Federal troops in Kentucky. They were successful in resisting the attack of a large body of the enemy under General Zollicoffer, who had made advances into that State from Tennessee, by the Cumberland Gap. The engagement was unimportant when viewed in reference to the numbers engaged, or the loss of life, but its moral effects were significant. It was the first battle thus far that had taken place upon the soil of Kentucky, and it was bravely fought by her own loyal sons.

To oppose the advance of the rebels, a single Kentucky regiment, under Colonel Garrard, was stationed at Rock-castle creek, at an encampment known by the name of "Wild Cat." General Zollicoffer conceived the design of cutting off this isolated regiment, and for that purpose was moving rapidly forward with six regiments of infantry and one of cavalry, sacking the towns of Barboursville and Loudon in his progress. General Albin Schoepf, who commanded the Federal troops. in this district, hearing of the advance of the rebel forces, dispatched the Thirty-third Indiana, Colonel J. Coburn, from the camp at Big Hill, nineteen miles south of Richmond, with instructions to occupy an eminence half a mile to the east of Camp Wild Cat, while directions were also given to the Fourteenth Ohio to proceed to the same place; and two regiments of Tennessee Federalists, then at Camp Dick Robinson, forty-four miles from the scene of action, hastened to participate in the expected fight, and marched the whole distance on the day of the 21st, arriving just after the last feint by the enemy. Colonel Woolford's Kentucky cavalry had also arrived, and General Schoepf and staff reached the scene of action in the course of the day.

At eight o'clock on the morning of the 21st, before the arrival of Colonel Coburn's forces at the point designated, the advance of the enemy, with wild and exultant shouts, attacked Colonel Garrard's camp, and anticipated an easy victory over an inferior force, much reduced by sickness. But the brave Kentuckians met them with an undaunted front, and poured into their ranks a deadly fire. Having been taught to despise the little band they were now attacking, the rebels advanced again gallantly to the assault, but the cool and determined resistance they met with soon put them to flight, and they retired discomfited, to await the arrival of the main body of their forces.

Meantime Colonel Coburn, with four companies of the Thirty-third

Indiana, had started at seven o'clock, to reach the hill designated. The command consisted of Company D, Captain McCrea; Company I, Captain Hauser; Company E, Captain Hendricks; and Company G, Captain Dille-in all about three hundred and fifty men. Their arrival was most opportune, as the rebel forces were on the point of seizing the same position. The companies were immediately deployed as skirmishers. In about twenty minutes, the rebels, who were concealed in the woods, commenced firing. Soon after they appeared in front, half a mile to the south, and below in the valley. They were in large numbers, and formed in line, near an open space, and then approached the Federal force under cover of a wood which concealed them from view, and opened fire. At this moment the Kentucky cavalry (Colonel Garrard,) came up, and reinforced the Thirty-third. The enemy charged, but were repulsed under a galling fire. The front of the rebels approached within a few rods of Colonel Coburn, with their caps on their bayonets, saying that they were "Union men," and were "all right;" and having thus attempted to disarm the suspicion of the loyal troops, suddenly poured a murderous fire upon them. After an hour of severe struggle, the enemy were compelled to retreat, leaving part of their dead and wounded behind them.

At about the close of this attack, another detachment of the forces under General Schoepf came upon the ground. It consisted of four companies of the Seventeenth Ohio. Company E, Captain Fox; company C, Captain Haines; company K, Captain Rea; and company II, Captain Whisson, all of whom, under Major Ward, promptly formed in line reatly for their part in the contest. But the enemy had retreated only to return with an increased force. At about two o'clock, P. M., the attack was renewed, and at the same time, company C, Fourteenth Ohio, Captain J. W. Brown, appeared on the field. The position was fiercely contested, the Federal troops rendering the most gallant and effective service in the face of the largely superior force brought against them. A few discharges of cannon, three pieces of which were in use, aided by the well-directed infantry fire, resulted in the total rout and dispersion of the enemy, who again retreated, and during the night were finally removed by General Zollicoffer. Captain Stannard's Ohio battery earned for itself high commendations in this contest.

The Federal loss was four killed and twenty-one wounded. We have no record of Zollicoffer's loss.

While the battle was raging, General Schoepf, who had just arrived, and had tied his horse to a tree at a short distance, desired a soldier to go and get him. The man hesitating, the General went himself, and just as he was unfastening the reins he was greeted with a storm of bullets. One of them passed through his boot-top, and several struck

the tree to which the horse was tied. With the most perfect coolness the General mounted his horse, and rode off to his post, as leisurely as if he were an unconcerned spectator of the scene.

Zollicoffer subsequently had large reinforcements, which he put into a condition for the best possible service, and commenced fortifying the strong positions at Cumberland Gap.

BATTLE AT ROMNEY, VA.

OCTOBER 26, 1861.

The town of Romney is located in Hampshire county, Virginia, on the south branch of the Potomac, one hundred and ninety miles northwest from Richmond. It had been the theatre of previous military adventures between the loyal troops and their enemies, who were on several occasions compelled to retire from the place, but afterwards took advantage of the absence of the Federal forces to return. BrigadierGeneral B. F. Kelley, who commanded a portion of the forces in the encounter at Phillipi, where he was wounded, was encamped with part of his command at New Creek. He resolved to dislodge the rebels from Romney, and ordered his forces to unite in a march on the town on the morning of the 26th of October. The Fourth and Eighth Ohio, and Seventh Virginia, were in the brigade, with the addition of the Ringgold Cavalry.

The forces, after a march along their various routes of from twenty to twenty-five miles, united, and about half-past two o'clock in the afternoon, encountered the outposts of the enemy at Mill Creek, five miles from Romney. These they drove in, and advanced to the Indian Mound Cemetery, west of the town, where the rebels made a stand, and opened fire with a twelve-pound rifled gun, placed in a commanding position in the cemetery, and with a mountain howitzer from the high grounds on the east bank of the river, at a point which commanded the road for half a mile. At the east end of the bridge the enemy had thrown up intrenchments, from which they kept up a constant fire of musketry upon the head of the column. They were responded to by a twelvepounder and two six-pounders, until in about half an hour the General understood the position, when he gave the command to charge upon the enemy's entrenchments. The cavalry, led by Captains Keys and McGhee, dashed across the river at the ford, with enthusiastic shouts, while the infantry, under the command of Colonels Mason and De Puy, Lieutenant-Colonel Kelley, and Major Swearingen, rushed over the bridge to encounter the enemy at the mouth of his guns. As soon as they saw this movement, they immediately abandoned their positions,

and retreated precipitately through the town, flying in the direction of Winchester.

General Kelley captured a considerable number of the enemy, among whom was Colonel Angus McDonald; two hundred horses, three wagon loads of new rifles, three cannon, a large quantity of corn, wagons, tents, and, in fact, everything they had.

Colonel Johns, with seven hundred men of the Second Potomac Home Brigade, under orders from General Kelley, started from North Branch bridge early in the morning, passing through Frankfort, having been instructed to make a diversion with his force toward Springfield to withdraw the attention of a portion of the enemy stationed there from General Kelley's movements. When within a mile and a half of Springfield the rear of his column was fired upon by the rebels, occasioning a delay of nearly an hour. The march was then renewed through Springfield, disclosing evidences of the retreat of the enemy on the way. On arriving at the bridge crossing the south branch of the Potomac, they were discovered on the opposite side of the river, when a brisk fire was commenced. After skirmishing half an hour, Colonel Johns determined to cross the bridge, but found that a portion of the planking had been torn up and removed. The enemy at the same time kept up a sharp fire, killing one, and wounding six of his men. The passage of the bridge being impracticable, and the firing having ceased in the direction of Romney, Colonel Johns inferred that General Kelley was in possession of the town. His own purpose having been accomplished in producing a diversion of the rebel forces, and the necessity of joining Kelley no longer existing, he withdrew his command to Oldtown, in Maryland, about nine P. M., after a march of twenty-five miles.

BATTLE OF FREDERICKTON, MO.
OCTOBER 21, 1861.

Brigadier-General U. S. Grant commanding at Cairo, Illinois, being informed that the rebel recruits under Colonel Jeff. Thompson and Colonel Lowe, were congregating in Madison county, Missouri, ordered Colonel J. B. Plummer, of the Eleventh Missouri Volunteers, to proceed to Frederickton. Colonel Plummer was in command at Cape Girardeau, and on the 18th, the day following the receipt of the order, he marched with about fifteen hundred men, composed of the Seventeenth and Twentieth Illinois Volunteers, Colonels Ross and Marsh, the Eleventh Missouri, under the immediate command of Lieutenant-Colonel Pennabaker, Lieutenant White's section of Taylor's battery, and Captains Steward and Lansden's companies of cavalry..