of the river.  I ordered my entire force to charge and drive him into the river.  The charge was immediately made by the whole command, and the forces of the enemy were completely routed, and cried out for quarter along his whole line.  In this charge the enemy was driven back at the point of the bayonet, and many were killed and wounded by this formidable weapon.  In the precipitate retreat of the enemy on the bluffs of the river, many of his troops rushed into the water and were drowned, while many others, in overloading the boats, sunk them and shared the same fate.  The rout now, about 7 o’clock, became complete, and the enemy commenced throwing his arms into the river....  At 8 p.m. the enemy surrendered his forces at Ball’s Bluff, and the prisoners were marched to Leesburg.’

“During this action, Colonel Barksdale, with nine companies of the Thirteenth Mississippi and six pieces of artillery, was held to oppose Stone’s movement from Edwards’ Ferry and also as a reserve.  After the engagement, Evans withdrew all his brigade to Leesburg, except Barksdale’s regiment, which he left in front of Edwards’ Ferry.

“Each of the combatants had about 1,700 men engaged in this action.  The Confederates had no artillery in the fight, while the Federals had three light guns.  Shortly after the action became general, Colonel Baker, passing in front of his command, was killed by a sharpshooter, which so demoralized the Federals that the surviving officers conferred and decided to retreat.  This was opposed by Colonel Milton Cogswell, of the Forty-second New York, who had succeeded Colonel Baker in command.  He said a retreat down the bluff and across the river was now impossible, and that they must cut their way through the Confederate right to Edwards’ Ferry.  He promptly gave orders to that effect, and moved to the front, followed by the remnants of his own two companies and a portion of the California regiment, but not by the others.  He was quickly driven back and the whole Federal command was forced to the river bluff in great disorder.  Just then two companies of the Forty-second New York landed on the Virginia shore.  These Colonel Cogswell ordered up the bluff and deployed as skirmishers to cover the Federal retreat, while he advanced to the left with a small party, and was almost immediately captured.  Colonel Devens escaped by swimming the river.

“On the morning of the 22nd, Colonel Barksdale informed General Evans that the enemy was still in force at Edwards’ Ferry.  He was ordered to carefully reconnoiter the Federal position, learn its strength and make attack.  This he did, at about 2 p.m., and drove a superior force from an intrenched position to the bank of the river, killing and wounding quite a number of men.  At about sundown, the Federals, having been reinforced and holding rifle-pits, Barksdale withdrew to Fort Evans, leaving two companies to watch his front.  The enemy recrossed the Potomac during the night.  Evans reported his loss, in the thirteen hours of fight, on the 21st, as 36 killed,[35] 117 wounded, and 2 missing, from a force of 1,709.  Among the killed was the brave Colonel Burt.  The Federal losses were returned at 49 killed, 158 wounded, and 694 missing.  General Evans claimed the capture of 710 prisoners, 1,500 stands of arms, 3 cannon and 1 flag.