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

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[414] near the shore or to slip into the woods out of reach of the victors. The disaster was complete; out of one thousand nine hundred Federals who had landed at Ball's Bluff, scarcely eight hundred recrossed the Potomac; they left behind them two hundred and twenty-three dead, two hundred and fifty wounded, more than five hundred prisoners, and their three guns. Their commander and most of the officers were either killed or in the hands of the enemy.

The Confederates, proud of their success, but astonished at its importance, encamped on the heights they had so bravely won; their loss amounted to about three hundred men, one hundred and fifty-three of whom were killed; among the latter was the colonel of the Eighteenth Mississippi. In the mean while, great confusion prevailed among the Federals, who expected to be attacked at Harrison's Island and at Edward's Ferry. Part of the Gorman brigade occupied the right bank of the Potomac at the last-mentioned point; on being apprised of Baker's defeat, Stone made preparations for bringing his troops back to the left bank. But in the middle of the night the movement was countermanded by McClellan, and the whole brigade crossed into Virginia. Towards four o'clock in the afternoon of the 22d, this brigade, numbering about four thousand men, was attacked by a portion of Evans's forces. The latter had proceeded as far as Goose Creek, in the hope of meeting with some isolated detachments which he could still crush; but having discovered that he had to deal with an adversary superior in numbers, he lost no time in retiring. On the 23d McClellan went to visit Stone's troops, which had been so cruelly tried, and gave them the encouragement of which they stood in need. But being convinced that he could not undertake any serious operation in that part of his line, he brought back into Maryland all the troops which still occupied the right bank of the Potomac.

The simple narrative of the Ball's Bluff disaster has demonstrated its causes—the point selected for the landing of troops, the imprudence which ventured two thousand men beyond a river without any possible means of retreat, the tardiness which enabled the enemy to reconnoitre its movements and to strike a vigorous blow. The discussion of these causes gave rise to bitter and endless