Roads to Leesburg (2)

The legend of Captain Henry Alden began to grow immediately after his death at Ball's Bluff. Before the year was over John Gilmary Shea published Alden's life story, with this version of its conclusion, in his salute to 1861's Union war dead, The Fallen Brave.

When General Stone received the order to make a demonstration on Leesburg, on the 20th of October, the Tammany Regiment was one of those sent by him to Conrad's Ferry, opposite Harrison's Island, to be in readiness for action. ... Colonel Cogswell wished Alden to remain with the reserve, but he came up asking to lead the advance or, if his company did not go, to be in the advance even as a private His enthusiasm was not to be resisted; he led the advance of the regiment, and, being officer of the day, was in full uniform, with his scarf over his shoulder. Before crossing, he addressed his men, telling then that they were going into action for the first time,--to behave like men: "Keep cool," said he, "obey my orders, follow me, and follow that"-- drawing the elegant sword just presented to him by his company.

After reaching the Virginia shore, he again addressed those who had been able to cross,--not more than fifty in all,--repeating his former admonitions, and bidding them avenge him, if he fell. Colonel Cogswell led his men up the hill, and on, past the Fifteenth Massachusetts, who cheered them as they went through the open field, encircled by woods, where the enemy were posted. A body of troops appeared coming from the Leesburg road: the officer in advance calling out, "Baker's Brigade," misled the Forty-Second, who supposed them Americans, but when they were within a hundred yards, they saw their error. A regiment of rebel Mississippi rifles were upon them. The Forty Second gave a volley, and when it was returned, Captain Alden fell dead, shot by a sharp-shooter in a tree, the ball striking him on his right breast, severing the main artery, and passing out at the left hip. His men, led by R. M. Seabury, second lieutenant, dashed on to avenge him, charging at the point of the bayonet; while a well-directed shot from the Nineteenth Massachusetts, sent his murderer plunging down in death from his elevated post.

The Americans were, however, outnumbered and surrounded, and Colonel Cogswell ordered the retreat. The men fell back, fighting steadily, but compelled to leave the body of their gallant captain on the ground. The disasters of that retreat, from the insufficient transportation, are too well known. Many were drowned by the sinking of the boats, or were shot in the water by the enemy.

"On the day after the battle, Colonel McGurk, of Mississippi, appeared on the shore, and asked why the Americans did not cross to bury their dead. Captain Vaughn, of the Third Rhode Island Battery, immediately went over, with ten men of the Twentieth Massachusetts, and began the pious task, although first tempted, and then detained by the rebels. He found Captain Alden's body where he fell; but his lifeless remains showed the cruelty and rapacity of the foe. He had been killed on the spot, yet his right side showed three bayonet thrusts, which had been dealt upon his lifeless body. His cap, sword, sash, buttons, belt, and shoulder-straps were gone, his pockets rifled: the lining of his waist coat, marked with his name, alone enabled Captain Vaughn to ascertain who he was.

On hearing of his death, Mr. W. K. Comstock, a devoted friend and fellow-member of the Seventh, hastened to the camp of General Stone to endeavor to obtain Captain Alden's body. The permission of the War Department was needed to send a flag of truce. This obtained, General Stone, on the 30th, sent a flag of truce to General Evans to obtain permission to remove the body of Captain Alden, and also to send letters and refreshments to the sick and wounded prisoners. After a delay caused by his consulting his superiors, General Evans, on the 6th of November, dispatched Colonel Jenifer to signify his permission for a party to cross on the following morning. Mr. Comstock accordingly went over the river, with a coffin and men, and in a heavy rain proceeded to the grave where Alden had been hastily placed, in the bed of a ravine, and disinterred his remains. The body was received at the camp with honor, and, after a funeral service, escorted towards Washington. After being embalmed, it was brought to the city of New York, and laid out at the armory of the Seventh Regiment, in Tompkins Market, and on the 16th of November the regiment paid the last honors to their gallant associate. The funeral service was read by the Rev. Mr. Weston, the chaplain of the regiment, and the body was then escorted to the boat by Company B, Captain Emmons Clark, with the full regimental band, the colonel attending, and two officers of the Forty-Second, Captain Graham and Lieutenant Paine, acting as pall-bearers.

Shea's work also gave the public his accounts of other Union soldiers who fell at Ball's Bluff, including Lieutenant John Grout of the 15th Massachusetts.

His coolness and self-possession, his precision and courage, were astonishing, and of great effect upon the courage and efficiency of his men. In the terrific showers of leaden hail, Providence shielded him from harm. The spontaneous metaphor in which the testimony is borne, is that he fought like a tiger. Sometimes his sword anticipated the muskets of his men. Upon the foe who would bayonet a wounded soldier, he executed summary and seasonable wrath. When a muzzle was at his breast and a hand upon the trigger, his right arm parried the weapon and pierced the assassin to the heart. "Every blow of his sword told." He verified the promise, that he would never surrender. But victory was hopeless. To continue on the field, was to increase the sacrifice of loyal blood. Yet with unflinching firmness the residue of the regiment withstood the foe till they heard the order to retreat. But when they obeyed that order, they knew that they had done the utmost in the power of men, and that "Massachusetts had reason to be proud of the conduct of her sons on that field of carnage."

But his coolness and discretion and generosity did not forsake him. Driven to the bank of the river, he still forgot himself in the services he rendered to others. With inadequate means for transportation, he crossed the stream with the wounded, and returned. Again the frail boat was filled to its utmost capacity, and he remained upon the shore. But the eagerness for self-preservation hazarded too much, and many who escaped the enemy on the field, found another beneath the waves of the Potomac. The remainder were now reduced to the last extremity. And when the young lieutenant went up to his superior with the calm but heroic inquiry, "Is there any thing more that I can do?" the reply of Colonel Devens, to whom no epithets of commendation can do justice, was: "Nothing, but take care of yourself." And when the colonel cried to his brave but sorely tried men, "I shall never surrender!" and with the benediction, "God be with you all," gave the final order, "Every man for himself," Lieutenant Grout had done his duty, and nobly justified the highest expectations of his numerous friends and enthusiastic admirers.

After waiting for the first faint light of the rising moon, he threw his incumbrances beyond recovery, and, with a few companions, plunged into the stream. But before he could reach the opposite shore, the fatal ball of the barbarous assassin left him only time and strength to exclaim: "Tell Company D that I should have escaped, but I am shot!"

The sad tidings were aggravated by the ineffectual search for his remains. But at length the Potomac yielded up the treasure, which in due time was borne, with military and municipal honors, and under the flag of his heroic love, from the paternal mansion "to the house appointed for all living." He is truly lamented; and the mourning circle includes at least his native city and the honored Fifteenth Regiment.

"...Brave and beautiful child!--was it for this that you had inherited the best results of past culture, and had been so wisely educated and carefully trained? Was it for this, to be struck down by a ruffian's bullet, in a hopeless struggle against overwhelming numbers? How hard to consent to let these precious lives be thus wasted, apparently for naught--through the ignorance or the carelessness of those whose duty it was to make due preparation, before sending them to the field! How can we bear it?..."

Those questions regarding precious lives wasted for naught - through the ignorance or the carelessness of those who'd failed in their duty to make due preparation were being asked (and answered) throughout the North (including in the many clubs, salons and saloons of New York, Philadelphia, and Boston). Action must be taken; all that was lacking was a specific name for "those" - or at least enough information that reasonable and well-informed men - who of course already knew those names - could speak them in public.

Postscript:

The names of the valiant dead of Ball's Bluff did not vanish immediately from American memory; in 1872 Shea determined the stories of those fallen heroes were worthy of including (as written) in his work A Child's History of the United States.

(Part three is here.)