er becoming that empire which they are attempting
to establish in the South."

The resolution offered by Mr. Conkling was adopted by a vote of 79
to 54, on a call of the yeas and nays. The affirmative vote was
wholly Republican. A few Republicans voted with the Democrats in
the negative. The reply of Secretary Cameron was no more satisfactory
than to the first resolution. He informed the House that "measures
have been taken to ascertain who is responsible for the disastrous
movement of our troops at Ball's Bluff, but it is not deemed
compatible with the public interest to make known these measures
at the present time." The difference between this answer and the
first, was that the Administration assumed the responsibility of
withholding the information, and did not rest it upon the judgment
of the general in command of the army.

Brigadier-General Charles P. Stone was a graduate of West Point
Military Academy, from Massachusetts. His family belongs to the
old Puritan stock of that commonwealth, and had been honorably
represented in every war in which the American people had engaged.
General Stone served as a lieutenant in the Mexican war with high
credit, and in 1855 resigned his commission and became a resident
of California. It happened that he was in Washington at the breaking
out of the civil war, and in response to the request of his old
commander, General Scott, took a prominent part in the defense of
the capital, considered to be in danger after the rising of the
Baltimore mob. His conduct was so admirable that when the President,
a few weeks later, directed the organization of eleven new regiments
in the Regular Army, he appointed General Stone to the Colonelcy
of the 14th United-States Infantry. After the battle of Bull Run,
when General McClellan was promoted to the command of the Army of
the Potomac, General Stone was selected to command a division which
was directed to occupy the valley of the Potomac above Washington,
as a corps of observation. The Union troops, engaged in the
disastrous battle of Ball's Bluff, belonged to his corps, but were
under the immediate command of Colonel E. D. Baker. The repulse
and slaughter on that melancholy field were followed by excitement
and indignation throughout the country quite as deep as that shown
in Congress. The details of the disaster were greatly exaggerated.
The official summary of losses, made up with care, showed that the
total number killed, inc