The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-10-20

While according full credit for their courage
and gallantry TO all who assisted in the suppress
sion of the late reasonable attempt at Harper's
Ferry the conduct of Col. LEE of the regular
army, and of the officers and men under his COM
mand, is deserving of especial mention. At first
glance, the taking of a brick building, occupied
by halfa-dozen rebels with force of more than
one hundred UNITED STATES Marines, may seem a
trifing exploit, hardly worth noting But to
have taken thunder all the circumstances of the
case including the desperate character of the men
who held il, with the loss of but single man,
and the wounding of one other, on the part of the
attacking force, and without harm to the prisoners
who were confined in the building, retained as
hostages by its defenders shows great iudp-
ment in planning the attack, and great cool
ness and moderation in its execution
In advance Of the Official Report of Col.
LEE to the Department. detailing in military
phrase the disposition which he made of the force
under his command, and his plan of operation we
cannot refrain from recapitulating the main fea-
lures of the affair as we have them from an intei
gent eyewitness The building in which Mr..
WASHINGTON and his fellow-prisoners were confined,
and in which BRowN and the survivors of his
band had taken refuge, is of brick-one story
Highland contains two apartments. OF these
the smaller and inner one, cut off from the other
by solid wall, was used as q store-roou the
larger and outer one contained the fre-apparatus
belonging to the Armory. This room was furnish
ed with large doors made so as to admit of the
convenient passage of the apparatus and no win
dows, except Of semi-circular lights. some
twelve or fifteen feet from the ground. The wall
was loop-holed for musketry by Brown and his
men, and the door strongly barrcaded-ropes
being stretched across on the inside and the fire.
apparatus placed against them. Brown when
called upon to surrender refused to do so. except
upon terms to which it was impossible to accede-
being nothing less than safe conduct for himself
and his men to the mountains This being de-
MED him, he declared his intention of dying with
arms in his hands. There was nothing to do but
to take the building by assault. But how to do it,
was the question. The height of the windows
from the ground precluded the possibility of en-
tering them except by escalade which would have
exposed the Marines to the fire of those inside.
Musketry could make no impression on
brick walls. The use of artillery would
have involved the citizens, whose lives
1t was desired TO save, in the same
destruction with the insurgents In view Of
these difficulties, the plan adopted by Col. LEE
was an admirable one. The doors were battered
down with a ladder used as ram, and the Marines
rushed in The conflict which followed was over
almost as soon as begun. Two of the Marines were
hit as the doors forced Cne of the insurgents
was killed outright-another MORALLY wounded
ana a lniro-old BRowN-cut down with a sabre
The clhzens who were confined in the room were
unframed The whole thing was done in a minute
-well-panned and cleverly executed. In the
not less gallant but less skfuly managed attack
made upon the same building, by Captain ALBuRr1s
and his company of Martinsbure volunteers. the
day before,-the assailants were repulsed with the
loss of two Of their number killed and five wound-
ed. The difference in favor of discipline and reo,-
lar troops is worthy of note. Col. Roprpr r
LEE by whom the troops were commanded Is a
native Of Virginia, and the present owner Of tho
Arlington estate-having married the only dauob-
ter Of the late GEORGE WASHINGTON PARKr CusT,s.
Esq. He is graduate of West Point, and wa.
formerly attached to the Typographical Engineers,
but upon the formation Of the new regiments was