Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-11-20

makes either an inadequate return. or no re.
sponse at all. He gives Colonel Ford dis
cretionary power as to when he shall abandon
the Heights-the fact of abandonment having
it seems, been concluded o3 his own mind
For, when this unhappy event really occurs,
his only exclamation was to the effect that he
feared Col. Ford had given up too soon al
though he must have known that the aoand-
onment of Maryland Heights was the surrend.
er of Harper's Ferry. This leaving the key
of the position to the keeping of Colonel Ford,
with discretionary power, after the arrival of
that capable and courageous officer, who had
waived his rank to serve wherever ordered, is
one of the more striking facts illustrating the
incapabity of Colonel Miles.
Immediately previous to, and pending the
siege OF HarperS Ferry, he paroles rebel pris-
ouers, and per r,nits, indeed sends, them to the
enemy's headquarters this, too, when he
should have known that the lack o. ammuni-
ton, the bad conduct of some of our troops,
the entire absence of Notifications, and the
abandonment of Maryland Heights, were i'm
portant facts they could, aud undoubtedly did,
communicate to the enemy. Sixteen of these
prisoners were paroled on the 18th, and
pass given them in the he ndwrting of Colo mel
Miles, while rebel officer, by the name of
Rouse after an escape, is retaken, and subse.
quently has private interview with Colonel
Miles, is paroed and after the surrender ap
pears at the head Of his men among the first to
enter Harper's Ferry.
ltis not necessary to accumulate evidence
from the mass that throughout scarcely affords
one fact IN contraction 10 what each one eS
tablishes, that Colonel Miles was incapable of
conducting deicuce SO important as was this
of HarperS Ferry. The Commission would
not have dwelt upon this painful subject were
not for the fact that the officer who placed
this incapable in command should share in the
responsibility, aud in the opinion of the Com
mission Maj jor General Wool is guilty to this
extent of a grave disaster, ,and should be censur
ed for his couduct
The Commission has remarked freely on
Colonel Miles, au old officer who has been
killed in the service of his country, and it can
not, from any motives of delicacy, refrain
from censuriug those in high command {;
when it thinks such censure deserved The
General iu-Chief has testified that General
Mcclellan after having received orders to re-
pei the enemy invading the State of Maryland,
marched only six miles per day, on all aver
age, when pursuing this invading enemy
The Gene al-in, Chief also testifes, that in his
opinion General Mcclellan could and should
have relieved and protected Harper's Ferry,
and in this opinion the Commission fully con-
cur.
The evidence thus introduced confirm the
Commission in the opinion that Harper'S Fer
ry. as well as Maryland Heights, was prema-
turey surrendered The garrison should
have been satisfied that relief, however long
delayed, would come at last and that thous
aud men killed in Harper's Ferry would have
made small loss had the post been saved,
and probably saved two thousand at Antie
tam. How Important was this defence we
can now appreciate. Of the 81 900 men CON-
prsiug at that time the whole of Lees army,
more than onethird were attacking Harper's
Ferry And of this, the main body was in
Virginia. BY reference to the evidence it
will be seen that at the very moment Colonel
Ford abandoned Maryland Heights bis little
army was in reality relieved by Gen. Frank
lin and Summers corps at Cramptons Gap,
within seven miles of his position and that
after the surrender of Harper's Ferry no time
was given to parole prisoners before 20 600
troops were hurried from Virginia, and the
entire force went off Oh double quick to relieve
Lee, who was being attacked at Antietam.
Had the garrison been slower to surrender, or
the army of the Potomac swifter to march, the
enemy would have been forced to raise the
seige, or W woud have been taken in detail, with
the Potomac dividing his forces.