The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-09-27
VOh. XXII[---NO. 6.
THE CtPITCLATIOS.


ll5th New ork. ...... ......... ........ 1000
l26th New York. ........... loo
o9th New ,ork..... .......... .33O
Hin New York. .......... .. 1000
10th New i 1ork. 80. >. HUI
32u Onic. '......... -. .o9O
18th > NJ. -. .tOO
S.th Ohio.. .... ....soO
9th Vermont. .SOO
b5th Illinois. go. $50
..rotIn battery. ....-eee.... .llO
MCbTltl : - -. ID
!otil innlana-. -. ..... .l4J
Philips Battery... ..................lW
Ii'ts battery observation-disclosures. .IO
iHRpN nattefN... ...-............ ..... .tOU
Scattered Companies. so
Officers connected with headquarters and COM
inissary depot. ......... .....30
/. The following guns were surrennered:
10 3inch rifles Mound bowitz.rx
James rifles. i0inch Dahlgrcns.
62+-ponnd howiizers. ! 5o-pound Parrot.
.O-ponnd Parrot guns. 6-pound guns.
II Founders. .l4 ---.l
Colonel Sheriff. OF the 10Th New York,
was shot badly in the mouth while gallant.
ly urging forward his men. Several other
staff and line officers were killed and
wounded. .- -..f
OUR LOSS. a--...---.
Various estimates of our loss during the
tight are made, but all agree that it was
very light, and the best estimates put il at
less than two hundred killed and wounded
THE REBEL FORCE. H
II viii be seen that our whole force.
numbering between nine and tine thousand,
were captured and immediately paroled
The men tell large stories about the force
which invested the place. and some place
I il as high even as 100000 men. This is
not at all likely. l can only learn of
Jackson's and a 2. Hills division being
engaged. and probably the rebel force did
not exceed 10000 to $4,000 men. The
surrender was made to Gen. Hin, as tho
senior officer present.
COULD The PLACE HAVE BEEN LONGER HELD?
have thoroughly questioned all the
/ officers whom ! have seen as to whether
the place could have been longer held
, Without single exception they say 1t
could. and all the troops express the Ut
/ most indignation and modification at the
surrcnder They say that the small loss
/ Of life during the three days Of fighting
indicates that it could have held out at
least forty q gbt hours longer. OF course,
l Sucoor would have reached them before
/ that time had expired But Col. Miles,
I and probably the whole command, were
7 greatly disheartenel atthe non appearance
Of the hoped-for reinforcements. From
: the best Information that can be learned
on this point, :: would seem that there
was culpable negligence somewhere in fail
ing 10 arrraisc col Miles of the approach
of friendly forces A courier made his way
from HaIper Ferry to Gen. McClelian's
lines on Friday, with dispatches from Col.
Miles, announcing the enemys approach
and attack But no word ever came back
And the garrison SOY that they never had
any knowledge or intination of the near.
ness of McClellans forces. Had they
known this they would have held out had
every man been slaughtered. But though
they heard occasional cannonading in the
distance, they could not yuess any thing Of
their friends, and they were left to feed
upon all sorts of rumors in reference to
our movements. one of them being that
Mcclellan had formed his forces in hOl-
low square at Washington, and was vigor.
ously engaging in defending the President
ann the Capitol?
the RESPONSIBILITY.
Certain prominent facts leave no doubt
in my mind that Col Miles fai ed to do
his duty in srveral important respects,
which, had it been performed, would have
made very material difference in even
the present situation of affairs First, the
failure to destroy the pantoon bridge was
.
had retired 10 the village from Maryland
Heights We, of course, had no farther use
for it. as the enemy were in front Of the
position Leaving the bridge intact en-
bled the rebel force which fled in disorder
down Pleasant Valley, before Franklin's
advance, TO escape safely across the river,
gather and reform on the other side. But
for this, franklin must have captured
nrarly the whole of that portion Of the
rebel army. -
Secondly, | cannot learn that any coun-
Gil OF officers WAS held previous to the
surrender. 1t seems TO have been the
single act Of Col Miles General White, it
is said. was not consulted, and when he
les rned of the surrender denounced il in
unmeasnreiterms The men most assured
~ did express their Indignation in forcible
terms.
Thirdly, Col. Miles, the men and officers
say, endeayorcd to dissuade Col. Davis,
commanding the cavalry, from making his
way out, but COT. d said he commanded
that portion OF the force, and would take
the responsibility of the attempt He did
so, and Oh Sunday night he cut his way
through the enemy handsomly, and cap
tured on the way to Greencastle Pa, q
goodly haul of prisoners, and fifty rebel
REBEL TREATMENT. Ff
The paro'ed prisoners report that the
rebels were greatly elated by their success,
and each one considered hsmself fully
equal to five Yankees They paroled
our men rapidly, by calling on the COM
mandinG officer of each regiment or bat
talon for his muster rolls, checking tho
nen present, inscribing the parole on tho
margin of the sheet, and pass through the
the confederate lines, on the back OF it.
Thus in didn't take long to parole the
whole ten thousand All concur in saying
hat the rebels treated them very kindly.
and the foes that should be friends parted
with good feeling.
The rebels Yesterday were not only ju-
bilant over their success at the Ferry, but
also over the news of the capture Of
Cincinnati, which they had just received
in the Richmond papers. They claimed,
olso. to have wounded and captured Gen
Nelson The officers stuff their men With
these falsehoods to keep their spirits up,
and not till this rebel army is once thor
oughly defeated will the rank aud file Of
il be undeceivcd
WHERE. TIE REBELS wEST
The rebels, as soon as the surrender was
made, began preparations for leaving, and
everything pointed to the speedy evacus-
ton of the place. During the whole of
Monday night the rebels were buisily en-
gagged in rushing across the river pell NELL,
on the ponton bridge. The force crossing
was in the most indeseribable confusion
artillery, rfantry and transportation being
all mixed up. "a
During Sunday Jackson's division
marched off in the direction of Martins
burg, and it was given out that they wene
going down the Shenandoah Valley. But
far more reasonable belief and one con-
firmed from other and better authorities,
is that Jackson's s troops, elated and fresh,
marched back across the river and REIN
forced I.oppstYeat and Hill, covering the