The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-14
LATE NORTHERN NEWS.
BURNING OF HARPER'S FERRY,
OPERATIONS on fHK POIONAO.
AFFAIRS IN ALI XANDRIA


&C., DC, &c.
From our Northern files, OF the 10th. va
con ttnue to make up the following summary
Of the news:
rHl BrRyIsa OF HAaPHl's YRRIY-HBD.aAL Ac.
cousr.
SANDY HOOK. Nd, Feb. Son Thursday
night, about O'Clock, Major Tyndalrs pick
cts. sta toned on the Mary land side of ,he
Potomac, and along the village OF Sandy
foot Of Loudoun Hsi hts, just below the en-
6roucAxre Of the Shenandoah, followed by t..
male Shrieks OF m nrder and cries for help p
COLONEL 0eary, who was at the Majors q uar-
ters, Immediately ordered corps Of rlnsmen
to coneent trate opposite the poin, whence the
cries emanated, and fire continuously on the
level OF the road a! the foot 0 I the mountain,
and on both sides OF the house where the
cries were heard. The order was obsveo
and when the morn broke IL was learned that
the house OF the widow Stipes had been
broken into and YansacAed for salt, tea and
sugar, by gang OF eighteen or twenty men
supposed TO belong to Captain Bay lor's guer-
rilias; also, that the woman had been mai
treated because signal shot had been fired
by her son.
About seven O'Clock yesterday morning
fiag Of truce was displayed In landing arch
In The railroad wall, just above the recent
Harpsr's Ferry Bridge, where an angular
light OF steps led from the town side or ths
stone en- hankment, under the railroad track
to the river. The person waving the fl & aud
calling for boat to come over was the only
OF o In eight, and he was "colored." A boat
with the Jerry man and a gentleman named
George Rohr n loyal VnAinian, whose pro-
perty had been destroyed because Of his
Union sentimentsD went over to respond to
the summons Of humanity. As the boat
neared the arch Rohr remarked to the ferry
man, that the man with the nag Of truce was
not negro, but " hlte man pain ted never
theiess 1t was decided to land and see what
was wanted The boat was pushed stern fore
m ost into the arch, Rohr being seated in the
stern. BY the dim light 1t was disco vered
hat the stairway was thronged wi Ia men
and before the boat could be stArted forward
Il man, pronounced py the deceased to be
Capt. Baylor. trsd a m sket, the bali taking
effect In Rohrs right thigh, passing tn rough
the leg, and coming ous just above the knee
The wounded man, finding he had been en-
trapped, fired his mnsket into the recess,
when Il second ball struck him on the shoul
der, and passing down ward, came out below
the right breast.
When i, became known on this side III at
Rohr had been shot, our rifeTu en- poured vol
ley after volley into the landing arch, and
snch places az the enemy might conceal
themselves. The battery on the Maryland
heights opened on the houses in the rear,
and the .,ickets in indy Hook discovered Ii
squadron of cavalry and footmen pushing
pthe Shenandoah road In the direction of
Charlessown. A squad Of foot soldie RS were
also discovered on Lne Loudoun side OF the
Shenandoah, behind the abutment of the
burned bridge, but beyond the range Of our
rifles.
Tn. buildings which had concealed the
party OF N urderers from view, and sheltered
them from the riiemen, had long been the
rcndszvous, day and night, OF the enemy's
scouting parties, who were thus enabled to
approach unseen and fire upon our pckets
Their destruction had heretofore been con-
templated, but desisted from out of considera-
ton OK the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company, who had considerable Interest
therein. Dol. Geary, however, orde red their
immediate destruction by fire, and failing to
ignite By shells, MaJor Tyndall detached
Lieut.. Green walt, OF company F. Of the
2sth Pennsy lvania regiment, with ten men,
TO proceed TO the other side and Set FIRE to
shem, n hich they speedily accompIiaba ad
bringing back several trophies dropped In
hasty retreat by the murdefing party anon 8
which was splend d Miuie musk et, loaded
butnot capped.
The houses fred " ere the Wager, Gait and
Railroad Hotels, the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad depot, the Winchester Railroad de-.
pot, Welch's store, the telegraph office, and
the dwelling houses of Mrs Wager, Mrs Da-
rim, Mrs. Ellen Cham bers, George ID am bers,
and VIM. J Stevens, none of which were oc-
cupied.
The destruction Of the block now gives our
ptckets and batterymsn a view Of the Shensn-
doah road from Charlestown, and wAi enabl q
our men TO protect the village In day iikh {
from any clandestine occupancy by the enc
emy's forces, as we'll as give them q warm re-
ceptiou II they should attempt 10 advance In
force by their favorite and hitherto protected
route. The CONFEDERATION wes magnificent t,
the volume OF smoke and name almost con :
csaling the surrounding mountain heights
aud envsloping the doomed town. Occa
sionally a concealed shell or gun would ex-
plode In the burning buildings, and give a
temporary relief TO our cannOniers AMI rifle
men by hope that they were tho guns Of an
approaching enemy.
The once populous town of Harpsr's Ferr 3
now contains but seven families-all good
Untonists-numbe berinx per haps forty souls, al
told During the shelliDs, these, as has
long been customary, hung out white daIs
and their dOm.ciles were accordingly re-
spec ted by our CannoIiers.
When your correspondent aecended the
Maryland Heights, In the af.ern oon none Of the
! rebels w.re yiiibls except squad OF cavalry
L stretched across the road at small wood.
| behind Bolivar, Hor were more than dcssn
l citizens seen IN the three villages OF Harper &
Ferry, Oamptown and Bolivar for sever al
| hoars. Squads OF the snemy's cavalry Were
| occasionally seen on the read near Charles
! town, but their mum bers did not indicats
| any important movement
| At i've o'clock P. ii three Of the enemy q
| cavalry came down the Charles.own road
and, dis m oun 1ing, enter cd the ferry. A few
| IN momenss later one made his appearance,
with a Nag oftruce on platform car, sfaDd
ing directly over the landing arch, where
his associates had committed The murder In
the m orninE by the use of An EN- blem held
| sacred In war, even by the most barbarou VI
and debased nations OF the earth. Immedi.
| atsly two huudres cooked Enfield riflas COW
ered his form. and two twelvs-pounders
loaded with Scrtbsr's patent car trld ges, trall
road spikes and iron slugs,) were trained to
| bear upon tho same spot. The men were al
| most insane TO revenge the death of their
late com ade. but we're preven ted by a gesture
| from Col. Geary. The bearer OF the Nag c me
Il 0rtn VI tn nsaI
| that the body OF Young Carlisle, deceased
| volunteer in tho disnnion ranks from Mary
land, might be sent over for intermeIt TO-
| day. The Colonel responded that Maryl land
| soil was no fl resting place for the bodies OF
| traitors, and aa tho nag OF trucs had been vio-
| lated In the mo- ming, that game could not b<
| played on him twice In one day. The has
| responded that the act of the morning was
rnaulh oriyed, and would be punished. Col
| 4sary responded that the irst shot was fired
| nv the officer in command, and that he had
| no confidence In any such assertions. II viii
rive you five minutes said the Colonel
| "to get beyond the reach Of my guns. / havs
! no more 70 cay" The bsarer OF The flag and
l his companions were SUD denly on the Charles
1 town road. and promptly ct the expiration
| of the five minutes, one OI the l2-ponnderi
| discharged Its iron messengers in the line o
| their retreat.
II was subsequently, ascert tainei that the
| bearers of the flag were Baylor's meL; tha
i II WAS Baylor who fred the first shot a.
| Rol.r, and the nag maa was disgui and
( painted as negro 10 decoy our boat into ths
| trap.
Some time ago Rohr was driven from Har.
/ per's Ferry {where he owned fandsoms
property and was carrying on dourishine
I carriage n mannfactOry businessl on accom-
! Of his hdelity to the Union. His propert tJ
| was destroy cd and cou nscated, and he, after
| securing the retreat OF his wife TO this side
| devoted his whole time TO the Government IL
| dssgna.ing the Sscessionists from ths niot
| peoDle who sought TO cross into Maryland
| He was highly esteemed and honored by al
| our efF.cers His widow, who Ia now desti
tuJs, 10 Pennsylvania lady, and deserves tn
consideration Of the Government ana tn'
| Union people.
| Daring the morni ne two Of tho enemy wsrt
! hiisd outright by our shells, and others wer'