Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-11-19
VOL. 9.-N0. 12.
THE SURRENDER OF HARPER's FERRY.
Report OF the Commission.

Inc COMMISSION, CONSISTING Oh MAJOR Gcu.
D. Hunter, U. S. A. of Vols, Pres; Major
Gen. Geo. C4dwalder. u. S. A. of Vols Brig.
Gen. c. G. Augur, U S. A. OF Vols. /; Major
Dom Pratt. A. A. Gen. of Vols. Captain F.
Ball, A. D. c.. of Vols; Col G.. Holt, Judge
Advocate General, called by the Government
to investigate the conduct of certain officers
connected with, and the circumstances attend
ing the abandonment of Mary land Hights;and
,he surrender of Harper's Ferry, have submit
ted their report to the Government. v
The Tribune has published an abstract of rhe
report OF the commission, (Which report covers
900 pages of foolscap paper), relative to the
surrender of Harpers Ferry, from which We
take the extracts given below. In relation to
Col. Ford the Commission says
SIN SO grave case this, with such dis
graceful consequences, the Court cannot per-
nit an officer to shield himself behind the
fact that he did as we'll as he could, if i'm so
doing be exhibits lack of military capacity.
1t is clear to the comm ssion that Col. Ford
should not have been placed in command in
Mary land Heights that he conducted the de-,
fense without ability, and abandoned his DO
sition without sufficient cause, and has shown
throughout such a lack of military capacity
as to disquality him, in the opinion of the
Commission, for command in the service''
Regarding Colonel Miles, it says:
'sEariy as the 18th Of August he disobeyed
the orders of Major General Wool, to iortify
Mary Hights. When it is surrounded and
attacked by the enemy, its naturally strong
positions are unimproved, and from his GRIM
inal neglect, to use the mildest tenn, the large
force of the enemy is almost upon an equality
with the small force under bis command. I'm
mediately previous to and pending the siege
of Harper's Ferry, he paroles rebel prisoners
and permits, indeed sends them to the enemy,s
head qnarteIs, this: too, when he should have
known thatthe lack of communications, the bad
conduct of some of our troops, the entire alb
sence OF Notifications, and the abandonment
of Maryland Hights. are important facts they
could, and undoubtedly did, communicate to
the enemy. Sixteen of their prisoners were
paroled on the 18th, and pass given them in
the handwriting of Col. Miles, while rebel
officer by the name of Rouse, after an escape,
is retaken, and subsequently, has private in
terview with Col. Miles, is paroled. and, after
the surrender, appears at the head of his men,,
among the first to enter Harper's Ferry The.
Commission would not have dwelt upon this
painful subject, were it not for the fact that
the officer. who placed this ssincapable'' in
command, should share in the responsibility
and, in the opinion of the commission, Major
General Wool is guilty to this extent or a
grave disaster, and should be censnred for
his conduct The Commission has remarked
freely on COL Miles, an old officer who has
been killed in the service of his country, and
it cannot. from any motives of delicacy, re-
fraln from censuring those in high command
when it thinks such censure is deserved. .''I osf
s'The General-in- Chief has testified that
Gen. Mcclellan, after having received orders
te repel the enemy invading the State of Mary
land, marched only six miles per day on an
average when pursuing this invading enemy.
The General in Chief also testifies that in his
opinion General Mcclellan could and should
have relieved and protected Harper's Perry
In this opinion the Commission fully concur.o
s'The evidence thus introduced confirms the
Commission in the opinion that Hafper's Fer
ry, as well as Maryland Hights, was prema-
turely surrendered. The garrison should have
been satisfied that relief, however long delay
ed, would have come at last, and that thous-
and men killed in Harper'S Ferry would have
made small loss had the post been saved.
and probably saved two thousand at Antietam.,'
show important was this defence We can
now appreciate. OF the 81 900 men compo-,
sing at that time the whole of Lees army
more than one-third were attacking Harper's,
Ferry, and of this the main body were in Vir-
glnia. BY reference to the evidence it will
be seen that at the very moment Col. Ford,
abandoned Maryland Hights fhis little army
was in reality relieved by Genersls Frapklin,s
and Summers corps, at Crampton's Gap, with
IN seven miles of Harper's Ferry no time was
given to parole prisoners, before twenty thou
'and troops were hurried from Virginia, and the
sntire force went off on the double Quick to
'elieve Lee, who was being attacked at Antie.
am.
chad the garrison been slower to surrender.
'r the Army of the Potomac swifter to march,
he enemy would have been forced to raise
he siege. or would have been taken in detail.
'ith the Patomac dividing bis iorces." bassl
A Horticnlturist advertised that he would
'nppiy all Kinds of trees and plants, espec tally
e-plants of all kinds" A gentleman there.
ipon sent him an order for ssoue package OF
'ustard-pi seed, and dozen of mince-pie
plants" The gardner promptly filed the or.
Ter by sending him four goose eggs and .
small dog. .esss1s sseSl0g9 "a -
81 stand upon the soil offreedom, = cried
stump oratOr.-ssNo.', >, exclaimed HIS shoannas