Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-09-26
0beGtee Ateaa
THE HARPERs FERRY sURREN.
DER.
URLlNGTON
FaIDAf MORNING. SEPTEMBER a6, 1867.

THE HARPERS FERRY sURREN'
DER.
The surrender Of the Harper's Ferry posi-.
ton with ten or twelve thousand troops, on
Monday morning., the nth inst, must b
regarded as a most disgraceiul act-mort
disgracciul to our army than was to the reb.
els the surrender OF Fort DonelsOn. We
have no yfhcial account Of it; but the letters
to the New York papers by correspondents
on the ground, concur in saying that the
feeling among the soldieiy, was one of indig-
nation at the surrender then; though fur-
rounded as the Place was, and commanded
! by the cncmy's guns from all the heights, q
surrender might be necessary soon unless re-
lief came. According to all accounts. the
commanding position Of the whole because
/ It commanded all the other heights) was the
Maryland heights, high ridge across the
Potomac. Though there was ample time to
fJrtify this position to any extent after the
rebels entered Maryland, it was most Imper-
/ fectly done. Some batteries were placed
here and there TO guard the ascent. and there
was some little Sighting iOr their protection :;
but nothing that amounted TO much. Ac-
cording to the reports less than 50 men 'rer'
hlltd, and 100 ire,Rdcd, al told, on our SIDE
dur1Hg the enfire sIege. The main position
on the heights was IN charge Of
Colonel Ford of the 37th Ohio. The
correspondent of the y. Y. Tribune, who
says he was in sight Of the whole. after
Speaking Of the slight fighting on Saturday
and the disorierly conduct Of the Of the y.
Y. regiments, says
As the fght progressed our troops concentrated
near the battery when Capt. McGrsth and Capt
Graham both opened upon the woods with shells,
and succeeded in efectually shelling the Rebels
back sgain. The positions OF Capt. MeGrath and
Capt Graham's batteries were such that they could
prevent any large force FROM Advancing in body
upon the guns. The firing Of musketry had now
ceased. but the batteries continued shelling the
woods, making them very uncom Portable for any
human being. Judge with what surprise, then the
occupants Of Bolivar Heights saw lcng column
Of infantry marching from Maryland Heights to
the EcrrN. NhD II Dt Nuhl are AhhEuhAlNE
was the qdestion on every ones lips.
Looking over to the camps the sTtlIeTists were
Observed at their posts, and each tried TO persuade
the other that it was only some ru's But, alas
il was too true. Col. Ford bad ordered the evac-
tustion 70. what reason the men could 10. learn.
Captain McGrsth, as true and brave sold er as
ever wa kcd upon receiving the order 20 spike bis
guns was 60 astC undcd that be r.ius u u obey 1t,
and not until he saw the infantry desertins bin,
could he be iniuccd 10 perform tie dlsgfaceiui
task He ,at upon his guns--his bshy walkers, as
be called tie Dahlgrens-and Wept like child,
telling Col. Ford that " no matter ty whose order
it was done II piece Of tr,ac' cry
This abandonment u the key 20 the whole po-
siton certainly requires tie most careful iuvesti
cation at the hands OF the proper authorities-
Col I Jrd bad po-itiye and written orders 10 hold
The place 10 the last extremity. Five thousand
troops aud all our batteries were to aid him. Col.
F. baa remarked thai " he had locked the hill
over, ard made up hi- mind to stay there that
" not a man should come down until they bad
been whipped from it Subsequent action certain
lv gave the lie to his words Col. Miles who was
at the extreme left, upon learning that the troops
leaving rode hastily toward the spot, but met
them on their way down the hill and learning that
the guns were liked, did not order them back as
be intsnd,i doing. As there mucn talk az to
whom belonged the onsibility Of the evscua-
tion Of this battery and position, your correspond
ent asked Col. Miles if it was core by bis order
81 No, Sir, but in direct opposition to them was
the uuequiFocal reply. The Dshlgren guns were
thoroughly spiked, and tipped of the platform
into the dirt. Had the infantry remained to as
sist. tney would have beeen precipitated into the
canal The rifed gun and the Napoleon hOwit'
Eers were also rendered useless. Officers and men
were thunderstruck at the performance, and COL
D'Utassy commanding the first brigade, otered
to retake and holi the position, but Col Miles re-
fused"
That account being true the fret query Is:
Why was was not Col. Ford ordered to be
shot by file Of men on the pot for COW
ardice tr,achcry and disobedience of or
ders, or at least put in irons for trial
aud the next Is, Why was not the post
at once rc-occupied with force That it
could have been is plain from the fact that
on Sunday morning. Col. d'Utas-ey, observ-
ing thst the I, bels had not YET taken poses
sion, cent up a detachment Of four eompa-
MES Of New York and Illinois troops, under
the command Of Major Woods. with orders
to bring away the Napoleon guns lett there
an order successfully obeyed, they bringing
down the four guns and quantity of smmu-
milton. without meeting any resistance what
ever Monday morning SHOWED the enemy
in force on all the heights, with their guns
planted so that any prolonged resistance was
impossible. After some firing. the officer in
command, Col. Miles, ran up the white flag.
The firing continued awhile after-the white
flag probably being unseen--during whichCol.
Miles was so severely wounded by a shell, as
to cause his death the next night.
1t is not to be forgotten that the night
before the surrender, the cavalry, something
like 1000 strong, having leave granted to try
their luck at escape, made their way safely
cut by bye paths, and captur-
ed Longstreet' ammunition train on their
way to sharpsburgh. 1t does not appear
that but small party Of our troops there
were actively employed in any way during
the seige. The Vermont 9th which came
there under General White from Winchester
a short time before, appears to have been or
dered there, like many Others, only to be
surrendered. The entire force of the enemy
beleagueriDa the place, was said BY the rebel
officers, after the surrender was over, to have
been not far from 100000. The prisoners
we're allowed to 60 on parole, leaving only
their arms.
Col. (Acting Brig. GEN. Dixon S. Miles,
was a Maryland man, and had been in the
regular service since 1924. He acquired some
reputation in the Me1;can war. He COM
manded the reserves at Boil Run battle last
year-was charged with being so drunk as
to be entirely inefficient during the day but
| a trial led TO the verdict of - Not proven :"
or 10 that effect, though OF the substantial
truth Of the charge probably nobody who
read the evidence had any doubt lie was
left out of active command for long