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

serving bis parole On Saturday. the day of
the attack upon aud evacuation of Maryland
Heights, Colonel Miles directed that sixteen
Confederate prisoners be permitted to pass
through our lines to rejoin the rebel army at
Winchester Other cases are testified to, but
those are the most important
Of the subordinate officers referred to in
this case, the Commission finds, with the ex-
ception of Colonel Thomas II Ford, nothing
10 their conduct that calls for censure. Gen.
Julius White merits its appreciation. He ap
pears, from the evidence, to have acted with
decided ability and courage.
In this connection the Commission. calls at
tenton to the disgraceful behavior of the l26th
New York regiment of infantry, and recon.
mends that Major Baird should, for his bad
condnrt, as shown by this evidence be dis
D. ed from the service. Some of the cfficers af-
ter The woundiug OF the gallant colonel such as
Lieut. Barras, and others not known to the
Commission, behaved with gaIlautry, and should
be commended
Iu the case of Colonel Ford, charged with
improper conduct in abandoning the Mary land
Heights, the Commission, after careful hear
ing of the evidence produced by the Govern,
meut and that relied on by the defence, and "a
due consideration of the arguments offered by
counsel, fnd:
That on the 5th of September, Colonel Fyrd
was PLACED in command of Maryland Heights
| by Colonel Miles That Colonel Ford find
| ing the position unprepared by Notifications,
! earnestly urged Colonel Miles to furni sh him
means 10y which the Heights couId be made
tenabe for the small force under his command,
should heavy one be brought against him.
That these reasonable demands were, from
some cagse unknown TO the Commission, not
responded 10 by the officer in command at
Harpers Ferry. That subsequently, wten the
enemy appeared in heavy force, Col Ford fire
quently aud earnestly called upon Col Miles
fore more troops, representing that he could
not hold the Heights unless reinforced That
! these demands were feebly or not at all com
piled with. That as late as the morning OF
the 18TH Col. Ford sent two written demands
TO Col Miles for renforcements, and saying
that with the troops then under his command
he could not bold the Heights, and unless re-
lieved or otherwise ordered, he would have to
abandon them That as late as ii o'clork \ E.
NJ of the 18Th, few hours previous to the
abandonment of this position, Col. Miles said
to Col Ford that he (Col. Ford) could not
hav- another man, and must do the best he
could, and if unable to defend the place, he
must spike the guns, throw them down the
hil and withdraw to Harper'S Ferry in good
| order
| The court is then satisfied that Col Ford
was given discretionary power to abandon
| the Heights as his better Judgment might die
tate 4; and it believes from the evidence, cir
cumstantial and direct, that the result did not,
to any great extent, surprise nor in any way
diSpleaSe the officer n command at Harper 5
| Ferry.
| But this conclusion, so much relied upon by
the defence, forces the Commission to a con-
sideraliou of the fact--did Col9uel Ford, un,
der the discretionary power thus vested in him,
make q proper defence of the Heights, and
/ hold them, as he should bave done, until driv-
en- off 10y the enemy
| The evidence shows conclusively that the
force upon the Heights was not we'll managed
that the point most pressed was weakly te-
Tended as to numbers, and after the wounding
of the CooDel Of the l26th Regiment New
York Infantry, it was left without a compe
tent officer i'll command, Col. Ford himself not
appearing, nor designating any one who might
|
that the abandonment of the Heights was pre-
mature, is clearly proved. Oar forces were
no: driven from the hill, as full time Was given
to spike the guns aud throw the heavier ones
down the cliff and retreat in good order to
Harper's Ferry. The next day force re-
turning to the Heights found them unoccu
pied, and brought away unmoested four aban-
| doned guns aud quantity of ammunition.
| La so grave case as this, with such disgrac
full consequences, the court caunot permit an of
6cer 10 shield himself behind the fact that
he did as we'll as he could, if in SO doing
he exhibits lack of m lltary capacity
| 1t is clear to the Commission that Col
Ford should not have been placed in com
mand on Maryland Heights and that he
conducted the defence without ability anC
has shown through such lack of military
capacity as 10 dsqualify him, in the OPP uou
! of the Commission for command in the ser.
/ vice
The commission has approached considera
lion OF this officers conduct in connection
with the surrender of Harper's Ferry with ex
treme reluctauce An officer who cannot ap
pear before any earthly tribunal to answer or
explain charges gravely affecting his charac
ter; who has met his death at the hands Of
the enemy, even upon the spot he disgracefullI lI
surrenders, is entitled to the tenderest care
and most careful investigation. This the Com
mission has accorded Colonel Miles. aud il
giving decision ouiy repeats what runs thro
our 500 pages of testimony, strangely unani
nous upon The fact, that Colouel Miles inca
pacty, amounting to almost imbecillty. led tc
the shameful surrender of this important post
Early as the l5th of August he disobeys
the order of Major General Wool to fortfJ
Maryland Heights When it is surrounded
aud attacked by the enemy, its naturally
strong positions are unimproved, aud from hi:
criminal neglect to use the mildest term, the
large force of the enemy is almost upon al