, 1862-11-15

land Heights, Col: Miles directed that sixteen
confederate prisoners be p~r'ustt~d to pass
Wncnester. Other cases aro testified 10, but
those are themost important.
pR1GADIKR GKNARAL JULIUS WHITE.
OF tho subordinate officers referred to In
this c4se, the commission finds. with the ex-
cepticn OF Col Thomas H. Ford, notaluk i'll
their conduct that calls for censure. G"ner:l
Julius White merits Its appreciation he ap-
ptarE flom the evidence to have acted with
decide d capabflity and courage.
IN this connection the commission calls St
tention to the diegracefnl behavior Of the l2G.h
New York regiment of infantry, and recom-
mtnds that Major Baird should, for his bad
missed the service. Some Of the officers, after
tie WonEdiug Of the gallant colourl, eucn as
Lieut.. BarTas, and others not known to the
commission, behaved with gallAa:ry, and
should be commended.
COL. THOMAS FORD.
In The case Of Col: Ford, charged with I'm.
proper ccIduct In abandoning tae MARYLAND
Ettgi tt, the commission, after careful ne r..
ing uf tic evidence produced BY tae govern
d ent and that relied on lJ the detecse, and
due CO, eide1ation Of the argument offered by
That On the 5,h Of September Col Ford
was placed In command OF Maryland Heights
by Cot A1ilee. Tnat Col F.rd, finding tne
Plsiiicn 9nprspa:ed By tortitica1ions, earnest
u urged Col. Niles to furnish him means by
Which III Heights could be made teuable for
t4c Imals force uIdsr mis- command saould
heasJ one be brought against him That Ihcs=
r. asuIabie dtnaE4s were, for some cause ua-
known 10 thu commission, not responded to
y the officer in ccm.aaud OF Harper's Ferry.
Ihaf subsequen,ly. when the enemy appeared
In heavy ttrce, Col Ford frequently aud ear
ues1ly called upo1. Col. Miles Tor more troops.
Representing that he conld not hold theHsjght.
nhless reinforced. Thai these lstuapds Yert
teeb}y or not at I'LL complied with. That "a
iaie as the morning Of the 18Th Col. Ford seat
Two written denaaIds to Cs,l Miles fo7 rrin-
forcements, and saJiag that vita the troops
then under his command he could not hold
the He1ght6, and, unless relieved Or otherwise:
ordered. be would have to aoaudon then.
That a. lxte as II o'clock a, m. Of the 18th, a
tits pcsiiicn, Col. Mless said to Col Ford rnat
he {Col Foro) could not have another III III.
ano must do tie best he could, and. il uaAb:a
to deftId the plaee, he must spike the guns,
throw them down the hill, and Withdraw to
Harl er'p T. 1TT III good order.
The court is then satisfied that Col Ford
| vas given a Discretionary po 1er to abandon
| the Heights. as his btt:er Judgment mi snt
dictate; and it believes trou the evidence,
ctrcumstantlal ana direct, that the result did
way diBpltaee the officer in command at II r.
ptr's Ferry. Bus This coz clEsion, so much
| relied upon by tie defence, forces the CON
| mission to confederation Of the fact, Did
Col. furd, nndcrta Discretionary power taus
| veeted il hin, make proper defense If the
Heigh'E, and hold them as be should have
! d0ue until driven off by the enemy?
1re csi6cnce shn@s corclus;vcly that tEa
force upon the Heights was not well m an-
eyed; That Tue point st pressed Was weakly
| lrE of The colonel IL :he l:,t;th New York ID
;au.rY> It Vas lett without competent officer
in command, Col. Ford himself rot appearing
nor ots1Ei;.'inE any une #hn might h1ye re-
| stored oIcer aLu encouraged the men; t:4at
the abandonment ot tie Heights was prema-
driven from The hill, as full time was givea 10
spike the guns and throw the heavier ONES
| dnwn tEe cliff. aud retreat III good order to
| Hsrrer's Ferry. The next dag 1orce r.turn-
ltg u tie Ee:gnts t0and them unoccuplel,
and brought away unmosest=d four abandoned
guns aid i quantity OF aumunrioo.
ln So grave case as this, with such dis
! graceful consequences, the cuu1t cannot Der
hit an officer to shield Eioistlf nehlud the
tact that le did IS well as he could, if in SO
dong he exhibits lack Of military capacity.
1t is charge the c.mmission that Col. Ford
should nos have been placet in command on
Mar3land huights; that he conducted tue de-
ftlse ou1aollity, and abandoned his posi-
tlon wItn:uL sufficient cause, and has sho IN
tsronghon: such q lack Of military capacity rs
Il
mission. for command in til. service.
COL D. s. MILES.
The ccTnmi5s ion has approached cons;d-
cra'lon OF Ills ntsicer'z conduct tu connection
with the surrtIcer OF HAsper's Ferry with ex-
tltme reluctance An o1tlcer who cannot az.
PEAR ht ore any earthly tribunal to ans ver
OF eIrl1in charges gr2Ee)y affecting his char.
ac'er, who has met his oea.h at tne nantis Of
the enemy, even upon the spBt Ee disgrace
fully sn1reude1s, l. entitfea 70 the tend=rest
care and HEST cascfai Investigation. Tuis the
commission has accorded Col. Mules, aud ia
s1Eitg decision only rtpsats what rnus
through our nitc hundred pages Of testt
Col Mics izcapacity, amoun,inz; to almost
imbecillty, led to the shameful surrender o
| tsis important post.
Ea:iy as tho 18Th OF August he diso5eys tue
otdt rs OF Mujor General Wtol to torttly Ma
ryluxd IIesEhts. When it is surroundcd anc
a,tatk.d by the enemy, Its natursl'y >tron.
positions are ul.mpreyed, aud from his crim
, ! lnal EeElccr, TO use the nillest term, tt:
large 1Gice uf tie enen,3 Is almost up,u at
t4aAfity with the small force uuter his c31n
mand. He stems to have understood, aad ad
, n4l1ted to bis officers, that Maryland Heigh!'
IS tie kay to the position, sud get hs p!ac:.
Col. Ford In command with feeble fore:
: mskee no ctlnrt 10 str ogttsn them by fo:ti
: caiols, although bstween the 5th and LIT!
Of September th.1e WIS ample time to do 50
sud to t,oL Ford's repeated demands 10
, 1nesns to tntrt pch, and additional reinforce
4 INT Ms, he riakes either an inadtquatn returI
+ .r1o rrspocse ut all. lie gives Col. Ford
ci-t fe:ionary 1nwsr as 10 EGen he sha.
Escu1 Easirg, it seems, hcsn concluded on il
his own riina. Fer, wl:cE this uncapp
event reilly occurs, his OILY ezcl3uation va
10 tie eli Ct t.at hc searetf Col Ford r.
= given up to although he must hay
known that the abandonment of Marglan
H+.ip xEp4 tho efH HarnorHs
! This II avi1E thc key Of The position to Ih
i ktepi' E Of CoI. F,.rd, with discretionary paw
tr, a:ter tEe arrival OF that capable aud cou1
-. reeous cficcr who had waived his rank t
Serve wherever ordered, is one OF the mor
$ striking facts illustrating the incapaclty {
h Col Mites.
+ 1usu. diate]y previous to and pending Ii
1 sit &c OF II irp-s's Ferry, he paroles rebel prls
!. onete, and permits, indeed sends them. to til
= ent tn3'5 t..aoquaterA- Tuis, too, When h
j. should have k1'ow1i that the lack OF an1u1
: lion, The bad conduct Of some Of our troop
e the entire absence Of for::fications, and tt
i alur dormt Mt o. Mart lauu flights, wera lu
$ po11ant fscts they could, and undau 7teii'
i did, communicate to tie enemy. Stx'een
!. these prisoners we're parolel GU the 18th, au
/. pass given them in tee hand 1ritias, Of CT,
!. lilies, while q rebel otl1cer bY the name
l. Rouse, alter an escape, il retaken, and subs
# 1u.nt,y has private interview with Colon
O Miles, is paroled, aud alter the surrender 81
il 10 enter Harper's Ferry.
n It is not necessary to accumulate evidene
: from the mass that throughout scarcely d
4 forcs one fact In contr ,dicion TO what eac
e ono establishes, that Col. Niles was incapsb
= Of Conducting defense so important as WI
this of H.rpers Ferry
;. Tie commission would not have dwelle
a upon this painful subject were it not for Il
Is fact that the ci1iccr WHO placed this iacapab
+ in conluiaud should share in the responsible