The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1866-07-18


ii CLERKS.
p T: Mcdonald, To act as assis-
J: D.Pennybackor. tant aids.
Non-commissioned officer attached to
Staff as orderly :-Robt. L. Grattan.
BY command Of
MAJ. GEN. HARPER,
lB Christian, A. G. D.
Division Head Quarters,
Harper's Ferry, April q, 1861.
General order,
No. 10.
Capt. Geo. II. Cochran is appointed
Ordinance officer for this Division, and
willreport forthwith to..these Headquarters
an inventory Of the ordinance stores which
have come into his possession.
BY command Of
MAJ. GEN. HARPER,
B. Christian, A. G. D.
Division Head Quarters,
Harper's Ferry, Apl q, 1861.
General order,
No. Is.
DR.. B. B. Donaghe is appointed Medi-
cal Director of this Division, and will pro-
coed forthwith to.establish a.Hospital, and
take such Assistant Surgeons from the
different Brigades as may be required for
the proper care Of the sick.
BY command Of
/ MAJ. GEN. HARPER,
B. Christian, A. G. D.
Now as to the ammunition much
was left by the Federal troops, and all
had been procured, within convenint
reach, by Gen. Harper. Hence the fol-
lowing order, issued the day after his ar
rival:
Division Head Quarters,
Harper's Ferry, Apl. 20, 1861.
Special order,
No. Is.
Maj. 0. K. Funston will proceed, with
out delay, to Lexington, Virginia, for the
purpose Of obtaining supply Of ammuni-
ton for this command He will accord
ingly make {. requisition for thirty thou
sand musket cartridges, twenty thousand
rifle cartridges, three thousand pounds Of
powder, three thousand rounds Of shot for
six Founders, three thousand percussion
caps, sixty thousand for nluskets and II
hes. If no cartridges can be obtained, a
corresponding supply Of powder and lead
will be procured.
By command Of
MAJ. GEN. HARPER,
G. A. Porterfeld, A. G.. D.
With this ammunition a guard Of six
cadets, in charge Ct Lieut.. Ross, was sent
from the Institute to Harpers Ferry, who
were detained by General Harper and
put on duty IS drill officers, with the
facet consent Of Col. Smith-he being
duly informed Of it, and making no OBJ
lection to the.a detention
! Dr.sDabnol speaks Of the troops Col
jackson ffounn at Harper's Ferry as a
scrude rabble." without forif and void
Thar connpa4der, in an oHieiaR eommuri-
cation to the Executive made a few days
before, paid hem The. compliment Of say
ing he was delighted with the material Of
his comrnandesnd sssRc prolnptitulo with
which they acted under sudden (night)
alarm, gives evidence Of the efficiency
they are att9iaing" It will be recollected
that these troops consisted mainly Of the
End, 9Th and 10th Regiments Of Virginia
Infantry, regularly organized, under Off
GERS Of their own choice, and a battalion Of
volunteers from Frederick county, nearly
all Of which had been under drill for two
years. There were no Kentucky troops
there at that time. Besides these were
Imboden's and Albertis' batteries Of field
artillery, and four or five companies Of
cavalry. The latter were never embodied,
being employed in outpost service. Two
of the companies, in charge Of Capt. Ash
by, afterwards GeneraD were assigned to
the duty Of guarding the bridges On the
Potomac at Berlin and Point Of Rocks,
another Oh t2oilitating communication
with Richmond, through the interior by
telegraph another was stationed at
Martinsburg, &c. If therefore the troops
were found "a crude rabbie" by Col. Jack
son they were made soby the action Of the
Convention in suddenly breaking up their
organizations. It was an experiment Ger
tainly which few troops on active duty in
the field would have borne as well-.and
we have no disposition to depreciate the
difficulties Of Col Jackson's position
stranger among them, with none to aid
him in the work Of Reorganization above
the rank Of Captain. Nevertheless we can
find in them no justification for the dis
paraging comments Of his Biographer.
Theservices Of the troops first ordered to
Harper's Ferry have never been understood
or appreciated BY the public, and as the
cause IS lost, it is not likely they ever will
be. DR.. Dabney says, "almost without
prompting from the authorities, the mill
tia was assembling in the neighborhood
to capture the place, when the officer in