The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-08-14
DEFERRED MATTER
The Movement on Harpers Ferry.

HOW THE sTAUNToN TROOPS WERE ORDER
ED TO THE FRoNT-THE MILITARY OF
AUGUSTA FIRST IN THE FIELD.
The Southern Intelligence has recen tly
been publishing interesting war reminiscent
ces.-week before last it gave an account OF
thu scene in the convention, when the i'm
portent step OF war was determined, and
last week The narrative is continued descrip-
tive OF the circumstances under which the
Augusta troops first took the field. 1t will
prove entertaining reading to many of our
subscribers and is as follows:
After the adjournment OF the meeting at
the Exchange, Capt. Imboden, in company
with Col. Fountain, drove to the Governor
Mansion and found Gov. Letcher in the act
OF going to bed, when Capt. Imboden said
to him: swell, sir, we have organized the
movement to take Harper's Ferry. Gov.
wise is at the head of it, and have called
to inform you OF the fact. and to request
that the very moment you feel free to assume
the responsibility of giving military orders
that you sanction this as State movement.
for whilst We have made up our minds to
take the arsenal and secure the arms at
Harper's Ferry, we may, and probably will,
have fight, and it would not be pleasant if
any of us should fall into the hands of the
United States to be swung up to a tree as
volunteer insurgents. intend you shall
know our purpose, and believe you will back
us as soon as you CAM The Governor smil-
ed and said 81 suppose if you succeed none
OF you will be hung. You shall hear from
me tomorrow" Understanding the Govern
or really to approve the movement, because
he had given an order to Capt. Imboden late
in the evening for two hundred rounds of
siX-pounder fixed ammunition, which had
been sent to the depot of the Central railroad.
and also eighty stands of Enfield rifles, which
Capt lmboden was entrusted with to take to
Martinsburg company, organized, but not
armed, the Captain bade him 'sgood night"
with full confidence that legal orders would
follow next day. By the way, the two hun
dred rounds of fixed anmun ition was issued
for target practice so the order read. On
leaving the Governors, Capt. Imboden pro-
ceeded to the telegraph office, and sent
message to Staunton ordering his company,
''The Stanton Artillery" to be prepared to
march at any time the next day april 17th)
to s'aid in the capture of Portsmouth Mary
gard" and to send forward their guns to
Gordonsville by attaching flats to the morn
ing passenger train from Staunton. He also
telegraphed to Col. VIM. S. II. Baylor, com.
handing the Fifth Virginia Volunteers, urg
ing him to call them out, or, at least, 1.-The
West Augusta Guard'-a magnificent COIN
spany of infantry at Staunton, previously
commanded by Col. Baylor as captain, and
which was.in fact. the nucleus around which
the Fifth Regiment was formed, and after
wards SO distinguished as a part OF the
''Stonewall Brigade
Capt. Imboden left Richmond for Staunton
cary on the morning of the 18th. He had
indicated Portsmouth Navy-ysrd" as the
objective point in his dispatch, fearing that
the wires might leak and excite movement
from Washington to defend Harper's Ferry.
The precaution was necessary, for one OF his
coadjutors abiding imprudently to their
enterprise on the train, the next morning, a
passenger made the effort to telegraph to
Washington, but his dispatch was intercept
ed. Great excitement was caused at Stanton
when Capt. Imboden's kilograms were made
public on the morning OF the 18th. 1.-THE
Staunton Artillery, -four guns-and ''The
West Augusta Guard'' were in readiness to
march by noon. Thousands of people flock
ed to town to see them off. Scores of young |
men volunteered to join the ARTILLERY, and
its roll was run up during the day from
about so to lao men. Others were then re.
fused, and they Joined the Guards" The |
cannon went forward under a detachment |
early in the day. just east of the Blue
Ridge Tunnel the rain had caused heavy |
slide, and several hours were lost awaiting |
the up-train, to which the guns were trans.
ferred in the afternoon, and switched off the
track to await the train with the full compa-
ny, which was expected along toward night.
Some one at Staunton questioned the legality
OF the orders. Geo. w. lmboden afterwards
the Colonel of the Eighteenth Virginia Cav
airy, to quiet the apprehensions Of the doubt
ing photographed his brother, Capt. Imboden,
at Gordonsville. to know if the ''orders came
from the Governor John A. Harman, who
was on the train heard the message boy in
quiring for Capt. Imboden on arrival of the
train at Gordonsviile, aid received from him
the dispatch, and read it. Without consult
ing Capt. Imboden, or even telling him he
had such message. answered it in the name
of Capt. Imboden-''the orders are from the
Governor" After leaving Gordonsville some
time Hartman informed Imboden of what he
had done, and the two agreed that if no Or
ders from Gov. Letcher were found at Staun-
ton they would have TO fall back upon Gov.
Wise as the "Governor" under whom they
were acting. They did not reach Stanton
till about P. NJ, owing to the slide above
mentioned. There they found the two COM
panes ready to embark, and only awaiting
Capt. Imboden's arrival. That officer could
hardly make his way through the crowd, so
eager were the people to hear what was
going on. He found Maj. Gen. Kenton Har-
per, and Brig.-Gen. VIM. II. Hartman, and
Col. William S. II. Baylor in full uniform
awaiting him. Three more gallant spirits
never lived-two, Hartman and Baylor, were
slain during the war, and Harper died of
disease contracted in the army. In company
with these gentlemen, he fastened to the
law office of Col. Baylor, locked out the
crowd, and intending to ''make a clean
breast OF it" about the orders. However, as
soon as the door was closed Harper drew
from his pocket telegram received an hour J
before, to this purport:
"Call out all the volunteers of your MILL i
AIRY district and proceed at once to Harper's
Ferry and take possession of the arsenal.
See Imboden for details.
'JSigneD JOHN LErCHER,
s'G0re77aoT.
Gen. Harper eagerly inquired for all the ! !
Information Imboden could give him. And i
within an hour the two companies embarked |
Issued orders to all the other companies of
he Fifth Regiment, in Augusta county, to t
ollow next day. Gen. Harper went down y
he Valley directly to Winchester. Gen. +
1arman took the cars ard was in command r
i'll the expedition reached Winchester, sew
raj companies having joined it on the way.
he trains bearing these troops went by way
t Gordonsville and Manassas junction to
trasburg, reaching the latter place early on {
he 18th, and by nighthad marched eighteen \
allies to Winchester, where Gen. Harper had
objected cars enough to convey them to
larper's Ferry that night. The Federal Q
at that place hearing of the ex- !, n
edition, fired the arsenal after midnight, -
nd crossed the Potomac, so that when the .,
irginians entered the village about O'Clock fl
n the morning of the 10Th of April, 1861, m
icy found that they were too late to prevent IL
le destruction of from $4,000 to IS, 600 stand
the most approved arms that were stored Is
| the burning arsenal. c.
At Strasburg. Capt. Imboden being with p
1t horses for his guns, sent to all the neigh If
bring farms, and Impressed them from
e stables, and from ploughs in the furrow, SC
'eatly to the disgust of that pea ceful and
sace- loving population, who then little
'eamed of the storm OF war so soon to sweep :
'er these very fields.
In explanation of the promptness with 4
hich these Stanton volunteer companies y
rned out in response to telegraphic orders, A,