The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-07-02
Read Better than a Pension f" on page ..
NOT UNSUITABLE.
Gen. nilcs's Surrender at narpcr's Ferry.

Gen. Micss Surrender nj Harpcr's Ferry.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: ] have been
very greatly surprised i'm reading y. T.. w, in
The NATIONAL TmEUNT, where Ec attempts
10 apologize for Gen. Miioss surrender of llar-
pCr's Ferry Sept II, SOP. J. L. W. seems 10
try 10 Justify Miles action on very doubtful
claim OF military ethics lie claims 10 have
given considerable study 10 military matters
since the war, aud that be bias been largely in
hucnced in the above belief by information he
has received from gentlemen of strict We
raciiy who held Official position under Stone
wall Jackson. Since the war the writer has
been engaged, and very often holly contested,
ln campaign Of providing bread and meat
aud laimcnt for a large family that has come
10 him since those dark dayg, that he has been
deprived al much information on war topics
but what briclrclectiOn he has given the above
suWect he Is fully convinced that there were
no gentlemen o. % strict VcTacity in Stoucwali
JacKsons command. But 10 stick 20 the text
Was Miles in iault'2 Most emphaticaiIy
think he WAS. As 10 the instructions from The
War Department 10 Gen. Ailes, the sum and
substance OF them was simply This: Hold
llarpcr's Ferry az all hazards Gen. Miles in
tetpreted ii literally, aud remained i'm lIar-
pcrs Ferry in place OF on Maryland flights. IL
ls not too much 10 claim that Gen. Miles posi-
lively must have known that be could not hold
the place by remaining ia llarpor's Ferry and
allowing those alleged gentlemen Of great
yeracity to occupy the nights all around him.
As to the pretended claim that Gen. Miles
was very greatly surprised when be l0Eud Gen.
Walker, g. ). A., with his artillery on LOudogu
Nights thls Is remarkable statement Gen.
Miles well knew the C0nicdcrates as early as
lo5l had artillery on LoudUun Nights, and in
the talI Of the same year Gen. Gcary, II. :. A.,
placed artillery there also. i believe Gen.
mics 8 greatest error was In not Occupying
Mary land flights with his army, rs 81 would
be impossible f0T Jackson TO have dislOdgcd
him from that position; but even after he had
allowed his enemy 10 occupy that position, he
could have saved bis army by taking il out
through Mary land, either up or down the Po-
tonac, as his cavalry, commanded by Col. Da-
vas, some goo, made their escape by that route
They not only escaped themselves bat captured
6cn. Longs,rCcJs ammunition train Of 20 wag-
ons and about 200 prisoners Aud yet we
heard nothing about Col. Davis with the cav
airy being court martialed for dis0bcdiclcc Of
orders IN refusing 10 surrender with Gen.
Miles
While the word traitor might infer more
than Gen. Mics's conduct IN surrcndcring Har-
pers Ferry would justify yet be showed the
very poorest quality OF gcuCrlslip, and ulict-
Cd an injury on The Amy Of the Potomac that
was coWaTdig, 10 say the least, and Illuminating
in the extreme.
d, A.. N. defense OF Gcn. MllCss conduct in
suTcndcring Harpcrs Ferry hinges on eN-
tremc tcchnicalitics aud hair.splitting. Ii is
IrepostcroGs 10 claim the words Hold Harp
cIs Ferry al an hazards" should be inter
pIcted 10 budding bis army together IN a hol-
low, when such ample position rs Maryland
lights afforded such abundant and safe pro-
lection. The extent Of the surrender was five
times more disastrous than Bull Run, from a
numerical and financial point Of view. II iu.
cludcd nearly 1900 men, 3 cannon, 5000
small arms, and immense quantities Of military
s:orcs-BRisc0E GoODHEAET, L0udOun Rang
ers, Knoxville tenn.