The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-01-12

Datf4e, sHtDneWall jackson SNffOuliGGu the
Union post IT Harper's Ferry on Sept. Is,
1862. He had 20,0Co men. The Garrison of
IIarper's Ferry numbered over l3,CG0. The
position is low ground on q mock of land
formed by junction of the Shenandoah and
Potomac rivers and is surrounded at close
range by a series of heights from eco to ,60Q
feet above the water. Jackson planted his
cannon On the heights ready to bomhard
the works, but delayed opening fire for
some time.
The officers Of the garrison, as ii usual in
such cases, were divided asto wnat ought to
be done tos tie post or at least thomen
and their arms The commandant, Colonel
Dixon S. Miles, urged that fighting would
be d waste Of life and chat he had no an
thority to abandon the place, having been
ordered to hold it One of those who dis
sented from this view was Lieu enaat Colo
mel 3. L. Davis, leader Of the Eighth ew
York cavalry, a regiment forming part Of
the cavalry force Of $50 horse included in
the garrison. Late on the I4th Colonel
Davis, known in the service as Grimes" Da-
Wis, with Colonel Iasbrouci1 Davis Of the
Twelfth Illinois cavalry, devised a scheme
to save their commands Grimes Davis
was native Of Alabama and may have had
personal incentive in not wishing to be
taken prisoner. He was all officer in the
regular army and had served in the south
west before the war With many of the Con-
federate leaders arrayed against him at
Harper,s Ferry. In the early days of the
war the scEtherner who stuck by the Union
Gag was considered by the south a traitor
to his people.
The idea CT escaping from Harper's Ferry
as things stood was bold one. The Nir-
ginia shore was alive with Confederates,
and the Maryland region just north Of IIar-
per's Ferry was occupied by the main army
of Lee. The details Of the escape are told
in plain soldier language IN sketch Of the
Eighth New York cavalry written By Henry
Norton. After IL brief account Of the open
ing of the siege by Jackson's army the mar
rator says:
THE colonel made preparations to 90 out
with his regiment and what cavalry re-
manned there-two regiments ard two
detachments, mum bering l,3G9 in all lie
got one Of the old settlers who knew the
country well to pilot him through Mary
land, which was then occupied by the Con-
federate General LongstieeJ,s corps. lie
had scout watching the enemy's move
mcnts, for he knew the only way to get oat
was through Longstreet,s lines.
'On the l4th Of September everything
was ready for rs to get out of the Ferry if
we could. In the evening about o'clock
we were drawn up in line, and our sItler.
knowing that he could not get out with his
goods, gave the boys what he had on hand
We crossed the Potomac to the Maryland
side on u pontoon bridge Before we
crossed each captain gave orders that each
man OF his company must follow his file
leader, and that no other orders would be
given. We crossed the river By twoa while
the colonel with his pilot went ahead to
clear the road. v men the head Of the
column got across the river. the men would
start off at full speed, SO 10y the time the
last man was across the head OF the line
was 10 miles away | was near the rear of
the line, and the way We went was a eau
tion. Each horse went as fast as lie could
go. Ey the time all had crossed it was
dark. Dark was no name for it. 1t was
just the right kind of Il night fer such an
undertaking. The only way ore could tel
how far we We're from our file leader was
by the horses shoes striking fire on the
stones. Sometimes we would be 20 yards
away from our file leader and then would
come up full drive. Then we woild hear
some tall swearing That was the way we
went for several miles. The advance drove
the enemy's pickets in soon after crossing
the river. The Confederates were surprised
to see Yankees coming from that direction.
They thought we were cooped up in the
Ferry and did not dare come out