Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-30

battle. StoncWall Jackson surrounded tho Union post at Iarpcr's Ferry Sept. H. 1869. Ho had 30, GOO men. The garrison of Harprrs Ferry numbered over 13, 900 troops of all arms. The position is on a low neck of land formed by the junction of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers and is surrounded at close range by series of heights ranging from 600 to 1000 feet above the water. Jackson planted his can non on the heights in readiness to lombard the works, but delayed opening fire for some timc.
 The officers of tho bcsicgcd garrison, as is usual under tho circumstances, were di- vidcd in opinion as to what had best be done t0 save the post, or at least to get out of tho trap with the men and their small arms. The commandant, Colonel Dixon $. Miles, urged on his part that fighting would simply be a waste of life and that he had no authority to abandon the place, having been ordered to hold it. What somo of the gallant officers and men un- der him thought of the situation and tho duty of tho hour is told hy ono of the par ticipantS, in tho following spirited narra- tive. The particulars hayo never before been made public:
 "Tho Ninth Vermont regiment, infan- try, Colonel George J. |tannard command ing, Was O: oOf the unfortunate commands that were surrendered hy Colonel Dixon <. Miles, an old officer of the United States arny, at lIarprr's Ferry, Va, on the morning of Sept, 15. 1869.
 "Thr Ninth regiment was mustered into the United States service July 9, 1862 and i'll little over two months its members were parulrd prisoners of war. Tho sur render uf the Union troops at IIarpprs Ferry has h@rn a subject of much comment
  cummandrr or his lack of patriotism was tho cause uf this grcnts disaster to tho Union arms.
 "Thr (ni'n troops wCr" located on Bolivar heights, in ETarpcr's Ferry and also arruSI tho Potomac on Maryland heights. Thrrc were no Union troops on Lnudon heights in Virginia. After a slight resistance our people on Maryland heights withdrew to IIarprrs Ferry, and the CunfrdrratcS lmtwrrn the ith of Sep tcmhrr and he morning of the 18th occu- pied both Maryland and LouAn heights and completely surrounded tho Union troops. The Ninth Vermont regiment on the afternoon of Sept. II. sunday. lay on Bolivar heights under Inc fire of three hat tories. Al shutdown of the same day it wI| sent to IT. enforce the right of the Union line, which was formed To the loft of the Charleston pike, and arrived in time tu rrpulrr the advance of A. F. IIiIl'S Con fcdrratr division. They fired some 20 rounds and drove back tho leading Con- federal" brigade, Midnight Saturday, Sept. l3 Colonel Miles allowed the Union cavalry tu cut it's way out of Harpcrs Ferry. The colonel of tho Ninth regiment asked permission to go with the cavalry, as Il" and all his men felt that the next day would see a terrible surrender of tho troops left at lInrpcr's Ferry. Miles re- fused tn let the Ninth regiment go-in fact, he hardly recognized their command CT for on previous occasions Stannard had had alterations with him in regard to the situation before tho environment of IlarIcr's Ferry hy the Confederate forces Stannhrt hnd offered to take his regiment on tu luudun knights and hold them. He also stated that Maryland heights should be held at all hazards, and that there was no Use of staying in llarpCr's Ferry in sisting in strongest terms that both of thr>C places must hr held ur disaster would folluw
 "s'tanuaru also asked permission totako rn>srSSi"n of tho picket linc with his own m"n and Wa- ready tu tako his chances of gcttnA, ouJ. NirS became excited and usrd very otr,hi@ language; swung his sa-