Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-02-01

MEMBER OF HARPERS FERRY.
Stonewall Jackson's force already
had Loudoun Heights and Maryland
Heights, and now they seized
| Bolivar Heights. on all of which they
planted their cannon. When ready,
they opened on the devoted place with
| 90 guns, and our forces were all now
IN the basin of Harpers Ferry. Fol
one day and part of another a furious
borubardinent was kept up. For the
quantity of shell thrown there was
not much loss of life or manning,
but the shell and shot cut many antics
IN the houses of the citizens some oil
whom were wounded by them. The
sick lieutenant and | stayed in our
room, where Colonel Ford came once
in while, when we would question
him as 10 the looks of things. He
seemed respondent and predicted sur
render. The garrison were hoping for
help from General Mcclellan, but he
had his hands full at Antietam Once
a shell passed through our house in
the room next to the one in which we
were lying and we looked for more, as
1t was in much exposed place. There
was a stairway to the cellar from the
room IN which we were. The lieu
tenant suggested that we go to the
cellar. ! did not think it any safer
there, bit he did. He opened the
door to the stairway. and just at that
instant a shell went into the cellar
through a grated window in the rear
and burst there and a column of smoke
poured up the stairway We thought
from the noise and jar that the whole
house was going to pieces, but no
damage was done except in the Gel
lar. asked the lieutenant what he
I thought Of the cellar now. He smiled.
and said he would go down anyway
| to see what the shell had done. He
found things knocked to pieces gen
orally and returned with piece of
/ the shell in his hand still warm and
smoking. Later on Colonel Ford
made his appearance again and said
that the prospect had not improved.
When he departed, we left the house
aud took refuge in a building on the
main street in Bolivar, part stone,
where we remained while the bonn
bardment lasted
There were about fourteen men Of
us of Coles Cavalry. who, from sick
ness and wounds, could not go out
with our cavalry the night it went.
We saw with heavy hearts our CON-
rades leave us, but there was no help for
it. When with the gloom of night the
shelling ceased, we fourteen got to-
gether, and collected all our arms and
ammunition and threw them into a we'll.
Smelling began again in the morn
ing, but about ten o'clock the white
flag of surrender was run up along
the Notifications. Shortly before that
Colonel Miles and staff had passed up
| through Bolivar towards the heights.
Soon after / saw Colonel Miles carried
down through Bolivar in a blanket
MORALLY wounded. He was struck
after the white flag was put up. The
she'll or shot which took off his leg
came from Loudoun Heights, on the
crest of which fog was resting, and
from which shells continued to come,
owing as was supposed to their not
being able to see the white flag. Their
shots fell among some of their own
men after they had began to march in.
They started riders furiously in that
direction to stop the firing A Con
Tolerate officer said in my hearing,
''Ride like - to Loudoun Heights
and stop that Id firing" Colonel
Miles was also struck with a rifle bull
let. which certainly did not come from
Rebel gun. 1t was generally sup
| posed to have come from one of the
men of the garrison in revenge for his
supposed treason in conducting the
the defense of the post. If it was
treason, he paid for it with his life,
and the command now fell upon Col
onel Ford.
Jackson's men were now coming in
large masses over the Heights of Boil
var. A Rebel officer accosted me in
front of our quarters. had my army
overcoat on my arm He asked ME
whether l would sell him the coat.
81 cannot" replied, Il am just up
from wounds received in a fight near
Leesburg. l am delicate and | need
it." II will give you SIS for it in
your own money said he sIndeed
sir, feel that cannot part with it;
but as am your prisoner you can
take it if you have mind to, said l..
''Oh, no, no; l wouldn't do anything
of that kind, said he, and off he rode.
Soon another officer stopped and
asked me:
Where is that 24-pounder brass
gun that gave us the devil over on
Loudoun Heights?"
told him he would find it in the
Camp Hill forti6cation, and away he
rode. / stopped Rebel officer my
self and told him the history OF our
little body of men; that we had nc
commissioned officer to look after us,
and asked his advice as to what we
had better do He said that the best
thing was for US to remain quietly al
our quarters until we received orders
from headquarters
II was a sad as we'll as novel sight
to look upon Jackson's thousands as
they marched past US clad in every
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