The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-26
CAPTURE OF HARPER'S FERRY.
Veteran OF Kershaw's Brigade. c.S. A.,
Tells His Story.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: | note in
a recent issue an article which was writ
ten to correct the impression that Col.
Miles failed to do his duty mt the time the
Ferry was captured. This charge, it seems.
is made because of the smallness of the
losses of the garrison. | was with Ker-
shaw's Brigade. which assaulted and cap
tured Maryland flights, overlooking the
Ferry Our brigade lost about one-third
OF lis numbers in this assault. ! saw bat
six injured Federals, and we captured one
uninjured man. These seven were all the
Federals which l know were lost on that
side. and | went through the clearings and
over the log breastworks The troops de-
Tending the nights and Kershaw's Brigade
were the only troops who actually fought
over the capture and defense of the place.
The Federals were protected by log breast
works, loopholcd so that we could see only
the ends Of their guns. and now and then
Il head over the top of the logs. The Fed
erals in retreatipg from one position to
another were protected by the thick tim
her
Barksdale's Mississippi Brigade moved
crr the flank of the Federals, which. with
the assault of Kershaw in front, compelled
them to retire to avoid capture. Banks
daie's Brigade, | understood. lost but one
man. The losses of Kershaw's Brigade is
proof that the Federals fought ''somc."
and the smallness of their loss is explained
by the defenses which they occupied.
After we captured the nights we
dragged up Il section Of artillery, and the
garrison in the Ferry being in full view,
we had n plunging fire on it, from which
it could not escape, except by surrender or
relief.
Champions Gap was defended by two
divisions of infantry, besides our cavalry
and artillery, the total of which was 10000
or 10000 men. When Jackson appeared
on the south side of the river and the
Ferry, Col. Miles was surrounded by not
less than 10000 COnfederates. Under the
fire of our guns from Maryland flights
and an attack by Jackson. Col. Miles must
of necessity surrender or be annihilated.
If Mcclellan had succeeded in destroy
ing our two divisions mt Champions Gap.
before he could have captrstd our brigade
and our guns on the nights, these guns.
aiding an assault by Jackson, would have
compelled Il surrender. The success of
McClellans attack on Champions Gap
was signaed to Jackson from our signal
station on Maryland Nights, and our ar
tiuery fire was increased so that Col.
Miles was forced to surrender.
The weak point in the defense of the
place was the failure of Mcclellan to push
the fight after. he got Champions Gap.
As it was. we marched down the noun
tain, and cur whole army fell back or
crossed over into the Ferry on the pom
toons in broad daylight practically upmo-
Tested by Mcclellan in our rear. If Nc
Clellan had pushed the fight on us. he
could not have saved the Ferry, but he
could have given our two divisions a whole
lot of trouble before Jackson could have
reached us with help. l was in the Ferry
after its capture, being one of the detail
to get ratiOns for my command, and l saw
no half-buried Federals. as described by
one in the article | am replying to. Eleven
thousand Federals were captured. and
their losses were small, it is true, but Ker-
shaw's Brigade lost heavily in capturing
Maryland Nights. l understood mt the
| time that Col. Miles was killed by the ar
tillesy from Maryland flights, and that
;he Ferry surrendered after he fell
When my brigade took the last line of
breastworks on the nights a Federal sol
der surrendered to me. "1O3d Ohio" was
his cap. He gave the Colonel of my regi-
ment pair Of opera giAsses. He was a
young man. wonder if he is liying.-W.
A. JOHNSON, Co. D, I'd s. G.