Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-08

try. many persons. so 1t Is said, being OF
the opinion that it had considerable to do
with the bringing on of the civil war.
During the War.
So far as Harper's Ferry and its direct
connection with the civil war are concerned.
small Union force. commanded by Lieut..
Roger Jones, was stationed there April 10,
1861. On learning that large confederate
force was approaching, Jones set fire to
everything he considered might be Of value
to the enemy-the government arsenal being
completely destroyed-and retreated to Car
Isle, Pa Colonel Ashby, with his black
horse regiment, and companies organized
from the young men of Jefferson county, of
Harper's Ferry, Charlestown, Winchester
and BerryV1ile, constituting large confed-
crate force, remained in and about Har-
pers Ferry for about two months. The
l4th Of June. after burning the bridge, the
force marched up the valley. The town was
practically abandoned, so far as the pres
ence of troops was concerned, until Febru-
airy, 1852, when Gen. Banks and Gen.
Shields crossed the river to open the Shen-
andoah valley campaign. There was fight
ing at intervals until September TO- 1862,
when, as mentioned in the foregoing Cen
eral Robert E. Lee, commanding the Army
Of Northern Virginia. with headquarters at
Frederick, Md, set three columns in mo-
ton to capture Harper's Ferry. Major Gen
eral L. McLaws, with his own division
and that of Major General r. H. Ander-
son, marched through Mddetown and
Brownsville pass into Pleasant valley. Two
days later the brigades of Kershaw and
Barksdale assembled Maryland Heights by
Solomons gap, moved along the crest, and,
at nightfall, were checked by the Union
forces under command of Col. T. H. Ford,
about two miles north of Harper's Ferry.
Eight confederate brigades held Weverton,
Sandy Hook and approaches from the east.
Septembe ID Kershaw and BarksdaIe drove
the Union troops from the heights. Ford,
abandoning seven guns, retreated across
pontoon bridge, a few yards above the rail-
road bridge, to Harper's Ferry. The Union
loss was thlrty-eight killed and thirty-four
wounded, while the confederate loss was
thirty-eight killed and 17S wounded
Brig. Gen. John D. Walkers division
crossed the Potomac river at Point of
Rocks, ten miles below Harper's Ferry,
during the night of September TO- and on
the 18th occupied Loudoun Heights and
the roads south of the river leading east
and south.
Maj. Gen. Thomas J. jackson, with his
own division and those Of Maj. Gems. A. P.
Hill and r. 8. Ewell, left Frederick Md,
the morning of September 10, and passing
through Middletown and Boonsboro',
crossed the Potomac at wiIiamsport,
twenty-one miles north Of Harper's Ferry,
the afternoon Of September IL. Hills di-
vision took the direct road to Martinsburg
and bivouacked near 1t. Jackson's and
Ewell's divisions marched to North Noun
tain Depot the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
burg, and bivouacked. During the night
Brig. Gen. Julius White, commanding the
Union troops at Martinsburg, about $500
in number, abandoned that place and re-
treated to Harper's Ferry.
Jackson occupied Martnsburg on the
morning OF September II, passed through
1t, and about noon of the 18th A P. Hills
division. in the advance, reached Hilltown,